It's Miller's time at Loblolly Acres in Viola

VIOLA — It’s a good time to be Alex Miller.

After a string of hits from his “Country” album last year, the singer released an EP in April. Titled “My Daddy’s Dad,” it has spurred a well-received single of the same name.

And, as if that wasn’t enough, he made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry on June 27.

“I couldn’t be better if there were two of me,” said the jovial 21-year-old Kentucky native during a phone interview last week from his home in Nashville, Tennessee.

Mr. Miller, who hit the national scene as a contestant on “American Idol” in 2021, will make his Delaware debut Aug. 10 at Loblolly Acres. The show is at 8 p.m.

Reflecting on his recent Opry performance, he said he still can’t believe he played the hallowed venue.

“The Opry was something I’ve dreamed about ever since I was 6 years old, watching VHS tapes of old Grand Ole Opry stars back in the ’50s. My granddad used to put them on, and we used to watch them,” he said.

“I have a little poster. When I was in fifth grade, (the assignment was to) write what your dream is. And my dream was to play the Grand Ole Opry. I never thought, as a little kid, that that dream would actually come true. It’s just something I can’t even hardly put into words for you.”

With his 1944 Martin D-18 acoustic guitar in hand, Mr. Miller performed his hit, “Puttin’ Up Hay,” plus “My Daddy’s Dad.”

He said he received the news that he would appear on the Opry stage from singer Eddie Montgomery, formerly of the duo Montgomery Gentry.

Mr. Montgomery marked his 15 years as an Opry member that night, as well. The two go way back, with Mr. Montgomery living near Mr. Miller during the latter’s childhood and helping with his career.

“My mom and my dad knew about the Opry debut and that he was going to do that for a week. But they didn’t call me for a week straight, and I wondered if they were mad at me or what,” he said.

“Finally, Mom called me and said, ‘We need to film some promo videos for shows.’ She said I needed to dress really, really nice for these really important shows. Suddenly, on the day, Eddie walked in my house and said, ‘We’ve talked about the Opry. Would you like to come play it?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, that sounds pretty good to me.’ My parents held that secret for a week. I don’t know how they did that.”

The appearance culminated a dream for Mr. Miller, who began his career at age 7, quickly progressing from shows in and around his hometown of Lancaster to larger markets.

By the beginning of 2022, he had sung at multiple state fairs and had opened for Hank Williams Jr., Josh Turner, Lee Brice and Shenandoah.

By the end of 2023, Mr. Miller had appeared on bills with Chris Janson, Chapel Hart, Drake Milligan, Noah Thompson, Dillon Carmichael, HunterGirl, Emily Ann Roberts and Tracy Byrd.

He credits his late grandfather, G.B. Miller, for much of his success. “My Daddy’s Dad” is about him.

“He was my best friend in life. We were like two peas in a pod. We didn’t go anywhere without each other. His passing (two years ago) was really tough on me and my whole family. And, with that song, I wrote that before he passed, and I played it for him,” Mr. Miller said.

“He took me everywhere. He would take me to these nursing homes to play or churches or even little honky-tonks down the street. He took me there just so I could learn how to be with the band and play with other musicians. I miss not having him at shows, and I miss not seeing his face. So, I thought, ‘What can I do to make myself feel a little more comfortable and be more at home at shows?’ And I thought, ‘Well, I need to sing that song about Grandpa.’ It really is him, in a song, from the time he was young to the time he passed.”

Mr. Miller said he’s grateful it’s having an effect on other people, too.

“I didn’t know at the time that people would kind of latch onto it and appreciate it. It seems like it’s connected with other people and reminded them of their grandparents, as well. I had no idea that it would do that. But I’m so thankful that it did. Any way I can bring back somebody’s memory of their grandpa, I think that’s a great thing.”

Another factor in Mr. Miller’s success is his “American Idol” stint, he said.

Shortly after exiting the show during Hollywood Week, he secured a manager, a booking agent and a record label. His well-received debut album, “Miller Time,” was released in April 2022 and generated three high-impact singles: “I’m Over You, So Get Over Me,” “Don’t Let the Barn Door Hit Ya” and “Through With You.”

“The music business is like a house, and there’s a lot of people in the house. It was kind of like the SWAT team busting the door down for me. It was awesome. It opened up so many doors for me,” he said.

Mr. Miller said audiences can expect a high-energy show at Loblolly Acres. He plays guitar, ukulele, bass and banjo.

“I would say ‘electrified’ is a good word for it. We do traditional country music, but we do it rockin’, if that makes sense. We’ll pull stuff out of the ’90s and ’80s. We’re just a country music show. We try to touch all bases, and even with my music, I’ll do some really traditional stuff and straight-ahead, modern-day country music,” he said.

After hosting several performances by local artists over the past few years, this is the first Loblolly concert featuring a national act.

“Cheryl Epps, the owner of Loblolly Acres, has been working backstage at the Delaware State Fair for several years now. She has made some great connections with Variety Attractions, a talent consultant team out of Nashville that the fair uses to book their talent,” said Angela Zielen, founder of The Art Society at Loblolly Acres.

“In 2022, we had them ... tour the farm, told them our vision for Loblolly Acres and bringing more events to Kent County. They suggested Alex Miller to us, and we adored him. So, we decided to have him as our first step into bringing national touring acts to our intimate and unique venue.”

Before the concert, guests can enjoy a trick roper, food trucks, a cash bar and yard games. Bryan Scar will play on the patio from 6:30-8.

Other upcoming Loblolly shows include local band Love Seed Mama Jump on Friday at 8 p.m. and the Chesapeake Silver Cornet Brass Band on Sunday at 6 p.m., with an art show preceding at 4.

For tickets, visit loblollyacres.com . Loblolly Acres is at 3893 Turkey Point Road.