At age 12, Megan Miller astounded her mother with a karaoke rendition of a Martina McBride song. Years later, her raw talent produced the same effect on Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson when she auditioned for “American Idol” last summer.
The University kinesiology senior and former Miss Greater Baton Rouge will be competing with this season’s cycle of “American Idol” hopefuls, and the episode in which she was offered her spot on the show aired Thursday night.
Miller said she has loved music ever since she was “little bitty.” Her musical muses range from Martina McBride to Adele, and she has drawn inspiration from these songstresses through the years.
Miller said her singing career began at an early age. She was self-taught and has never had a voice lesson. She said she had a “sheltered” upbringing in Ethel, La., and only sang behind closed doors. Her singing reclusion came to a halt when her family dined at a karaoke restaurant.
“I went and signed up for ‘A Broken Wing’ by Martina McBride, and my mom was like, ‘You know that’s a really, really hard song. Why don’t you sing what the other girls are singing? Like ‘Strawberry Wine?’” Miller recounted. “I was like ‘No, I want to do this.’ And I got up there and I blew her away, and she hasn’t tried to prevent me from singing ever again.”
Her precocious talent prompted Miller to continue singing and eventually led her to audition for the mega-hit singing competition, “American Idol.”
Miller said she waited until this point in her life to try out because she wanted to ensure she had a college degree before chasing her dreams.
The initial audition process began back in the muggy days of July in New Orleans. Miller performed “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” by Christina Aguilera while sporting crutches and anticipating surgery later that day after breaking her leg in an accident prior to the audition.
“In any other instance, I would be really nervous, and my nerves would be the biggest enemy for me,” Miller acknowledged. “But that day, I didn’t really care about anything else. I’d been in an accident previously, and I was going into surgery immediately after my audition.”
Alex Bossetta, a Spanish junior and friend of Miller for three years, went to the auditions to support the budding musician. Bossetta said she believed Miller was destined for Hollywood.
“I’ve heard Megan sing a thousand times, so I know what she’s capable of,” Bossetta said. “I had no doubts about her making it, but the anticipation of waiting to hear the results was the worst.”
Bosetta said she was excited about audience and judge reactions to Miller, especially to her crutches and eminent surgery, after her audition episode premiered Thursday.
“It will show people how tough and dedicated she is, not only with singing but in life, as well,” Bossetta said.
Miller made it to Hollywood, and she is competing with about 20 other contestants for a chance to be the next “American Idol” champion.
To set herself apart, Miller plans to play up her role as a brainy pageant queen and humanitarian.
“My organization is all about education and volunteerism. So I think the way to set myself apart is to show them I’ve definitely given back a lot,” Miller explained. “I’ve been volunteering for the past four years for the Baton Rouge area and Louisiana in general. So what sets me apart is I wouldn’t let them portray me as a stereotypical, superficial beauty queen.”
To cheer on local talent and watch Miller strive for stardom, tune in to Fox on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m.
