Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 26, 1993                   TAG: 9305260254
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DWAYNE YANCEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

MILLER SAYS HE'D REIGN OVER HIS PARADE

He might even sing along with them.

With Miller, that's not just whistling Dixie.

The Republican state legislator from Woodstock paid his way through law school as a country music singer in the 1950s and still picks a tune every year at the Shenandoah County Fair.

Last year, he took time off from campaigning to go to Nashville to record some songs - and he's now putting his musical talents to work by singing in a television commercial touting his candidacy for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

During a stop in Roanoke on Tuesday, Miller was asked if he'd keep on singing as governor, perhaps by crooning at his inaugural.

"Who knows?" Miller said. "I probably would. If nothing else, I'd sing along with a band as they go marching by."

That got Miller thinking - and talking - about something that's bugged him at inaugurations he's attended in the past.

"I can promise you this: I'd pay more attention to the people who come to the inauguration to perform for and on behalf of and in honor of the governor than I've seen many of our governors at Inauguration Day do in the past.

"When I went to the last inauguration, you see these kids going by with the band, and the majorettes, the marching units, and you know this is special for them. You know they and their parents and families look forward to it. Many of them, to go there, washed cars and had bake sales.

"And as they went by the governor's podium, what was the governor doing? He was turned around talking to people. Not all the time, but the vast amount of time. I took particular note of that. I thought it was ill-mannered."

Keywords:
POLITICS