Timothy Miller gives me goosebumps. He is the charismatic man in the tuxedo who sings “God Bless America” during the 7th inning stretch at Atlanta Braves games on Sundays.
I have enjoyed his performances for the past 18 years, and I can report that he is on a 221-game winning streak, with no end in sight. It is an impressive display of patriotism, each more moving than the last.
We chatted recently, and I had questions: Is he married? Does he have children? Does he enjoy singing for 40,000 people (plus few million more watching at home)? Does he know the ballplayers, and do they appreciate what he does? The answer to all those questions is “yes.”
His voice, he says, is God-given. He is flattered to hear that people stop in their tracks when he begins to sing. (There are videos online of dogs who do too.) Yes, he sees the reaction from the fans at Truist Park. What he can’t see are fans in the concourse who pause for a couple of minutes to salute before they order their hot dogs. He hears the stories of veterans, some of whom struggle to walk, carefully rising from their living room chair to salute when he begins to sing.
His journey to the baseball diamond began in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia. At the age of 10, he was discovered in church. He said, “I come from a singing family. My mom (Ann Miller) is one of twelve children, and my dad (the late Rev. Dr. Woodrow Miller Jr.) was one of fourteen. Any time our family got together, there was music.” He continued, “One day at church, I was singing up front, and the pianist had her back to me. When the song was over, she looked at my mom, and nodded her approval.” His mom took note, and encouraged him to study music.
After high school (Academy of Richmond County, GA), he took voice lessons at Augusta State University. He moved on to Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he sang in the Glee Club. For the first time, he was singing alongside equally talented students who specialized in operatic and classical music. He felt challenged to step up his game. He said, “I grew up with gospel music and hymns. Now it was time for formal training.”
After graduating from college, he performed with the Atlanta Symphony, Atlanta Opera, and the Georgia Symphony. By 2008, the Braves featured “God Bless America,” performed by guest singers at home games. The team held an audition for a permanent voice, inviting eight singers to audition. Miller said, “I was fortunate enough to be selected, and I am forever grateful.”
So are Braves fans, players, managers, and even the umpires. He said, “(Umpire) Dan Iassogna hired me to sing at his daughter’s wedding. (Former Brave) Freddie Freeman went out of his way to give me a big hug this year. Some of the Braves salute me, or give me a thumbs up.” But he saves his greatest praise for the fans. “They let me know I am loved,” he said. “It’s the best feeling in the world.”
Miller says he never gets tired of singing “God Bless America.” “It is always an honor,” he said. “I know that every time I sing it, someone is hearing me for the first time. We honor veterans at the games, and they are so touched by the song. I never had the honor of serving, but my dad was a twenty-year military man. This is my way of serving.”
He and his wife Iuyana, an educator, have two children, daughter Morgan (18) and son Matthew (16), both of whom are talented musicians in their own right.
What does he do when he’s not on the field? His day job is adjunct professor of music and voice at Morehouse. He can sing in five different languages. He often schedules public performances, proving he’s not a one-hit wonder.
Most of all, he is thankful. “Singing at Braves games has changed my life,” he said. “I love sharing the gift the Lord has given me. I never take it for granted.”
