By Susan K. Williams Raw electricity . . . intense energy . . . a whirling dervish. These are words that describe Mark Miller, lead vocalist of Sawyer Brown, as he appeared on stage at the 1999 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
A stark contrast to the soft-spoken, yet confident, young man who only hours earlier talked seriously about his family, his faith and his music. The only clue to his dynamic stage presence was the fiery sparkle in his blue eyes. The band members, with the seriousness of all dedicated musicians, played their music with their hearts linked to each chord of the guitar, each note of the keyboard and each beat of the drumstick. Yet, this "not so young band" that has been touring and playing successfully for the past 15 years is one of the best kept secrets of country music. It's not their music that's the secret; it's the heart of the band, Mark Miller, who leads his band members and himself with values rarely found in the music industry today. All but one band member has a family, and he, according to Miller, can't wait to become an uncle. Passion and energy are what Miller is all about. His energy begins even before he hits the Astrodome floor. "Just driving into the place -- you can see the Dome from miles away -- you think, we're actually going to be performing there. There are so many exciting things going on, it really gets you going," said Miller.
When asked about his passions in life, Miller replied, "My biggest passion is my religion. I'm a Christian. Next is my family and then my job. That's the way the Good Book says it's supposed to be — God, family and then job. I think you're supposed to be passionate about all three. I hope I am." Carrying those values into his music, Miller and the band set up strict guidelines, which have formed the glue that has held these men together through the years. "All the guys share the same values," said Miller. "We set ground rules, and we've never wavered. There are no drugs and no drinking. We always try to be polite, and our rule is you sign autographs until the cows come home. It doesn't matter how hard you have to work as long as you get the job done." Miller works hard on stage and off. When he talks about the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, his face becomes serious, and his mood swings to awe. How serious is he about the Show? Serious enough to donate every cent of the band's proceeds back to the Show after its first performance here in 1995. "This show is legendary among entertainers," said Miller. "For us to get the call that the Show wanted us to play, and knowing what the money goes for, it just touched us so much we wanted to say yes. We wanted to come and perform, because this is a good cause, and we wanted to donate our proceeds back to the Show and be a part of that cause."
Of course, that wasn't the first or last time he made a gesture of that type. Recently, he and the band played a concert in Clarksville, Tenn., after that small town was ravaged by tornadoes. Miller wanted to provide an evening so everyone could get away from it all. "We just wanted to take their minds off everything they had been going through," he said. "The idea was, we weren't going in to play a benefit; we just wanted to entertain them and let everyone have a good time." However, someone put four barrels out for donations, and, at the end of the evening, approximately $14,000 had been collected, all of which went directly to tornado victims. "I think when you don't ask for money, people have a tendency to give a lot more," Miller mused. He and the band also are involved with the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, the D.A.R.E. Program and other charities that primarily benefit children. Notwithstanding their dedication to charitable causes, Miller and the band still manage to stay on the road, traveling to the far corners of the earth. On a recent trip to China, as a representative of American music, Miller found out how much his country meant to him. The people there had never heard anything other than traditional Chinese music. For Miller, traveling through that country was like going back in time. They had never seen Americans, much less men with blond hair and beards. "The people would come up to us, touch our hair and faces. They wanted to see if our facial hair was real. We looked very alien to them. "Since the Chinese had never been to a concert, they didn't know what to do. After the first song they just sat there, but because our stage antics are so animated they laughed at us and found us pretty funny. "We were basically a gift to the Chinese people [as an example] of what American music is. It was a very big honor," said Miller, comparing the trip to being in the Olympics. "You're representing the country with your music." His appreciation of life in the United States stems from the example set by his mother, a single parent raising two children on her own. "My mother really believed in the American dream, and she instilled that belief in my brother and me."
Miller's father passed away when he was just 14 months old, leaving a 21-year-old widow to take on the responsibilities of child rearing and earning an income. According to Miller, his mother worked three jobs, went to college full time to get her education and still made sure her boys were raised with solid values. She apparently succeeded beyond her dreams, and Miller today still believes the American dream is there for anyone who wants it. "We live in a country where, if you're willing to work hard, you can accomplish anything. You can overcome whatever economic or social hindrances you have if you are willing to work. "When I hear people say they can't go to college for whatever reason, I know there are ways, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a perfect example. Basically, the best way to describe what the Show does is if you are a kid in Texas and you want to go to college, you can. There is money there, and there is a way to do it, and it's all because of the Show." Miller doesn't just talk the talk; he walks the walk, and when he's on stage he twirls and whirls and zigs and zags. He's a jolt of pure electricity, and, as music pours from his soul, he becomes one with the stage, his music and his beliefs. And where does he feel the most excitement on stage? Why, at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, of course. "I love it here," said Miller, exhibiting his indomitable passion and energy as he prepared for his performance at the Show. "As long as they invite us, we'll keep coming back."
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