SING-A-LONG KING

His stardom was short-lived, but he went out with gratitude

Mitch Miller died a couple of weeks ago. Didn’t know him? You’re not alone.

Even if you’ve been following the music scene for the past 40 years, you may not remember the guy best known for a single accomplishment: a television show called “Sing Along With Mitch” that was popular from 1961-1964.

According to a New York Times obituary, Miller was a talented musician (he played the oboe for major orchestras in the 1940s and ’50s) and a big-time producer (he resurrected the careers of Rosemary Clooney and Tony Bennett). For awhile, he seemed to have the golden touch, culminating with a TV show based on a simple premise: Viewers sang along with his men’s chorus while a ball bounced atop lyrics scrolling along the screen.

For several years, “Sing Along With Mitch” was all the rage on TV, as people watched the crisply dressed, goateed Miller cruise through renditions of then-favorites such as “It’s A Long Way To Tipperary” and “Home On The Range”.

Highbrow critics disliked the show — one said it was best viewed with the sound off — but for a few years, audiences loved the downhome shtick and atmosphere.

If stardom was his dream, he achieved it. And then the rest of his life happened.

Just as suddenly as Miller stumbled into the limelight, he faded into the shadows. The TV show was canceled. He failed to sign Elvis Presley for his record label. He passed on signing Buddy Holly. He trashed the then-budding rock ‘n’ roll movement, memorably saying: “It’s not music. It’s a disease.” He effectively shoveled dirt on his own musical grave.

The years passed, and his legacy gathered dust. Then things became even worse. Shopping malls began playing “Sing Along With Mitch” to drive away loitering teens, and ATF agents used “Sing Along” Christmas carols in an attempt to flush Waco’s David Koresh out of his Branch Davidian compound.

Seeing his greatest accomplishment turned into a r unning joke had to hurt. But Miller hung around showbiz, producing a few Broadway musicals (mostly failures) and periodically serving as a guest symphony conductor. Maybe it wasn’t the life he dreamed of — it definitely wasn’t the life he lived earlier — but it appears he made the best of it.

It turns out I was in Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan at the same time Miller was there dying. But I didn’t know it, because there was no celebrity buzz in the halls and no paparazzi encamped in the lobby.

When Miller died at 99, he had lived long enough to see himself go from celebrity to afterthought. At the end of his obituary, this caught my eye:

“What pleased me the most,” Miller told an interviewer asking about his life, “was a fellow who came up to me after a concert in Chicago and said, ‘You know, there’s nobody in the whole country who hasn’t been touched by your music in some way.’

“That really made me feel good.”

It appears that what mattered most to Miller when his road ended was the journey.

DISTRIBUTION PH/214.560.4203

ADVERTISING PH/214.560.4203 advertising coordinator:

214.560.4203 / jliles@advocatemag.com advertising sales director:

214.560.4213 / kgaconnier@advocatemag.com display sales manager:

214.560.4201 / bbeavers@advocatemag.com senior advertising consultant:

214.560.4205 / adurant@advocatemag.com advertising consultants

CATHERINE PATE

214.292.0494 / cpate@advocatemag.com

NORA JONES

214.292.0962 / njones@advocatemag.com

MADELYN RYBCZYK

214.292.0485 / mrybczyk@advocatemag.com

LISA ALTHAUS

214.560.4215 / lalthaus@advocatemag.com

BRANDI S TRINGER

469.916.7864 / bstringer@advocatemag.com

PATTI M ILLER

214.292.0961 / pmiller@advocatemag.com

J ENNI f ER T HOMAS V OSS

214.635.2122 / jvoss@advocatemag.com classified manager: PRIO

214.560.4211 / pberger@advocatemag.com classified consultants

SALLY ACKERMAN

214.560.4202 / sackerman@advocatemag.com

SUSAN C LARK

469.916.7866 / sclark@advocatemag.com

EDITORIAL PH/ 214.292.2053 publisher: RICK WAMRE

214.560.4212 / rwamre@advocatemag.com managing editor: CHRISTINA

214.560.4204 / chughes@advocatemag.com editors

KERI MITCHELL

214.292.0487 / kmitchell@advocatemag.com

EMILY TOMAN

214.292.2053 / etoman@advocatemag.com

RACHEL STONE

214.292.0490 / rstone@advocatemag.com web editor: CHRISTY ROBINSON

214.635.2120 / crobinson@advocatemag.com senior art director: JYNNETTE

214.560.4206 / jneal@advocatemag.com art director: J ULIANNE

214.292.0493 / jrice@advocatemag.com designers: JEANINE MICHNA

SANDRA E VANS contributing editors: JEff contributors: SEAN CHAff

GAYLA KOKEL, ERIN MOYER

ELLEN RAff photo editor: CAN TüRKYILMAZ

214.560.4200 / cturkyilmaz@advocatemag.com photographers: ROBERT

MOLLY DICKSON, BENJAMIN interns: C AITLIN BURNS

ELIZABETH MILLER, RACHEL

BRITNEY YANCEY Advoc

6301 gaston Avenue, ricK WAmre|presidenttom

Advocate, © 2010, is published monthly by people inc. contents of this magazine may not be reproduced. Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for the content of all advertisements printed, and therefore assume responsibility for any and all claims against the Advocate. reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising material. opinions set forth in the Advocate are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s viewpoint. than200,000peoplereadAdvocatepublicationseachmonth. Advertisingratesandguidelinesareavailableuponrequest. Advocate publications are available free of charge throughout our neighborhoods, one copy per reader.

MOW

GROW

1. Use compost. (it adds life and energy to your soil)

2. Pull weeds. (it aerates the soil, burns calories and some go great in salads)

3. Disinfect and sharpen all landscape tools. (grass is supposed to be cut not beaten to death)

4. Mow higher. (the roots will grow deeper and you will water less)

5. Plant at least one edible plant in your (it helps connect you to the earth)

5 DONT’S

1. Don’t use salt based chemical fertilizer. (it burns the life and energy out of your soil)

2. Don’t use herbicides. (they kill trees and pollute our water)

3. Don’t use pesticides. (if you touch or smell it, it starts causing metabolic mayhem)

4. Don’t over-water. (you are wasting money and stressing your plants)

10 EASYSTEPS To Help Save The World...One Yard at a Time Listen to “Natural Living and Garden with Ron and Mona Hall” Restocking Daily

NEIGHBORS AND SERVICE

Neighborhood Services Bar & Grille opened last month at Preston and Royal where Baby Gap used to be. My neighborhood bestie and I went to catch up (after way too long) and were looking forward to checking out the newest restaurant in the ‘hood. The place was packed. We couldn’t stop wondering why it seemed so much smaller than the Gap we spent hours and hours in shopping for our kids before it closed. We decided we felt like we were in Ralph Lauren’s den at a really loud cocktail party.

—JEANNE CULVER, VIA BACK TALK PRESTON HOLLOW

VOTE AGAINST HELIPORT, GET A BOTTLE OF WINE

Regular visitors here know that I think the worst budget calamity in a city budget full of calamities is the approximately $250,000 earmarked for the city’s “vertiport” at the convention center. So here’s my offer to the city council. I’ll donate a bottle of wine to the campaign of any council member who votes to take the vertiport out of the budget. Yes, I know what you’re thinking — Siegel is offering a bribe. Heaven forfend. That certainly doesn’t happen in Dallas.

—JEFF SIEGEL VIA BACK TALK PRESTON HOLLOW

VILLAGE TEA TO REOPEN AS I HEART BOBA

You may have noticed the vacant Village Tea Company storefront at Preston and Forest, which just opened last fall. They shut it down in June, sold everything at auction but will reopen as a boba tea shop in the same location. I have to say, I’m excited about this new store, I Heart Boba ... to open the first week of September.

—EMILY TOMAN VIA BACK TALK PRESTON HOLLOW

WE LOVE YOUR BACK TALK.

LONE STAR CIRCUS ON PRESTONHOLLOW.ADVOCATEMAG.COM

FLY HIGH with the neighborhood resident who jetted to the end of the earth. He talks on Advocate Radio about both his trip and Grace Flight, the charity that inspired it all. Search: Wayne Maynard. And catch a new podcast each Monday morning.

Hillbilly Chic

... is one of many topics tackled along with entertaining license plates, toast art and construction failures, to name a few — on the Back Talk blog’s regularly scheduled Friday afternoon productivity killer.

IF YOU’RE HOOKED ON FACEBOOK

you might as well make Advocate part of your daily habit. Find us and “like” us at facebook.com/ advocatemagazines.

Sandia

36 Colors, Stainmaster, Tactesse Was $4.69 sq.ft., Now $4.11 sq.ft.

Hemingway

41 Colors, Stainmaster, Textured Cut and Loop. Perfect for Master Suites and Family Rooms. Was 4.50sq.ft., Now 3.93 sq.ft.

Sheffield

Luxurious Cut Pile with Unsurpassed Softness, Durability and Stain Resistance. Was $4.88sq.ft., Now $4.21 sq.ft.

Cameron faceBook fan profile // Preston Hollow neighbor Allen Dickey , 45, is an attorney, as is his wife, Jennifer. They have two children, ages 6 and 2. what’s a little known fact about you? what’s your most embarrassing moment? what’s the one thing you wish you could do but are reasonably sure you never will? what’s your most treasured possession? if you could only eat at one neighborhood restaurant for the rest of your life, which would it be? what item in your closet is most humiliating? what do you miss about the you from 10 or 20 years ago? Smoking cigarettes — I like nicotine. what brings a smile to your face every time? what are some jobs you’ve held in the past? what celebrity would you most like to meet for coffee and why?

40 Colors, Stainmaster Luxerell BCF Nylon, Deep Pile, Lasting Durability and Style. Was $5.65 sq.ft., Now $4.88 sq.ft.

I was on WFAA Channel 8’s ‘Whiz Quiz’ for several episodes from 1982-83.

Dying my hair orange with Sun-In spray in 1990, then having to get my hair dyed black in a women’s hair salon to cover it up.

Manage a sportsbook at a Las Vegas casino.

My Volkswagen Phaeton. what did you want to be when you grew up?

A politician.

Mi Cocina on Preston and Forest. how would you explain your neighborhood to someone living in, say, newfoundland?

Very family-oriented and lots of mosquitoes.

All of the slacks I can’t wear any longer because of my increased waist size.

The scene in “Hot Tub Time Machine” where John Cusack and his friends go back to the ‘80s and see people talking on gigantic cell phones and listening to cassette tapes.

Domino’s Pizza deliveryman, Lehman Brothers trading desk assistant, commercial real estate broker.

Larry David, hands down. Do you have a favorite quote?

“I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours.” —Hunter S. Thompson would you skydive in the most beautiful place in the world? why or why not?

I would definitely do it, provided I knew I was terminally ill. Do you have any benign confessions to make?

I enjoy playing World of Warcraft.

On Advocate Radio

Local pilot Wayne Maynard recently returned from a trip to the North Pole. The 61-year-old took the solo journey in an effort to raise money and awareness for Grace Flight, a national organization that pairs volunteer pilots with people in need of transportation for medical or humanitarian needs. In our podcast interview with Maynard, he tells us about the trip and his personal reasons for embarking on such an adventure. Search: M AYNARD

Most popular preston Hollow

BloG posts:

1. W.T. WHITE SEARCHES FOR NEW PRINCIPAL Search: principal // 2. MAL MALOUF HAS GRAND OPENING Search: Malouf // 3. ZOE’S KITCHEN WILL TAKE OVER ZINSKY’S STOREFRONT Search: Zinsky’s // 4. PROVIDENCE PATRIOTS ARE TOWN NORTH LEAGUE WINNERS

Search: Patriots // 5. A RESPONSE TO GROCERY CASHIERS’ DONATION REQUESTS Search: cashiers //

in yoUR FAce(book)!

Every month we profile our Facebook Fans on advocatemag. com. Go to our site and search “Facebook Fan”. To become a fan, go to facebook.com/ AdvocateMagazines.

we love yoUR bAck tAlk. viSit ADvocAtemAg.com to ReAD AnD comment on this month’s stories and daily Back Talk blog updates. Comments may be printed in the magazine.

ON

MEDIA KEY: WHERE TO FIND US ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB

facebook.com/AdvocateMagazines twitter.com/Advocate PH advocatemag.com/newsletter prestonhollow.advocatemag.com/blog prestonhollow.advocatemag.com/podcast

Blogger Profile

You’ve seen our bylines, our blog posts, our tweets and our Facebook posts. But who are we, really?

EMILY TOMAN

JOBTITLE // Preston Hollow and Far North Dallas editor ADVOCATE SERVITUDE // I’m a newbie. I started about four months ago.

FAVORITE QUOTE // “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” —Hunter S. Thompson.

MOST PRIZED DESK OBJECTORORNAMENT // I haven’t done much decorating yet, but I definitely could not function without my laptop or notepad.

FAVORITE PARTOF YOUR JOB // Meeting new people, trying different foods, standing in a swarm of bees – all in a day’s work.

ANYTHINGELSE? // Glad to be here. Read us online and send me your feedback. That means you, Preston Hollow.