Before American Idol there was Star Search. Star Search was a television show that aired from 1983 until 1995; the show was hosted by Ed McMann. In 1983 introduced the world to Sawyer Brown a country/rock group that won the show. Sawyer Brown consisted of five members Bobby Randall on guitar, Joe Smyth on drums, Jim Scholten on bass guitar, Gregg “Hobie” Hubbard on keyboard, and lead singer Mark Miller. The group is still intact all these years later except now Shayne Hill is on guitar instead of Bobby Randall.
The band still tours and is currently recording a new album. Mark Miller is now also a producer. Among other artists Mark is now Bucky Covington’s producer, Bucky was a season five contestant on American Idol. Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Mark Miller about Sawyer’s Brown music career, future album and Bucky Covington.
Sawyer Brown has had a long and prosperous career in the music world. It all started on a Television Show, Star Search. Can you go back to that time and describe the feeling the night Sawyer Brown won?
Mark: Oh Wow, you know I guess it was pretty surreal. It was out of my competitiveness, I grew up playing ball, so anytime I was in any kind of game I gave it my all, and that’s how I treated that competition as well. I remember when Ed McMann read our name off I just was extremely ecstatic and kind of couldn’t believe it. We had been out there for five and a half months, it was finally over and we had won. I don’t think thoughts were really racing through my head of what was the future going to bring, it was just the excitement of the moment.
Even after winning which was in 1984, it’s been what 24 years since you got that first break, did you ever think in your wildest dreams that Sawyer Brown would become the music sensation that you have and still be so widely known and loved over 24 years later?
Mark: No you know what, I remember thinking we are going to get to make a record. Even though Star Search didn’t have a recording contract attached to it, we had already started getting offers from record companies and really when you make your first record that’s really all you think about is I get to make a record. I guess I’ve never, ever thought this far down the line.
Do you remember where you were and the thoughts and feelings that were going on in your mind when Sawyer Brown had their first hit?
Mark: Well I think all of us guys in the band, because we use to talk about it, we remember where we were the first time we heard our song the radio and that’s really kind of an odd feeling, because you’re all the sudden sitting in the car and you’re on the airwaves, in the same way that you to listen to all of your favorite bands and artists, now you are coming out of that same radio and it was pretty cool. I still get a kick out of it when one of our songs comes on the radio. I still get that feeling like wow.
Step that Step was the first country group video on TV wasn’t it?
Mark: I think it might have been.
How did that feel being the first and seeing yourself in a video on televisions?
Mark: Well I remember it being, when you’re shooting it and you have no reference points, the odd thing was I think it took two days to shoot it and then all of the sudden it goes by in three minutes, the videos are like a whirlwind of the actual shoot. So I just remember it being very different than I thought it was going to be. I liked it but I thought man we spent two days and this is three minutes long.
Like cooking Thanksgiving dinner and it’s gone in no time at all.
Mark: Yeah Exactly.
How has Sawyer Brown managed to stay together after all these years?
Mark: Well I think a couple of things are, we genially get along with each other and I think we like each other as people, we are very respectful of each other’s space, of our time away from the band and I think we have focused on the music. Anytime that we have come to a crossroads in our career we’ve always buckled down went into the studio and we re-invented ourselves to make sure we keep up with the change and what was happening in music and hopefully we led the way in the album we put out.
Are there plans to record another album?
Mark: We’re recording another album right now. We’re right in the middle of it.
Do you have any idea when it might be ready?
Mark: Probably by summer.
How many concerts do you put on, on average each year?
Mark: These days we still do about eighty cities a year.
What has been the hardest thing about the fame?
Mark: Well I think first of all, that’s always been out of my comfort zone, I probably don’t enjoy that part of it at all. That’s the part of it I haven’t really enjoyed. I’m pretty private, I have a family and I try to coach all my kids basketball games and to carry on with my life when I’m not on stage. I don’t do a lot of interviews. Just the whole fame thing for me, I understand if you’re going to be successful then there has to be that degree and that element of it. I don’t know, it’s not in my nature to want to get up in front of people.
Other than the money what has been the best thing about it?
Mark: Well the money isn’t the best thing about it. The best thing about it is getting to do something for a living that you enjoy. If you enjoy cutting down trees for a living or lawn care that’s what you do. I am blessed for getting to do something that I enjoy very much. That’s the best part of it.
What is one of the funniest or most unique things that have happened over the years that will always stay in your memory?
Mark: Well we moved from Ohio when I was twelve and we moved to Florida and I went to high school and college in Florida. I had become a huge Beach Boys fan and still to this day I love Brian Wilson and we actually got to open the Music City News Awards one year and we preformed “I get Around’ with the Beach Boys and I got to sing lead and they did backup, that was the biggest thrill.
Bucky Covington was on season five of American Idol and you are Bucky Covington’s producer and you contacted him to let him know you were interested in getting him signed? Can you tell how this came about?
Mark: Actually how it truly came about was my son had decided that we were going to do something as a family and he wanted to watch American Idol and it was the first time I had ever seen it and we all sat down for that whole season and that’s what we did on Tuesday and Wednesday nights when it would come on we all sat and watched American Idol and my son said to me he said “Daddy you have a production company and a record label if you were going to sign somebody who would you sign?” and I said “Well I would sign Bucky Covington” and he said “He’s actually my favorite to.” When Bucky finally got voted off my son was crushed absolutely crushed. He looked at me and he said before he went to bed he said “Daddy will you help him? You’ve got to help him.” So I really didn’t know what to do about him saying that to me and so he got up the next morning and said “Are you going to call Bucky today?” I said “Yes I’ll try, I’ll see if I can get his number.” So he comes home from school and he said “Did you call Bucky?” I said “No I didn’t I’ll try tomorrow.” So when he went to bed he said “You’re going to call Bucky tomorrow?” and when he got up the next day he said “Are you going to call Bucky?” So somehow through an interview or something our office got his number and I called him up. He had the greatest attitude He said “I never really thought I could win that show, I was just hoping somebody like you would call me up.” And that was the start of our relationship.
I bet he adores your son
Mark: He does, he absolutely does.
Being as Sawyer Brown was first seen on television and Bucky was too, is watching Bucky succeed and make his dream come true, like reminiscing back to when it all started for you?
Mark: I think there are some things that are reminiscent. But the thing that I can help Bucky out with more than anything else is a lot of the things he is walking through I went through. I think I can help guide him and maybe get him past some mistakes that I made. But he’s a really good kid.
You are also producing the Christian group Casting Crowns correct?
Mark: Yes
Are you enjoying this phase of your career and do you plan to do more producing of artists?
Mark: I actually produce quite a bit, I produced Michael English’s new album, the Casting Crowns, Don Waller who’s a Christian artist and I have Bucky. So I’m doing quite a bit more producing and I enjoy it. I enjoy just the thrill of getting to work with new artists and help them in that respect.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the music industry?
Mark: If you want to be an artist and musician you have to work hard. I think in this day and age it hasn’t changed. If you’re going to make it you have to be great and the only way to be great is to put in the time and work at it. You have to have talent and you have to work hard. I’m kind of a blue collar guy; I believe in work ethics, I believe in hard work, I believe that pays off.
