Beloved ‘American Idol’ Country Singer Gets Record Deal

He may not have become the next American Idol, but that doesn’t mean Alex Miller isn’t finding plenty of success. Just months after the Kentucky teen was eliminated from the ABC signing competition after he wouldn’t stray from his country roots, Miller landed a record deal with Billy Jam Records!

The teen, who impressed the judges and became a fan-favorite with his covers of songs from country icons including Johnny Cash and Glen Campbell, signed an exclusive recording contract with the Nashville-based record label in late September. “I’m thrilled to announce that I have signed an exclusive recording contract with Nashville-based,” Miller wrote in an update to his fans. Miller already released his first single under the deal, “Don’t Let the Barn Door Hit Ya.” With Jerry Salley credited as producer, the single was released on Oct. 1 and marked Miller’s second single in total. It followed his digital single “I’m So Over You So Get Over Me,” which he auditioned with for American Idol.

The record deal comes after Miller found success on the most recent season of American Idol, which kicked off in January. Miller won over judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan with his audition performance of his single and earned himself a ticket to Hollywood. During his time on Idol, Miller performed several country classics, and while his country crooning was a massive hit, the judges wanted to see Miller shine a little brighter, with Bryan at one point encouraging him to “throw us a curveball. Pick a pop song. How you play this thing, you’re gonna become a legitimate artist and not just the kid from Kentucky.” Miller was ultimately sent home during the March 28 episode following a cover of Merle Haggard’s 1969 release, “Silver Wings.” Despite his exit elimination, however, Bryan remained a big fan of Miller and even invited him to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.

“I made some calls to my good friends at the Grand Ole Opry, and they agreed to let my buddy Alex Miller come perform at the Grand Ole Opry,” https://www.air.tv/watch?v=vsvfbgkyTK-_5tKSTLkVeQ. “And maybe [I’ll] share the stage with you a little bit, if you’ll have me!”

Since his elimination, Miller has continued his music career with several concert appearances. He has opened for artists like Hank Williams Jr. and Frankie Ballard and has several more concert dates scheduled across the country through November.