Angie Miller: "I didn't want to dwell on how sad I was" about my 'American Idol' ouster

Angie Miller was eliminated from American Idol during Thursday night's live results show broadcast on Fox, deciding the twelfth season's Top 2 finale finalists.
 
Angie -- a 19-year-old from Beverly, MA, who has been considered the competition's frontrunner since the finals began -- was ousted from the competition after receiving the fewest number of home-viewer votes following last week's performance show.


Angie's surprising elimination set up a Kree Harrison, a 22-year-old from Nashville, TN, versus Candice Glover, a 23-year-old from St. Helena Island, SC, showdown in Wednesday night's finale.

During a conference call with reporters on Friday, Angie talked to Reality TV World about her American Idol experience. To read what she had to say, click here. Below are some additional highlights from her call. Click here for more. 

I saw that you performed a lot of Jessie J.  Who would you say is your biggest musical influence and maybe who would you love to do a dream duet with?

Angela "Angie" Miller:  Definitely a huge musical inspiration of mine is 100% percent Jessie J.  I mean, like I was saying earlier, I love the soulful sound with like the edge to it, and lots of her songs have that, and I've done lots of her songs on that show. 


They're such soulful beautiful songs.  They have this certain amount of edge and grit to it that I love, and so she's definitely a huge musical influence.  I would absolutely love to do a duet with her one day that would just be amazing.

What's one of the best pieces of advice you got from the judges?

Angela "Angie" Miller:  I think what really sticks out to me when I think of everything that they've said is that they didn't just appreciate like my voice or just me, whatever, but they appreciated just the artistry and the songwriting and knowing that I know who I am as a person. 

I love how they really appreciated that and they stressed that it was important to never lose your songwriting and who you are and what you stand for.  I think that's what stuck out with me the most.  It wasn't really a critique but it was just them saying, "Thank you for being that way, keep being that way," and that meant the world to me.

Do you know if you're going to get to sing one of your own songs on the American Idol tour?


Angela "Angie" Miller:  I don't know, but I really, really hope so, because that would be amazing.

Could describe for us what those first few moments were like backstage after the results?

Angela "Angie" Miller:  I think it was just a feeling of, "Wow okay. This really happened okay. I'm off the show. This is what it feels like."  You know it's just kind of, "Well, that just happened, time to just move on and start thinking about the future." 

I didn't want to dwell on how sad I was or whatever, but I think that first initial thought was, "Okay.  I just got voted off. What's next? What's the future going to hold?"  That was like the first thought.

Did you three amongst yourselves have any predictions or were you just kind of going with the flow as far as who the final two were going to be?


Angela "Angie" Miller:  Oh no, we were not.  We don't want to get our heads all wrapped up in who is going to get voted off, blah, blah, blah.  We just relaxed Wednesday night.  We were just like,  "Whatever happens, happens.  We all love each other no matter what."

I presume before you went on American Idol you actually watched the show on television like all of us have...

Angela "Angie" Miller:  Yes, many years since I was like eight.

Combine that now with the perspective you have of having been on it and with all the talk about the changes that are coming. Remember this thing that they used to do, "Idol Gives Back", do you think they should bring that back?

Angela "Angie" Miller:  Oh that would be amazing.  I remember that.  I would have loved to do that definitely.


This summer tour, did you ever see the summer tour yourself?

Angela "Angie" Miller:  Last year, last year is the first year I did, and that's like the first time I ever saw Colton Dixon do "Never Gone" and that's like what -- I'm so glad I was able to do that on the show.  That was an amazing thing, going to watch the live tour.

What was your favorite moment on Idol?

Angela "Angie" Miller:  Favorite moment ever on Idol is still way back in Hollywood Week when I was able to do my original song "You Set Me Free."  I feel like, I mean, there was the audition and a few rounds before that, but I feel like that was the moment that it really started for me, and I was able to show right away America who I was as an artist, as a songwriter.

That's when everything changed for me and I was just like, "Wow.  Maybe I really do have a chance of making it far in American Idol."  That's where it all started.


Do you have a message for all of your fans here in Beverly, MA?

Angela "Angie" Miller:  Oh my gosh, I can't believe that I was there a few days ago, that's so crazy.  But I mean, I just want everybody at home to know that just thank you.  I mean thank you so much for supporting me and bringing me this far.  I still can't believe I'm a part of the Top 3, like it's incredible, and just thank you so much and I can't wait to visit home again.

Do you know when you are going to be coming home or just not until the tour?

Angela "Angie" Miller:  I have no idea but I am excited to go to the tour in Boston.  I can't wait for that show.

You mentioned Jessie J. and Colton, and I was curious I know Colton tweeted at you last night.  I was curious if you had corresponded with Jessie at all.

Angela "Angie" Miller:  When I did her song "Who You Are" on the show, she did tweet me and she said like, "I'm so incredibly proud," or something like that, so that was awesome.  But she hasn't in like the past 24 hours, but I would love to get in touch with her, that would be amazing.


I'm guessing this isn't the case and you wouldn't be able to control yourself, but is there a chance you're going to play with Jessie J. in the finale? 

Angela "Angie" Miller:  I mean, I would die if I was able to sing with her.  Like that would just be the most incredible thing ever and I hope it happens.

Randy Jackson uses the phrase a lot of putting a little church into the song and he uses it a lot for Candice, but you've actually sung more church than anybody I think and your folks are both pastors.  You sung a lot.  Is there something that influenced you to put church into your music, and is it different from the way that Candice puts church into her music?

Angela "Angie" Miller:  I definitely feel like it, because I don't have the gospel bit power-house voice, which is a lot of like, you know, that's just I think what lots of times Randy is talking about when he says, "Church."  I just don't have that.  I think for me, it's more -- it's less the sound, it's less the church sound and it's more the meaning. 

I definitely have done -- I mean, I've done Colton Dixon's "Never Gone."  I've done "Love Came Down" by Kari Jobe and those are worship songs, but they're not like in your face like Jesus songs.  They're subtle and that's what I want to do.  I don't want to shove Jesus down people's throats.  I just like through actions and through meaning and words being able to show that subtlety.

Your folks preach in Salem itself and you live near Salem.  How much of the history of that place -- I mean there's just such a huge history of religion and American history and everything else there.  Did that or things that had happened there affect you growing up?


Angela "Angie" Miller:  No, not at all.  It doesn't affect me at all, and if anything, I'm so proud of where I've come from, and I love my parents.  They're the best and they're so supportive, and they just recently started that church, remix church, this past September.  I'm so proud to be a pastor's kid and I love them, and I can't wait to go visit because I haven't been there in a long time.

Angie, any final remarks?

Angela "Angie" Miller:  Thank you all so much, and I really am so blessed to be a part of the Top 3.  It really blows my mind, and I can't wait to sing at the finale on that stage, and I can't wait for the tour and just to see what happens with my future.  I know that this is just a start.  It's a launching pad, and just thank you to everyone who supported me and voted for me.  It means the world.

Above are some additional highlights from Angie's Friday conference call with reporters. To read what she had to tell Reality TV World, click here. For more, click here.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski