Vocalist from Audubon, Iowa, who was a member of the all-state choir and won the Bill Riley talent contest while she was still in high school, which led to a TV appearance. After she finished high school, she visited family members in California where a chance meeting with Buddy Ebsen helped lead indirectly to a music career. She had been planning to go to college in Minnesota, but he encouraged her to attend the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Lillian Mann. A friend suggested she try out for a vocal ensemble called the Young Americans, and Mary aced the audition. This interrupted her music education, but turned out to get her well on her way in the music industry. She toured internationally with artists such as Eddy Arnold, George Burns, Perry Como, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Waylon Jennings, Angela Lansbury and Andy Williams.
During a stint with the Kids Next Door, she met an up-and-coming Kenny Rogers, who had been performing with the New Christy Minstrels. He and three of the other Minstrels went off to form their own group, The First Edition. They already had a female vocalist by the name of Thelma Camacho, who just so happened to be Mary’s roommate. Accounts of Thelma’s split from the group vary, but Mary eventually replaced her, beating out a young Karen Carpenter for the gig.
On 14th February 1978, Mary wed singer-songwriter, Roger Miller. They raised a pair of children, Adam and Taylor. After Roger passed away, Mary managed his estate.
Recordings on which she appears include: The American Christmas Carol and Wondrous Christmas by Tim Janis; Anthology, The Ballad of Calico, Rollin’, Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town and Transition with Kenny Rogers & the First Edition; The Individualist and Nearly Human by Todd Rundgren; Making a Name for Myself and Off the Wall by Roger Miller; Southern Nights by Glen Campbell; and, Things Here Are Different by Jill Sobule. She can also be seen and heard on the DVD, Legendary Ladies of Hollywood Volume 4.
In 2009, she was immortalized in the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Glen Campbell recordings
Southern Nights (Allen Toussaint)
Capitol 4376 S93475A
Sources:
- https://www.iowarocknroll.com/inductees/226/mary-arnold-miller
- https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1201441/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_First_Edition_%28band%29
- http://www.benarnoldmusic.com/r/3611-kenny-rogers-part-1.html
- http://www.lyricsfreak.com/r/roger+miller/biography.html
- http://www.ckfm.ca/music/artist/roger-miller/bio/
- http://www.answers.com/topic/roger-miller
- http://kennyrogers.musiccitynetworks.com/?inc=5&news_id=20342
- http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=456666&page=69