Garrett Miles was born
December 23, 1988, in Columbus,
Georgia, and is the son of Mike
and Jan Miles. His grandparents
are Larry and Patricia Sinquefield, Ruth Miles Gullatte
and the late Billy Miles.
Garrett is legally blind;
however, he has a unique
perception of life and the world
around him, due to a positive
influence from his devoted
parents and caring sister,
Taylor. He sings with conviction a song
written by his mother, "Seeing
Through the Eyes of the Lord."
This is his personal testimony
of tackling blindness with faith
in the Word of God, perseverance
and a genuine trust in the Lord.
Thousands have been blessed by
his rendition of these beautiful
lyrics.
A very special teacher, Mary
Rentz, was Garrett’s seeing eyes
through the years and was
instrumental in helping him
graduate from high school with
honors.
He is now a sophomore in
college and preparing himself
for life. He is making it on his
own and says it feels good to be
independent and self-reliant.
All the new learning technology
for the blind has made his
pursuit of an education much
easier and attainable. Unlike
most young singing artists who
seek an education to fall back
on should they fail to achieve
their musical goals, Garrett
said his pursuit of knowledge is
merely an effort to enhance his
musical career. "I don’t plan to
fail," he said.
Garrett was tapping his hands
and feet in perfect symphony
with the beat of the music
before he learned to walk or
talk. He has an uncanny ability
to memorize and has hundreds of
gospel and country song lyrics
etched in his memory. When he is
not studying for college, he
enjoys listening to gospel and
country songs. He teaches himself
how to play them by listening
and focusing on the music.
When Garrett was about 6
years old, his favorite singer
was Elvis Presley, and he would hit
the stage often in his white
sequined suit and painted on
sideburns. Both of his
grandfathers instilled a love of country music
in him; especially
that of old-timers such as Hank
Williams, Sr., Johnny Cash,
George Jones, and Willie Nelson.
Because he loves singing and
listening to traditional
country, some people say he is an
old soul in a young body.
Garrett said, "I want to bring
that passion the old-timers had
back to country music."
When Garrett was a very young
child, he told his parents he
was going to move to Nashville
as soon as he graduated from
high school and become a country
music singer. As time moved on,
his dream of "making it big"
has not diminished in the least;
in fact, singing on the Grand
Ole Opry is the height of his
ambition. He plays guitar and
piano. He astounds some
professional musicians with his
knowledge of and keen ear for
music.
When Garrett was only 12
years old, he cut a CD in
Nashville. His voice changed and
he soon outgrew that CD. He cut
another album when he was about
14. His voice changed and he
outgrew that one, as well. Now
that he is 20 and his voice has
settled to a deep, rich, bass
sound, he is getting geared up to
cut a new gospel or country CD.
Garrett gained recognition
around the country singing Hank
Williams, Sr’s songs. He was
invited to sing at the Hank
Williams Festival in Montgomery,
Alabama, when he was 14. There
he met Mr. Jimmy Porter, one of
the last living musicians in
Hank’s original band. He had
not intended to play music again but
came out of retirement to play
with
Garrett. He bought a new steel
guitar and accompanied Garrett
on several occasions. He passed
away in December of 2007, at 79.
and left a void in Garrett’s
life no man can fill. "He was a
special friend and had a great
influence on my life. We emailed
and spoke on the phone often. I
miss him so much." Garrett said.
Tom Staton, lead singer with
the Georgia Gents Country Band,
traveled the country in the 70’s
and 80’s and played for many big
singers. He met Garrett after
his retirement from music and
was impressed with his talent.
He has mentored Garrett and
become a very special friend and
support in his life and career.
He attends almost every concert,
contest, or engagement Garrett
is involved in; they share a
special bond and a love for the
traditional country music.
A big fan of Garrett’s is
Governor Bob Riley of Alabama.
He performed for him at the 2006
Republican Convention and twice
at the Capitol in 2004 and 2005.
Governor Riley noticed that both
he and Garrett love to wear
boots. Garrett sang for the
Governor and Mrs. Riley in 2008
at the Governors' mansion.
Garrett received from the
Governor’s office an invitation
to sing for the troops in
Washington, D.C. at Walter Reed
Hospital. This trip was one of
the highlights of his singing
career. Not only did he bless
the troops, but they blessed him,
also. Garrett said, "It was
indeed a pleasure to sing for
the men who fight for our
freedom." Garrett also received
a proclamation from the Mayor of Phenix City, Alabama.
Garrett’s voice began to
change when he was about 16 and
he began to get the attention of
many important and popular
singers on the Country Music circuit.
He entered contests to open for
different artists and was
called back later for a repeat
performance
because they liked his voice and
style.
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