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Ken Trahan of sportsnola.com reported in this post on Friday that sports broadcaster Bruce Miller, who covered the New Orleans Saints for over 20 years, died on Wednesday of this week at age 81.
Trahan heard directly from the family...
Miller suffered a heart attack, according to his family. His daughter, Rebecca, was with him.
"It was very quick and very peaceful," Rebecca said. "It was the way he wanted to go. I don't believe he suffered. He was the best dad in the world."
...and overviews his career thusly:
A native of Illinois, Miller, who worked in sports media for 50 years, came to New Orleans in December of 1957 and never left the Crescent City other than serving three months in Lake Charles in 1974.
Bruce worked at WDSU Television (1961-1973), WDSU Radio (1957-1961), WGSO Radio (1974-1980) and at WWL Radio (1980-2000).
Miller's work covering the Saints took place at WWL radio.
While at WWL, Miller covered the New Orleans Saints for over two decades, hosting the radio pre-game and halftime radio shows, hosting a show with Offensive Coordinator King Hill, conducting post-game interviews with Jim Mora and filling in twice to do play-by-play and color on the Saints Radio Network. Miller did morning sports at WWL for many years as well.
Trahan notes that Miller gave him a boost in his own career, and remembers him fondly:
...it was Miller, along with Matthews and Mack, who gave me a chance to work on the AM side at WGSO, 1280 AM. Miller got me involved in doing high school games with him starting in 1978 while he and Mack started sending me to New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Jazz locker rooms for post-game interviews.
Clearly, those opportunities enabled me to gain experience, build a resume' and foster a career. Clearly that would not have been possible without Miller.
An unassuming man who never courted fortune or fame, Miller simply went about his business on a daily basis, using his God-given talent with his terrific pipes to serve two generations of area fans in many capacities.
Bruce Miller gone? Oh, brother! I will miss my brother, a truly wonderful person and wonderful professional. On this weekend of hope and triumph for those of us of faith, may the Lord truly bless Bruce and his family. Heaven just gained one heck of an announcer!
Dominic Massa of wwl.com posted this piece about Miller's passing on Saturday afternoon.
Bruce Miller was the voice I associate with Saints pre-game coverage that we'd listen to on WWL before every game as I came of age in the 80s and 90s.
Do any of you other old-timers have anything to share about Bruce Miller or memories about listening to him on the radio with the Saints and/or Tulane? Maybe Ralph or Kevin know him or know of him from their NOLA sports media work experiences...