Musical Sensation Graces Briarcliff
By Jenny Johnston
Step aside Dolly
Parton! The next big musical star has landed in Kansas City . Singer and musician Tiffany
Miller has graced the stage with her remarkable talent. She has performed at
numerous venues around town including the Gladstone Amphitheater, Corbin Theater Briarcliff Village
Tiffany’s musical
talents stretch far beyond singing. She can play the guitar, bass, fiddle,
mandolin, banjo and of course, the piano. Her interest in music sparked at a
very young age.
“My older brother
played guitar and I just had to do everything he did,” says Tiffany. “So when I
was seven and he was twelve, I got a little guitar. Together we sang in
churches and various jamborees. Then I got the (music) bug. We were in a
country band when I was 11 years old and were actually hired on for singing
jobs.”
Growing up, her
mother was deaf and was always unable to hear her daughter’s angelic voice.
Remarkably, her mom received a cochlear implant in her ear less than three
years ago, which made her able to retain some hearing. The first song she
requested
Tiffany to sing was “Jesus Loves Me This I Know.”
Tiffany was born
in Arkansas but immediately left the state right
out of high school and moved to Camdenton , Mo – a small town near the Lake of
the Ozarks . There she spent her time singing and playing at local
piano bars and lodges. She performed mostly at Arrowhead Lodge and around the Osage Beach Casablanca
and Lee Mace’s Ozark Opry.
Like most
musicians and performers, Tiffany took a leap of faith and headed to Las Vegas in her mid
20’s. She got several gigs at the Frontier Hotel and lounge’s in various
hotels. Tiffany performed in the opening show for Don Rickles and also played in
the piano bar next to the showroom for Sigfried and Roy while learning
everything she needed to know about the art of entertainment.
“I would play all
night and not take a break,” says Tiffany. “I had to create a party atmosphere
since everyone was sitting right there next to me. It was my job to entertain
them. I also learned a lot about proper etiquette rules. I would always make
sure to remember people’s favorite songs and their name so they feel special
when they walk in.”
As one can only
imagine, there is an abundance of popular songs that frequently get requested
as well as a long list of others that people want to hear. It’s no easy task to
memorize a whole library of songs.
“Oh yes, there
are times when people request a song I’m not familiar with, or I just haven’t
played it in a while so I’ve forgotten it,” says Tiffany. “I feel like I’m
challenged with new requests and I always enjoy a challenge. If someone
requests a song that I don’t know, I’ll go home and start plugging away at it!”
“That’s one of
the advantages with more than one entertainer at a piano bar. The chances of
one of us knowing a song are pretty good, so we can tag team.”
After her stint
in Vegas, she moved back to Camdenton for a short time before heading to St.
Louis for 3 ½ years to take care of her younger sister who is developmentally
disabled, and attained guardianship of her after her high school graduation. While
she was there she played at an Italian bar/restaurant called Yacavelli’s until
she was six months pregnant. Afterwards, she moved back to Camdenton and got
out of music for a while and ran a propeller shop with her husband where they
repaired and sold propellers, boats and cars.
“That was the
hardest thing I’ve ever done,” says Tiffany. “I was grinding, greasing,
sandblasting…it was tough, but we did what we had to do to get by.”
Sadly her first
husband passed away, so she got back into music. She performed in a trio at
Backwater Jack’s and other various lake bars. Her last regular gig was at the
prestigious Bullpen Club on HH on the way to the Lodge of the Four Seasons. She
switched to gospel music for a while and recorded with her trio, Color of
Mercy. Together they performed more than 500 times in five years. They would
easily book three or four concerts every weekend.
Tiffany then
married her second husband and became a real estate broker where they built
homes and developed neighborhoods. Together they got into aviation, bought airplanes
and owned a charter company. They ran the Camdenton airport before coming to Kansas City . She is still
a student pilot and is far enough along in her hours to fly solo.
“We used to visit
Kansas City in
our free time and search for a show or a different venue to attend,” says
Tiffany. “We always stayed in the President Hotel downtown, but chose a
different area of the City to explore each time. We fell in love with Kansas City and came here
every chance we got to explore.”
They decided to
move to Kansas City
two years ago and while searching for different neighborhoods around the area,
they were immediately attracted to Briarcliff. Her daughter Laura, a senior at Park Hill
High School
“We absolutely
fell in love with Claymont and the old Briarcliff area,” says Tiffany. “We
looked and looked, but nothing else compared. That’s also part of the reason
why we chose the downtown airport for our business. We also looked at others, but
they were no competition.”
She came to
Piropos when her dear friend Mina Elliot introduced her to owners Gary and
Cristina Worden. They asked her to play for Valentine’s weekend when the piano
was still upstairs. The piano bar opened in April and Tiffany became the Music
Coordinator and Booking Agent.
“I really wanted
a steady gig, but those are very hard to come by,” says Tiffany. “With this
opportunity, I hit it perfect because I’m able to give it 150 percent. The
timing couldn’t have been more perfect.”
Currently, the
piano bar is in the process of expanding its hours and entertainers. It’s open
Thursday from 7 to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m. to midnight.
“I would really
like to thank all the wonderful neighbors for coming in,” says Tiffany. “One of
my favorite things about working there is getting to know the regulars. I love
talking with them and knowing what songs they like, or hearing about the trip
they just took, just the whole social aspect of it.”
“I play what
people ask for, which is mostly jazz standards and popular music. I like to
throw in a little comedy too,” she says as she giggles. “My very favorite
genres of music are blues and jazz, but I also have a soft spot for old country
too. I can pull out
Patsy Cline if anyone wants me to!”
What makes her
such a wonderful entertainer isn’t just her bubbly personality, her warm smile
or her wealth of talent. It’s her strong, undeniable passion for music.
“A woman came
into the piano bar not too long ago and watched me sing and play for a while,
and when I was taking a break she approached me and said, ‘I’m having a problem
finding an outlet for my creativity. But it’s lovely that you entertain three
nights a week as an outlet for your creativity.’ I was thinking about what she
said because it really stood out to me, and I realize that I’m very fortunate
to have that gift. I’m very thankful that I’ve been blessed with music.”
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