Texas A&M University-Commerce accounting teacher Louise Miller has found a way to release the pressures of her job by directing her energies toward pop sensation Josh Groban.
Miller has been teaching accounting classes part-time at A&M-Commerce for the past three years and would like to join the A&M-Commerce staff on a permanent basis.
“I plan on obtaining my Ph.D. next May and then I can go full time at the school,” Miller said.
When the 49-year-old mother of three, isn’t teaching classes, she spends her free time baking pies and collecting old books.
“The oldest book I own right now was given to me by my daughter Angel,” Miller said. “It’s dated back to 1854 and it’s my favorite.”
She also enjoys coin collecting and painting landscapes in her newly decorated “art” room in her Wylie home.
“I just finished painting a fruit bowl for my mother for her birthday,” Miller said. “It came out really nicely.”
Miller’s interest in Josh Groban began while listening to her radio on a car ride.
“In November 2002, I heard the song, ‘To Where You Are’ and I was captivated from the first song,” Miller said, “I love his voice and his general demeanor. He’s a good person and has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard.”
Miller has followed Groban through four different states and six different concert appearances. She was even lucky enough to meet him, although her experience left her feeling uneasy.
“I was so nervous. I acted like an idiot,” Miller said. “When I went to shake his hand, I said, ‘I think you’re so wonderful, Josh, and I can’t concentrate on my homework because I can’t stop watching your DVD,’ and he said, ‘You know, there is a pause button on it.'”
For leisure, Miller makes velvet Josh Groban pillows and takes them to Meet-and-Greets, which are informal get-togethers where fans meet before each concert to auction merchandise. The proceeds go to his many charities, which include St. Jude Hospital, Toys for Tots and an orphanage in Africa.
“Before I discovered Josh, I was making and selling pillows anyways,” Miller said. “I noticed a lot of his fans were making home-made merchandise with his picture on it and I thought his pillows would be a big seller at the Meet-and-Greets before hisconcerts.”
Miller has made over 300 pillows in three years and they have been distributed to over 50 cities in the United States.
“I’ve even heard from people as far as Singapore, Italy and England who have received my Josh Groban pillows,” Miller said. “They really love them.”
Though her new-found fixation has given her fulfillment, her family does not share her enthusiasm.
“They think I have a little bit lost my mind and they don’t know what’s gotten into me,” Miller said. “I’ve never in my life been a big fan of any celebrity at all, but there’s just something about Josh Groban that fascinates me.”
In her spare time, Miller keeps busy by working on her personal Josh Groban Web site. The idea came about in the beginning of Groban’s career when his fan pages did not exist.
“I joined the free message board in January 2003,” Miller said. “I was the 24th member in the whole world to join his fan club and I received an autographed calendar for being one of the first 100.”
Miller later began creating a Web site using Delphi Forums about a year ago. Presently, she is working on a more personal Web site in order to organize a larger and freer fan-base.
“I want a place for the fans to go, and give them an opportunity to talk freely about their opinions,” Miller said. “I want them to be able to find out all the latest Josh Groban information and also information in his charities.”