Freddie Miller (broadcaster)
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Freddie G. Miller (February 19, 1929 – November 25, 1992) was a broadcaster and television personality in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
,
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,
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. Miller worked for Atlanta television station
WXIA-TV WXIA-TV (channel 11) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate WATL (channel 36). The two stations share studios at One Monroe Place on the north end ...
(then known by call letters including WLWA-TV and WQXI-TV) from the 1950s to the 1970s.http://www.11alive.com/company/history/default.aspx His greatest exposure and notoriety came in the years following, for his role on the announcing team of
professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
programs broadcast on another Atlanta station, WTBS. Miller is best remembered by wrestling fans as
Gordon Solie Gordon Solie (born Francis Jonard Labiak, later Jonard Pierre Sjoblom, January 26, 1929July 27, 2000) was an American professional wrestling play-by-play announcer. He is best known for working for Georgia Championship Wrestling, Championship Wr ...
's co-host on ''
Georgia Championship Wrestling Georgia Championship Wrestling is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The promotion was affiliated with what had been the world's top sanctioning body of championship titles for decades b ...
'', which was later renamed ''World Championship Wrestling''. When
Vince McMahon, Jr. Vincent Kennedy McMahon ( ; born August 24, 1945) is an American businessman and former professional wrestling promoter. McMahon, along with his later-estranged wife Linda McMahon, Linda, is a co-founder of the modern WWE, the world's largest ...
bought GCW's time slot, Solie left the promotion to remain with
Ole Anderson Alan Robert Rogowski (September 22, 1942 – February 26, 2024), better known by the ring name Ole Anderson (), was an American professional wrestler, booker, and promoter. Following a stint in the U.S. Army, Rogowski made his professional ...
and his renamed Championship Wrestling from Georgia, but Miller stayed on until McMahon sold the promotion and time slot to Jim Crockett, Jr. of
Jim Crockett Promotions Jim Crockett Promotions, at times branded as Eastern States Championship Wrestling and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, is a Family business, family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United Sta ...
. Miller conducted some interviews, but his primary duties were to announce upcoming
house shows A house show (also commonly called a live event) is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their ...
in the segue to commercial breaks, in much the same fashion as was done in the WWF at the time by
Howard Finkel Howard Finkel (June 7, 1950 – April 16, 2020) was an American professional wrestling ring announcer, backstage worker, and occasional professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in WWE. He began working for Vincent J. McMahon's World ...
. McMahon also used Miller on his flagship show ''
WWF Championship Wrestling ''WWF Championship Wrestling'' is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It aired from 1971 to August 30, 1986, and was the original television show of the WWF. Originally produced ...
'' for conducting backstage interviews into 1985. Miller is also remembered for his trademark phrase "Don't miss it...BEEE THERE" (emphasis intentional) when advertising upcoming house shows. He was also the subject of
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by the boys for his over-enthusiastic pronunciation of " STOOOOOBENVILLE OHIO", one of the stops on the Georgia circuit. During McMahon's ownership of Georgia Championship Wrestling, Miller served double duty as co-host of
Gorilla Monsoon Robert James "Gino" Marella (June 4, 1937 – October 6, 1999), better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Sports commentator, play-by-play commentator, and Glossary of profess ...
and as ring announcer for in-studio matches. On Black Saturday, July 14, 1984, Miller opened the program, and briefly described the new programming which would be offered through the WWF, then introduced McMahon. This moment has been featured on numerous
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releases, most notably '' The Rise and Fall of WCW''. Miller is also remembered as the host of ''Stars of Tomorrow'' and ''Dance Party'' – both locally produced shows which featured local talent. He also hosted local showings of horror films on WXIA's version of the ''
Dialing for Dollars ''Dialing for Dollars'' was a franchised format local television program in the United States and Canada, popular from the 1950s to the early 1990s. Format At the beginning of a typical ''Dialing for Dollars'' program, the host (a local televi ...
'' franchise. After leaving GCW, he retired as an on-air personality and later did voice-overs for WCW house shows into the 1990s. Miller made a final on-camera appearance at '' Clash of the Champions XX: 20th Anniversary''. He died from a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
on November 25, 1992, at the age of 63.


References


External links

* ; Miller is seen on camera briefly
rec.sport.pro-wrestling
Post of December 1, 1992 mentioning Miller's death - includes reference to his death being noted that day by the ''
Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' (''AJC'') is an American daily newspaper based in metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger ...
'', including a quote {{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Freddie 1929 births 1992 deaths Television personalities from Atlanta American professional wrestling announcers