Gary Miller - Born to Teach, Play Football and Sing

Gary Miller, born Neville Williams on 3 May 1924 in Blackpool, was a popular singer and actor during the 1950s and 1960s. His passion for show business emerged early, often distracting him from his schoolwork and even influencing his wartime service in the Royal Navy, where he combined active duty with performing in concert parties. After the war, a grant allowed him to pursue a university degree in languages, but he left to focus on singing full-time. Over the years, he worked as a schoolteacher, interpreter, yachtsman, footballer, and cricket coach for Blackpool. He also owned a 20-acre property near Winston Churchill’s estate in Chartwell.

Miller abandoned his football aspirations to pursue a career on stage and radio, making his breakthrough in 1953 when he began touring the UK variety circuit. Between 1955 and 1967, he released 24 singles and six EPs under the Pye label, achieving several Top 40 hits. His debut single, “The Yellow Rose of Texas” in 1955, reached number 13 in the UK Singles Chart, but his biggest success came with “Robin Hood,” the theme song for The Adventures of Robin Hood, which spent 28 weeks in the charts and peaked at number 10, his only Top 10 hit.

Beyond his music career, Miller was also a recognised actor, with appearances in television series such as The Saint and Gideon’s Way. He was a regular panellist on Juke Box Jury and provided the singing voice for Troy Tempest in the Gerry Anderson series Stingray. His recording of “Aqua Marina” became the show’s end theme, and he also recorded alternative versions of an unused Thunderbirds end theme, one of which later evolved into “Flying High” for the episode Ricochet. His theatre career included playing Steven Kodaly in the 1964 West End production of She Loves Me at the Lyric Theatre. His performance earned him the Variety Critics’ Award for Best Supporting Performance, though the production itself had only a short run.

In his later years, Miller took on a dramatic role in the film Gideon’s Way, performed cabaret at London’s Talk of the Town, and even hosted his own television series. Shortly before his death, he was starring alongside Danny La Rue and Barbara Windsor in the musical Come Spy with Me. Miller passed away from a heart attack on 15 June 1968, just as he was nearing the completion of an episode of The Saint, titled The People Importers, in which he played a key role. The production had to be completed using a stand-in. Associate producer Johnny Goodman later recalled that Miller had been “working night and day,” juggling multiple commitments before his sudden passing. He was married with three sons, known for his blue eyes and fair hair, and despite a career spanning just 15 years, he left a lasting impact on the world of music, theatre, and television.