Jill Miller brings Christmas show with holiday classics and a new song premiere

SIOUX CITY — Jill Miller’s 16th Christmas concert for Sunrise Retirement Community promises to shine a bit brighter.

That’s because the Sioux City-based singer-songwriter will be premiering her new original song, “Shine,” at the 7 p.m. Friday show, at the Orpheum Theatre, 528 Pierce St.

“Along with many holiday classics, I try to incorporate material that may be considered soon-to-be classics,” Miller explained. “I wrote ‘Shine’ with my friends Jimmy Nichols and Robert White Johnson. I think people will really enjoy it.”

Accompanying Miller on stage will be Nichols, a former music director for Faith Hill and Reba McEntire, as well as an all-star band from Nashville.

Adding a bit of local flair, she will also be joined by the Bishop Heelan Catholic school choir. Students from Socorra’s Performing Arts Studio are also slated to perform.

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As for Miller, she is simply catching up on the holiday spirit in a hurry.

“I’ve just come back from a wonderful trip to Israel,” she said. “I went there with members of my church. It was my first time and I may be going back again in early 2023.”

The journey did put Miller in a bit of a time crunch when creating her Christmas concert.

“I don’t mind it,” she said. “I look forward to the holiday show as much as the audience does.”

Indeed, the concert — a benefit for Sunrise Retirement Community — is near and dear to Miller’s heart.

The proceeds raised from “Jill Miller Shine” will sustain Sunrise’s Charity Care fund, which makes it possible for residents to stay even when they’ve depleted their resources.

Currently, 35 percent of residents rely on Charity Care. To offset these costs, Sunrise hope to raise $60,000 to go towards the Charity Care fund.

Since opening its doors in 1960, Sunrise has cared for more than 6,700 residents. Located on 33 acres at 5501 Gordon Drive, it is the largest, community-based, nonprofit senior care community in Siouxland. 

Sunrise has pioneered Alzheimer’s care in the early 1990’s and has two specialized memory care centers designed and staffed to meet their unique needs.

Miller said her dad was an early beneficiary of Sunrise’s memory care centers.

“I saw the quality of care my dad was given at Sunrise,” she said. “It was amazing.”

Now, Miller’s mom is a resident of The Pointe at Sunrise, which provides independent living for active seniors.

Miller was always close to her family, who encouraged her artistic ambitions.

“I consider myself a writer as well as a performer,” she said. “I started writing poetry in junior high school and began writing songs in high school.”

Miller said she gets a kick whenever another artists covers one of her songs.

“I love to see how they reinterpret my words while giving new life and meaning,” she explained.

It is probably the same for the composer from Miller’s very own Christmas show.

“My concert will feature plenty of country songs, some holiday originals as well as Christmas music that everybody love,” she said.

Miller is just happy to be able to perform again for a hometown crowd.

“I hear from so many people that their holidays wouldn’t be the same without one of my shows,” she said. “That always makes me feel so good. This year, we’ll make Christmas shine bright.”

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