Blues prodigy nearly 'Most Talented Kid'

Lafayette's own 9-year-old harmonic sensation, L.D. Miller, came within three-hundreths of a point of advancing on the NBC program America's Search for the Most Talented Kid.

"He's only 9 years old, but he's got the soul of a 90-year-old blues man," said show host Mario Lopez, introducing Miller.

L.D. belted out a 1-minute, 45-second portion of the blues song, "Baby What You Want Me to Do," as his father, Larry, watched from the side of the stage and the rest of the family cheered from the audience.

L.D. garnered a 9.8 average score out of a possible 10 points from judges model-actress Daisy Fuentes, singer Lance Bass and musician Jermaine Jackson. Host Lopez is best known for acting on Saved by the Bell.

The 9.8 was enough to beat 12-year-old Whitney Keith, of Alpharetta, Ga., who scored a 9.7 for her rendition of the country standard "Blue."

The last contestant in the 8- to 12-year-old category, 9-year-old Chelsea Musick, of Williamston, N.J., sang "This is the Moment," and tied Miller's score.

The scores were further broken down into hundreths. Miller scored 9.82, and Musick received a 9.85, enough to advance to the final show and a chance at the grand prize.

The show was taped in March, and was originally scheduled to air March 28. It had been delayed until Friday due to a news special on the war in Iraq. The Millers had to keep the results of the show secret until the program aired.

L.D. plays harmonica in The Clayton Miller Blues Band along with his father and two older brothers, Clayton and Cole. Tammy Miller, L.D.'s mother, manages the band. The band performed Friday in Washington, Pa., and could not be reached for comment.