Stanley Miller, (Holdrege Public Schools Foundation, Courtesy)
JUNCTION CITY, Ore. — Audio pioneer Stanley Miller, founder of Stanal Sound and the recipient of the Parnelli Audio Innovator award for career achievement in 2009, died at the age of 85 on Jan. 7, 2026.
Stanley “Stan” Miller grew up in Holdrege and attended Holdrege High School where he played the trombone in the band and was involved in theatre.
“He recalls his band instructor taking him and a group of students to Hildreth to see a speaker and amplifier system that was built by Verle Straatmann, who also later taught at Holdrege. ‘That sparked my interest,’ Stan said,” according to the Holdrege Public Schools Foundation alumni feature on Miller written by Kristine Jacobson.
“Miller, who graduated with the Holdrege High School Class of 1958, is a pioneer in the field of sound system design and has worked with big names in entertainment, such as Johnny Cash, John Denver, Dolly Parton, and Stevie Wonder. But, one entertainer – Neil Diamond – refused to have anyone else in charge of his sound system,” the HPS Foundation’s feature stated.
“He started his career in music and sound with a job at KUVR, where he played records, travelled with the play-by-play announcer to sporting events to read the radio commercials, and wrote radio commercials for area businesses,” stated the feature.
After college, Miller opened a retail store, Miller’s Stanal Sound, in Kearney where he continued to build and repair sound systems for consumers and pro clients.
“In 1968, Stan was managing the sound for a musical group that shared a concert with Neil Diamond. ‘Neil’s road manager said, ‘Hey man, can you do a show next week for us?’ And I said, ‘no problem,’ and I’ve been with him ever since,” Stan said. ‘Since that time, I have never missed a live concert.’ That number amounts to more than 1,500 concerts, and that’s only after they started counting,” the foundation’s feature stated.
Miller has been credited for a number of audio innovations including some of the earliest flown speaker systems and the shift from analog to digital sound reinforcement and control. He invented the “Stanley Screamers” speaker boxes that were used by the band Pink Floyd.
In 2009, Miller was honored with the Parnelli Audio Innovator Award, a prestigious award that recognizes pioneering, influential professionals who work behind the scenes at live events.
Miller had recently relocated from his home base in Roseburg, Ore. to Junction City, Ore. prior to his death at the age of 85 on Jan. 7, 2026.
