In 2018, Burke was a tour manager
for Thomas Keating, an
up-and-coming Australian artist.
They were in the states for a tour
that included shows in Los Angeles,
Nashville, and New York City.
They stayed in Jersey City ahead
of the show in Manhattan so they
could easily take the train and
be there in a half hour. The Miss
America Diner was on the corner
of the street they stayed on and
they had breakfast both mornings
at the diner.
“It’s the real 50’s kinda diner and
we wanted to check it out,” recalled
Burke. “When it came to
writing lyrics for the song ‘Little
Miss America,’ I found myself being
reminded of the lady in the
diner and the way she interacted
with the customers. I couldn’t
help feeling like what I was seeing
was very important, and that
it could have been New York or
Dublin, it was the same thing. It
was a connection that had very
little to do with food or money.
I was inspired by her; she was
genuine and she was making a
small difference to the folks who
popped in there everyday.”
Watch the video for “Little Miss America” by Josh Orange
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 73
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