NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Longtime WSMV-TV anchor Dan Miller died Wednesday night of a heart attack in his hometown of Augusta, Ga., at the age of 67.

Related: Special Section: Remembering Dan | Post Your Condolences | Slideshow | Dan Miller's Bio | Dan's Notebook Blog | Upload Your Photos With Dan

Miller was in Augusta to watch practice rounds of the Masters Golf Tournament with friends and longtime co-workers Terry Bulger and Rudy Kalis.

Miller had anchored evening newscasts for Channel 4 since the 1970s. For a short time, he worked in Los Angeles TV news and was Pat Sajak's sidekick for a short-lived late-night talk show Sajak did on CBS-TV. He returned to WSMV-TV in the mid 1990s.

"I can't begin to describe the grief and sadness I feel ... Dan was an extraordinarily caring and talented man. I will miss him every day for the rest of my life," said Sajak.

Miller, born in 1941, was the recipient of multiple Emmy Awards, was voted Best News Anchor in Nashville more than 20 times and recognized by Television/Radio Age as the Most Popular News Anchor in the United States.

"Dan Miller was my big brother and best friend. From the first moment I worked alongside him, I was learning, always learning. He adored his family, his two hometowns of Augusta and Nashville and broadcasting. There are few men who have touched as many lives in a community as Dan touched in Nashville. I can't imagine Knob Hill without his wit, humor and wisdom," said co-anchor and friend Demetria Kalodimos.

"Dan can't be replaced. He can't be replaced no matter how hard you try. No matter how far and wide you look, you're never going to find another person with the authenticity, the love of a people, this family and the feel of Dan Miller. That's just not going to happen in our lifetime," said former weather anchor and friend Bill Hall.

"Dan brought credibility and professionalism to everything he did. There was not one shred of pretension behind his image as a news icon," said News Director Matthew Hilk. "He had an uncanny ability to mix a journalist's skepticism, a father's authority and a friend's reassurance."

"Dan Miller anchored the news for a lifetime here at Channel 4. His face and voice informed and comforted our viewers. His smile and laugh comforted his friends. We will miss Dan, but all of us have been enriched by his life, and for that we can be truly grateful," said Meredith Broadcasting Senior Vice President & WSMV-TV General Manager Elden Hale Junior.

Gov. Phil Bredesen, a former two-term mayor of Nashville, said Thursday that his role at the station was important to the community it served.

"It's a kind of role for an anchorperson that's getting too rare in this country, someone who's been there literally over the years and been a part of people's lives over that period of time," he said. "I sort of thought of him as a Walter Cronkite of Nashville."

Miller was an organ donor, and according to his wife, his organs have been able to give several other people a chance at a better life. Miller's funeral was held April 14 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville.

The family has asked those who are interested in making a donation in Dan's honor send it to:

McKensie Miller Education Fund
P.O. Box 50733
Nashville, TN 37205

Other organizations to donate in Dan's honor:

Circle Players, Inc.
P.O. Box 190592
Nashville, TN 37219-0592
615-332-7529

Martha O'Bryan Center
711 South Seventh Street
Nashville, TN 37206
615-254-1791

Westminster Presbyterian Church
3900 West End Avenue
Nashville, TN 37209
615-292-5526

Below is a statement from WSMV-TV general manager Elden Hale:

"Our friend and co-worker Dan Miller passed away last night. He had been to the Masters yesterday with his long-time friends Rudy Kalis and Terry Bulger. It had been a good day with best friends walking the Augusta course for the practice round. Dan and Rudy were walking the streets of Augusta, which was Dan's hometown, late last night when Dan suffered a heart attack and died.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Karen and daughters McKensie, Jennifer and Darcy and son Stephan.

Dan Miller anchored the news for a lifetime here at Channel 4, but more than that, Dan was the anchor of Channel 4. His face and voice informed and comforted our viewers. His smile and laugh comforted his friends.

Dan will be missed in ways we can not imagine today, but he will also be remembered for all he meant to all of us. We know, because Rudy and Terry tell us, that Dan was having the time of his life yesterday. It was a great day Terry says. And as all of us know, any day spent with Dan was a great day."

We will miss Dan, but all of us have been enriched by his life, and for that we can be truly grateful."

Elden Hale

Related Link:

YouTube: 2008 Masters Trip Video Produced By Dan Miller