Production Staff

Jerry Colbert

In 1981, Executive Producer Jerry Colbert presented the first PBS Fourth of July concert with the National Symphony Orchestra guest artists performing live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. In 1990, he introduced the National Memorial Day Concert. Since then, both holiday specials have become among the highest-rated performance programs on PBS. In addition to his annual work on these concerts, Colbert has produced Mr. Justice Brennan, Sister Adrian, the Mother Teresa of Scranton, The Regulators: Our Invisible Government and H.R. 6161: An Act of Congress. Colbert was previously deputy director of the Center for Understanding Media in New York. A native of Worcester, MA, he graduated from Holy Cross College in 1964.

Walter Miller

Producer Walter Miller is recognized as America's leading live director and producer with credits including television's top awards shows, such as the Grammy Awards, Country Music Awards, The People's Choice Awards, Tony Awards, American Comedy Awards, The Emmy Awards, Daytime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. In 1999, he won an Emmy for producing the Tony Awards. For Liberty Weekend: Americana Music Concert, Miller received the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Director. He has won additional Emmys for S'Wonderful, S'Marvelous, S'Gershwin, a special with Jack Lemmon and Fred Astaire and Annie, The Women In A Life Of A Man. His live musical concert credits include Concert of the Americas with Frank Sinatra in addition to A Capitol Fourth and the National Memorial Day Concert.

Debbie Miller

Debbie's introduction into show business came at an early age having watched her famous father direct pilots, series television and prime-time award shows. Like her father, Debbie's only sibling, Paul Miller, has also achieved great success directing for television. Her credits include Love Connection for Telepictures, the Marilyn Kagan Show, Grammy Awards, Country Music Awards and a number of pilots such as Best Friends. She also directed The Rosie O'Donnell Show winning three Daytime Emmy Awards for "Best Direction" in the talk show category. In 2004, she shifted her passion to directing specials. Most recently, she finished a 10 hour live special for the Discovery Channel, "Birthday Live." She returns to direct the National Memorial Day Concert and A Capitol Fourth, specials that she associate directed from 1995 until 2000.

Buz Kohan

Writer Buz Kohan has been active in the television, music and entertainment industry for forty years in the multiple capacities of writer, lyricist, composer, producer, arranger and creative consultant. Kohan has been head writer for more than 200 television variety specials and series including five seasons on The Carol Burnett Show; 28 specials for Perry Como; four Presidential Inaugural Galas; The Liberty Weekend opening and closing ceremonies; and Bob Hope, The First 90 Years. In addition, he has written specials for such diverse artists as Julie Andrews, Bette Midler, Shirley MacLaine, Frank Sinatra, Dolly Parton and Miss Piggy. He has also been head writer or contributor on numerous award shows including: six Grammy Awards, eight People's Choice Awards, eight Emmy Award shows; and seventeen Academy Awards shows. As a lyricist, composer and arranger, Kohan has nine gold and platinum records for materials written for such performers as The Supremes, The Temptations, The Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson. Nominated for 31 national Emmy's, he has won thirteen times, the second highest tally in the history of the Academy. Kohan has been writing A Capitol Fourth for over ten years.