Leslie Mills
Encyclopedia
Leslie Mills is an American
singer, songwriter
, record producer
, and actress.
, Kentucky, Mills spent her formative years studying dance, theater and music. She got her start fronting the New York based band To The Moon Alice A&M Records
before relocating to Nashville
to begin her solo career. Mills met her long-time collaborating partner, the Australian writer/producer Chris Pelcer
and began writing songs for her solo project along with co-writing the single "Just Like Love" for Peter Cetera
, and "Rule The World" for Cetera's album Another Perfect World
.
Mills signed as a writer to Paul McCartney
's publishing company MPL
and received an Emmy Nomination for the song On My Own. She signed with Atlantic Records
, and released her debut album Different for Girls
which included producers such as David Kahne
, John Shanks
, and co-productions by Mills and Pelcer. While signed to Atlantic Records
, Mills began to get her songs into film and soundtracks such as What A Girl Wants
, White Oleander, PowerPuff Girls. She left Atlantic in 2004, and continued to write songs for television and film while working on her second album Everlasting Road which was released in 2007 (produced by Mills with Pelcer) on her own label Tiny Violet Records.
Other film and TV credits for Mills' songs include Barbie of Swan Lake
, My Scene Goes Hollywood
, Gray Matters
, My Best Friend's Girl
, Just My Luck, Las Vegas
, Guiding Light
.
Mills was a featured artist as part of the 2009 Yanni Voices
tour of US, Canada, and Mexico. She wrote and recorded for the project with the musical artist Yanni
for two years. Four songs featuring Mills are included on the Yanni Voices album Disney Pearl, along with Mills' featured in the PBS special Yanni Voices Live From the Forum in Acapulco which aired in the U.S. in March 2009, with a full-length DVD
released in October of the same year.
nomination for Outstanding Original Song, "On My Own" for "Guiding Light" (shared with Brian D. Siewert)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and actress.
Biography
Originally from Fort MitchellFort Mitchell, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 8,207 people, 3,530 households, and 2,033 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,581.8 people per square mile . There were 3,744 housing units at an average density of 1,195.0 per square mile...
, Kentucky, Mills spent her formative years studying dance, theater and music. She got her start fronting the New York based band To The Moon Alice A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
before relocating to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
to begin her solo career. Mills met her long-time collaborating partner, the Australian writer/producer Chris Pelcer
Chris Pelcer
Chris Pelcer is an Australian musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee.He was born in Sydney, Australia, and grew up in Moruya, on the south coast of New South Wales. After high school, he returned to Sydney to pursue a career in music...
and began writing songs for her solo project along with co-writing the single "Just Like Love" for Peter Cetera
Peter Cetera
Peter Paul Cetera is an American singer, songwriter, bassist and producer best known for being an original member of the rock band Chicago, before launching a successful solo career...
, and "Rule The World" for Cetera's album Another Perfect World
Another Perfect World
Another Perfect World is seventh solo album by music artist Peter Cetera and his sixth since leaving the group Chicago. Perhaps one of the most notable songs on the album is Cetera's remake of the Lennon-McCartney penned "It's Only Love."...
.
Mills signed as a writer to Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
's publishing company MPL
MPL Communications
MPL Communications is the holding company for the business interests of Sir Paul McCartney. In addition to handling McCartney's post-Beatles work, MPL is also one of the world's largest privately owned music publishers through its acquisition of numerous other publishing companies...
and received an Emmy Nomination for the song On My Own. She signed with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, and released her debut album Different for Girls
Different for Girls (album)
Different for Girls, Leslie Mills' debut album, was released in 2003 on Atlantic Records. The song Good Life was included on the soundtrack for the film, What A Girl Wants...
which included producers such as David Kahne
David Kahne
David Kahne is an American record producer. Kahne started his musical career as a working musician and then became notable for his role as in-house producer and engineer at 415 Records, the first American new wave music label, and for his subsequent roles as Vice President of A&R at Columbia...
, John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
, and co-productions by Mills and Pelcer. While signed to Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, Mills began to get her songs into film and soundtracks such as What A Girl Wants
What a Girl Wants (film)
What a Girl Wants is a 2003 film starring Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston and Oliver James. Directed by Dennie Gordon, the film is a remake of the 1958 film, The Reluctant Debutante which had a screenplay by William Douglas-Home, based on his play of the same name.The title, "What a Girl...
, White Oleander, PowerPuff Girls. She left Atlantic in 2004, and continued to write songs for television and film while working on her second album Everlasting Road which was released in 2007 (produced by Mills with Pelcer) on her own label Tiny Violet Records.
Other film and TV credits for Mills' songs include Barbie of Swan Lake
Barbie of Swan Lake
Barbie of Swan Lake is a 2003 direct-to-DVD Barbie movie directed by Owen Hurley. It is the third computer animated movie of Barbie film series. Barbie and Odette is voiced by Kelly Sheridan. The story is an adaptation from "Swan Lake".-Plot:...
, My Scene Goes Hollywood
My Scene Goes Hollywood
My Scene Goes Hollywood is a 2005 direct-to-DVD animated film based on Mattel's line of My Scene dolls. It features Barbie and Lindsay Lohan, who plays herself. It is the third feature with the My Scene characters, and the only full-length one. The film was directed by Eric Fogel...
, Gray Matters
Gray Matters
Gray Matters is a 2006 romantic comedy film directed by Sue Kramer, starring Heather Graham, Tom Cavanagh and Bridget Moynahan. It premiered on October 21, 2006 at the Hamptons International Film Festival and had a United States limited theatrical release on February 23, 2007.- Plot :Gray Baldwin ,...
, My Best Friend's Girl
My Best Friend's Girl (2008 film)
My Best Friend's Girl is a 2008 romantic comedy film by Howard Deutch and stars Dane Cook, Kate Hudson, Jason Biggs, Diora Baird, Alec Baldwin, and Lizzy Caplan. It was released on September 19, 2008.-Plot:...
, Just My Luck, Las Vegas
Las Vegas (TV series)
Las Vegas was an American television series broadcast by NBC from September 22, 2003 to February 15, 2008. The show focuses on a team of people working at the ficticional Montecito Resort & Casino dealing with issues that arise within the working environment, ranging from valet parking and...
, Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
.
Mills was a featured artist as part of the 2009 Yanni Voices
Yanni Voices
Yanni Voices, is Yanni's 14th studio album and 5th live DVD, released in 2009. The album debuted on Billboard's Top 200 and #1 on the New Age chart. The Spanish version, Yanni Voces, debuted at #2 on Billboard's New Age chart, #5 on the Latin Pop chart, and #13 on the Latin overall chart.This...
tour of US, Canada, and Mexico. She wrote and recorded for the project with the musical artist Yanni
Yanni
Yanni , born Yiannis Hrysomallis is a Greek self-taught pianist, keyboardist, and composer who has spent most of his life in the United States.He earned Grammy nominations for his 1992 album, Dare to Dream, and the 1993 follow-up, In My Time...
for two years. Four songs featuring Mills are included on the Yanni Voices album Disney Pearl, along with Mills' featured in the PBS special Yanni Voices Live From the Forum in Acapulco which aired in the U.S. in March 2009, with a full-length DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
released in October of the same year.
Studio albums
- Different for GirlsDifferent for Girls (album)Different for Girls, Leslie Mills' debut album, was released in 2003 on Atlantic Records. The song Good Life was included on the soundtrack for the film, What A Girl Wants...
(2003) - Everlasting Road (2007)
- Falling Off The World (2009)
Songs in Film
- You're So Cupid Songs Performed by Leslie Mills: "Higher" (Leslie Mills/Andy West), "Another Side of Me"(Mills/Pelcer), "Danceparty" (Mills/Pelcer) (2010)
- Barbie and the Three MusketeersBarbie and the Three MusketeersBarbie and the Three Musketeers is a 2009 computer animated direct-to-video film and part of the CGI Barbie film series. It was released on DVD on September 15, 2009.-Plot:...
Song: "Making My Way" Performed by Leslie Mills, Written by Mills/Chris PelcerChris PelcerChris Pelcer is an Australian musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee.He was born in Sydney, Australia, and grew up in Moruya, on the south coast of New South Wales. After high school, he returned to Sydney to pursue a career in music...
(2009) - My Best Friend's Girl Song:"Tell Me You Will" Performed by Leslie Mills, Written by Mills/Pelcer (2008)
- Live! (2007 film)Live! (2007 film)Live! is a 2007 film directed and written by Bill Guttentag and starring Eva Mendes, David Krumholtz, and Andre Braugher. It was released in April 2007 at the Tribeca Film Festival.-Plot:...
Song: "Never Leave The Sun" Performed by Leslie Mills, Written by Mills/Pelcer (2007) - Just My Luck Song: "All About A Kiss" Performed by Chantal KreviazukChantal KreviazukChantal Jennifer Kreviazuk is a Canadian singer-songwriter of the adult contemporary music genre. She is also a classically trained pianist, and can play the guitar.-Albums:...
, Written by Leslie Mills / Chris Pelcer (2006) - Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch CassidyOutlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch CassidyOutlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy is a 2006 American adventure film, produced and directed by Ryan Little. It is loosely based on legends arising from the fate of real-life Western outlaw Butch Cassidy, the alias of Robert LeRoy Parker, whose gang robbed trains and banks in the 1890s...
Song: "Away We'll Ride" Performed by Leslie Mills, Written by Mills/Pelcer (2006) - Gray MattersGray MattersGray Matters is a 2006 romantic comedy film directed by Sue Kramer, starring Heather Graham, Tom Cavanagh and Bridget Moynahan. It premiered on October 21, 2006 at the Hamptons International Film Festival and had a United States limited theatrical release on February 23, 2007.- Plot :Gray Baldwin ,...
Song: "All Kinds of Love" Performed by Leslie Mills, Written by Mills/Pelcer (2006) - Everything You WantEverything You WantEverything You Want is the third studio album by Vertical Horizon, and the first major label effort with RCA Records. It was released in 1999. The first four tracks of the album were all released as singles. "Everything You Want" became one of the most played singles of 2000, reaching #1 on the...
Song: "Ready To Rain" Performed by Leslie Mills, Written by Mills/Pelcer (2005) - My Scene Goes HollywoodMy Scene Goes HollywoodMy Scene Goes Hollywood is a 2005 direct-to-DVD animated film based on Mattel's line of My Scene dolls. It features Barbie and Lindsay Lohan, who plays herself. It is the third feature with the My Scene characters, and the only full-length one. The film was directed by Eric Fogel...
Songs: "Starlight", "Feel Like LA", "Find the Fun", "Lucky", Performed by Leslie Mills, Written by Mills/ Pelcer (2005) - Jammin in Jamaica Song: "Radiowave", Performed by Leslie Mills, Written by Mills/Pelcer (2004)
- What A Girl WantsWhat a Girl Wants (film)What a Girl Wants is a 2003 film starring Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston and Oliver James. Directed by Dennie Gordon, the film is a remake of the 1958 film, The Reluctant Debutante which had a screenplay by William Douglas-Home, based on his play of the same name.The title, "What a Girl...
Song: "Good Life" Performed by Leslie Mills, Written by Mills/Pelcer (2003) - Barbie of Swan LakeBarbie of Swan LakeBarbie of Swan Lake is a 2003 direct-to-DVD Barbie movie directed by Owen Hurley. It is the third computer animated movie of Barbie film series. Barbie and Odette is voiced by Kelly Sheridan. The story is an adaptation from "Swan Lake".-Plot:...
Song: "Wings" Performed by Leslie Mills, Written by Jason Blume (2003) - White OleanderWhite OleanderWhite Oleander is a 1999 novel by American author Janet Fitch. It is a coming-of-age story about a child who is separated from her mother and placed in a series of foster homes. The book was a selection by Oprah's Book Club in May 1999 and became a 2002 film.-Plot summary:Astrid Magnussen is a...
Song: "Good Life" Performed by Leslie Mills, Written by Mills/Pelcer (2002)
Soundtracks and compilations
- Feel Like LA: The Hollywood Collection (2009)
- Barbie In A Christmas Carol Soundtrack (2008)
- Everything You Want Soundtrack (2005)
- Barbie Sings!: The Princess Movie Songs Collection (2004)
- What A Girl Wants Soundtrack (2003)
- Powerpuff Girls: Power Pop (2003)
Songs on other albums
- Yanni's Truth Of Touch Songs: "Can't Wait" and "Long Way Home" (Instrumental) (2011)
- Yanni Voices Song: "Before The Night Ends" (2009)
- Yanni Voices Song: "The Keeper" (2009)
- Yanni Voices Song: "Never Leave The Sun" (2009)
- Yanni Voices Song: "Our Days" (2009)
- Peter Cetera Songs: "Just Like Love" and "Rule The World" (2001)
- Paulini Song: "One Determined Heart" (Title Track) (2002) (Australia)
- Steve Nelson Song: "Be My Water" (2002)
- Shanley Del Song: "The Other Side of Love" (2002) (Australia)
Awards and nominations
2002: EmmyEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination for Outstanding Original Song, "On My Own" for "Guiding Light" (shared with Brian D. Siewert)