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The Mills Brothers were a major African-American jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
 and pop
Pop music

Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hook , a mainstream style and a conventional structure.The term "pop music" was first used in 1926 in the sense of "having popular appeal" , but since the 1950s it has been used in the sense of a musical genre, originally characterized as a lighter alternat...
 vocal quartet
Quartet

In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts....
 of the 20th century producing more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50 million copies and garnered at least three dozen gold records. The Mills Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame

The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor what they term "the Greatest Vocal Groups in the World". The Hall of Fame is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States....
 in 1998.

group was originally composed of four brothers all born in Piqua, Ohio
Piqua, Ohio

Piqua is a city in Miami County, Ohio, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,738 at the United States Census 2000. It is part of the Dayton, Ohio Greater Dayton....
, just 25 miles (40 km) north of Dayton
Dayton, Ohio

Dayton is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 166,179 at the United States Census, 2000....
: John Jr.






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Encyclopedia


The Mills Brothers were a major African-American jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
 and pop
Pop music

Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hook , a mainstream style and a conventional structure.The term "pop music" was first used in 1926 in the sense of "having popular appeal" , but since the 1950s it has been used in the sense of a musical genre, originally characterized as a lighter alternat...
 vocal quartet
Quartet

In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts....
 of the 20th century producing more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50 million copies and garnered at least three dozen gold records. The Mills Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame

The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor what they term "the Greatest Vocal Groups in the World". The Hall of Fame is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States....
 in 1998.

The early years

The group was originally composed of four brothers all born in Piqua, Ohio
Piqua, Ohio

Piqua is a city in Miami County, Ohio, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,738 at the United States Census 2000. It is part of the Dayton, Ohio Greater Dayton....
, just 25 miles (40 km) north of Dayton
Dayton, Ohio

Dayton is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 166,179 at the United States Census, 2000....
: John Jr. (October 19, 1910 - January 23, 1936) basso and guitarist, Herbert (April 2, 1912 - April 12, 1989) tenor, Harry (August 19, 1913 - June 28, 1982) baritone, and Donald (April 29, 1915 - November 13, 1999) lead tenor.

Their parents were John H. (February 11, 1882 – December 8, 1967) and Eathel Mills. John Sr. owned a barber shop and founded a barbershop quartet
Barbershop music

Barbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era , is a style of a cappella, or unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonance and dissonance four-part chord s for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture....
, called the '"Four Kings of Harmony"'.

As the boys grew older, they began singing in the choir of the Cyrene African Methodist Episcopal Church and in the Park Avenue Baptist Church in Piqua. After their lessons at the Spring Street Grammar School, they would gather in front of their father's barbershop on Public Square or at the corner of Greene and Main to sing and play the kazoo
Kazoo

The kazoo is a device fitted that adds a "buzzing" timbral quality to a player's voice when one vocalizes into it. The kazoo is a type of mirliton - a device which modifies the sound of a person's voice by way of a vibrating membrane....
 to passersby.

They entered an amateur contest at Piqua's Mays Opera House. While on stage, Harry discovered he had lost his kazoo. He cupped his hands to his mouth and imitated a trumpet
Trumpet

The trumpet is a musical instrument with the highest Register in the brass instrument family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BC....
. The success of his imitation led to all the brothers taking on instruments to imitate and created their early signature sound. John Jr. accompanied the four-part harmony first with a ukulele
Ukulele

The ukulele , , or abbreviated to uke, is a chordophone classified as a Pizzicatoed lute; it is a subset of the guitar family of musical instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four Course of strings....
 and then a guitar. They practiced imitating orchestras they heard on the radio. John, as the bass, would imitate the tuba. Harry, a baritone, imitated the trumpet. Herbert became the second trumpet and Donald the trombone.

They entertained on the Midwest theater circuit, at house parties, tent shows, music halls and supper clubs throughout the area and became well known for their close harmonies, mastery of scat singing, and their amazing ability to imitate musical instruments with their voices.

The Rise To Stardom

In 1928, after playing May's Opera House in Piqua between Rin Tin Tin
Rin Tin Tin

Rin Tin Tin was the name given to several related German Shepherd Dog featured in fictional stories on film, radio, and television....
 features, they accompanied the Harold Greenameyer Band to Cincinnati for an audition with radio station WLW
WLW

WLW is a clear channel talk radio station located in Cincinnati, Ohio, run by Clear Channel Communications. The station broadcasts locally on 700 kHz AM broadcasting....
. The Band was not hired, but the Mills brothers were. With the help of Seger Ellis
Seger Ellis

Seger Ellis was a jazz piano and vocalist. He also made a few brief film appearances, most notably in collaboration with director Ida Lupino....
, WLW Cincinnati DJ and a music legend of the '20s, they quickly became local radio stars and got their major break when Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader.Duke Ellington was recognized during his life as one of the most influential Jazz royalty, if not in all American music and he is of only four jazz musicians ever to have been featured on the cover of Time magazine ....
 and his Orchestra played a date in Cincinnati. When the youngsters sang for Duke, he called Tommy Rockwell at Okeh Records
Okeh Records

Okeh Records began as an independent record label based in the United States in 1918 in music; from the late 1920s on, it was a subsidiary of Columbia Records....
, who signed them and brought the group to New York.

In September 1930, Ralph Wonders urged broadcasting executive William S. Paley
William S. Paley

William Samuel Paley was the chief executive who built Columbia Broadcasting System from a small radio network to one of the foremost radio and television network operations in the United States....
, at CBS Radio
CBS Radio

CBS Radio Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, fourth behind main rival Clear Channel Communications , Cumulus Media and Citadel Broadcasting....
 in New York, to turn on his office speaker and listen to an audition of four young men. For the audition they were '"The Mills Brothers,"' but they had been known by many other names. They were billed as 'The Steamboat Four' when they sang for Sohio. They had been called the 'Four Boys and a Guitar' on their Sunday shows. When Paley heard their performance, he immediately went downstairs and put them on CBS radio. The next day, the Mills Brothers signed a three-year contract and became the first African-Americans to have a network show on radio.

Their first record for Brunswick
Brunswick Records

Brunswick Records is a United States based record label. The label is currently distributed by Koch Entertainment....
, a cover of the Original Dixieland Jass Band
Original Dixieland Jass Band

Original Dixieland Jass Band was a New Orleans, Dixieland Jazz band that made the first jazz recordings early in 1917, their "Livery Stable Blues" became the first issued Jazz single....
 standard
Jazz standard

A jazz standard is a jazz tune that is held in continuing esteem and which is widely known, performed, and recorded among jazz musicians as part of the jazz musical repertoire....
 "Tiger Rag
Tiger Rag

"Tiger Rag" is a jazz standard, originally recorded by the Original Dixieland Jass Band in 1917....
" became a nationwide seller. Other hits followed -- "Goodbye Blues", their theme song, "You're Nobody's Sweetheart Now", "Ole Rockin' Chair", "Lazy River
(Up a) Lazy River

" Lazy River" is a popular music song by Hoagy Carmichael and Sidney Arodin, published in 1930 in music. The song is considered a jazz and pop standard, and has been recorded by many artists....
", "How'm I Doin'", and others. They remained on Brunswick until late 1934, when they signed with Decca, where they stayed well into the 1950s.

On all of their Brunswick records, as well as the early Decca's, the label always stated:

"No musical instruments or mechanical devices used in this recording other than one guitar"


They were a sensation on CBS in 1930-1931, particularly when they co-starred on the widely popular The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour
The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour

The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour was a pioneering musical variety radio program broadcast on National Broadcasting Company from 1929 to 1936, when it became The Royal Gelatin Hour, continuing until 1939....
 hosted by Rudy Vallee
Rudy Vallée

Rudy Vall?e was an United Statesn singer, actor, bandleader, and entertainer. Born Hubert Prior Vall?e in Island Pond, Vermont, Vermont, the son of Charles Alphonse and Catherine Lynch Vall?e....
. They had their own popular radio series in 1932-1933, one of the earliest built around a black act, billed as the "Four Boys and a Guitar". Before their show announcers commonly explained to listeners that the only instrument was a guitar
Guitar

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
, as the vocal effects made many listeners think they were hearing a muted trumpet, saxophone, and string bass.

The Mills Brothers were sponsored by some of the largest advertisers in early radio; Standard Oil
Standard Oil

Standard Oil was a predominant United States integrated petroleum producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as an Ohio Corporation, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational corporations until it was broken up...
, Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble Co. is a Fortune 500, United States multinational corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, that manufactures a wide range of Fast moving consumer goods....
, Crisco
Crisco

Crisco, a popular brand of shortening, was first produced in 1911 by Procter & Gamble and was the first shortening to be made entirely of vegetable oil....
, and Crosley Radio. They began appearing in films. Their first, The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast

The Big Broadcast is a Paramount Pictures production starring Bing Crosby, George Burns, and Gracie Allen. Directed by Frank Tuttle, the musical comedy is the first in the series of Big Broadcast movies....
 (Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production company and distribution company, located on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California....
, 1932) was an all-star radio revue that included Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby

Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an United States popular singer and actor whose career lasted from 1926 until his death.One of the first multimedia stars, from 1934 to 1954 Bing Crosby held a nearly unrivaled command of record sales, radio ratings and motion picture grosses....
, Cab Calloway
Cab Calloway

Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was a famous American jazz singer and bandleader.Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular African American big bands from the start of the 1930s through the late 1940s....
, and the Boswell Sisters
Boswell Sisters

The Boswell Sisters were a close harmony singing group that attained national prominence in the United States in the 1930s.Sisters Martha Boswell , Connie Boswell , and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell were raised by a middle-class family on Camp Street in uptown New Orleans, Louisiana....
. In 1934, the Brothers starred with Crosby for Woodbury Soap
Woodbury Soap Company

Woodbury Soap Company, "The skin you love to touch" Woodbury Soap Company has existed as a brand for over one hundred years. Their name is or was on products such as cold cream, facial cream, facial powder, after-shave talc and ear swabs....
, and recorded their classics "Lazy Bones", "Sweet Sue", "Lulu's Back in Town", "Bye-Bye Blackbird", "Sleepy Head", and "Shoe Shine Boy". Their film appearances included Twenty Million Sweethearts (Warner Brothers, 1934) and Broadway Gondolier, (Warner Brothers, 1935).

In 1934, The Mills Brothers became the first African-Americans to give a command performance before British royalty. They performed at the Regal Theatre
Regal Theatre

The Regal Theatre is a theatre located in the suburb of Subiaco, Western Australia in Perth, Western Australia.The theatre was named for King George VI who, at the time, had taken up the throne....
 for a special audience: King George V
George V of the United Kingdom

George V was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha....
, Queen Mary
Mary of Teck

Mary of Teck was the queen consort of George V of the United Kingdom, Emperor of India. Before her husband's accession, she was successively Duchess of York, Duchess of Cornwall and Princess of Wales....
, and their mother.

While performing in England, John Jr. became ill. It took him months to recover from battling pneumonia. Before he was completely well, the brothers returned to England. John Jr. once again became sick and died in the beginning of 1936.

The remaining brothers considered breaking up, when their mother told them John Jr. would want them to continue. They followed her suggestion and their father, John Sr., as the baritone and tuba, replaced John Jr. At this time, Norman Brown
Norman Brown

Norman Brown may refer to:* Norman O. Brown, author* Norman Brown , smooth jazz/jazz fusion guitarist* Norm Brown, Australian Rules footballer...
 joined the Brothers as their guitar player.

The War Years

Soon they were back in Europe. Through 1939 they enjoyed remarkable success in Europe. Herbert recalls, "We left England for the last time just three days before war was declared on Germany and the only boat we could get was to Australia. We were overseas from then on except for two months in 1940 and then we went back to South America. We didn't get back until 1941. In the meantime the Ink Spots were coming up, and people had sort of forgotten us."

In the period between John Jr.'s death and their return to the States, they re-recorded "Lazy River." It was followed by "Someday You'll Want Me to Want You," "Swing Is the Thing," "Long About Midnight," "Organ Grinders Swing," and "The Song is Ended." They honored Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader.Duke Ellington was recognized during his life as one of the most influential Jazz royalty, if not in all American music and he is of only four jazz musicians ever to have been featured on the cover of Time magazine ....
 with a swing version of the "Caravan," and then produced a series of classic recordings; "South of the Border," which they performed in a tour of South America, along with "Ain't Misbehavin," "It Don’t Mean a Thing," "Jeepers Creepers," "Three Little Fishes," and "Basin Street Blues."

During this era, there was also a brief time when the group performed with a non-family singer. Gene Smith served as a stand-in for one year when Harry was drafted into the Army. Although Smith's solo singing did not particularly resemble the group's usual sound, he was able to harmonize well in Harry's stead until the fourth brother's return. Smith is very noticeable in a number of the Mills Brothers' film appearances.

The Post War Years

Returning to the states, the Brothers were anxious for a hit. They recorded "I'll be Around
I'll Be Around (1942 song)

I'll Be Around" is a popular music song written by Alec Wilder and published in 1942 in music. The song has become a well-known standard, recorded by many artists....
". Donald Mills chose "Paper Doll
Paper Doll (song)

"Paper Doll" was a hit song for the Mills Brothers. In the United States it would be the Billboard Hot 100 number one hit for twelve weeks, from November 6, 1943, to January 22, 1944....
" as the B-side of the record. "I'll Be Around" became a popular hit, then a disk jockey turned the record over. "Paper Doll", recorded in fifteen minutes, sold six million copies and became the group's biggest hit.

The rise of rock and roll
Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a form of music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Its roots lay mainly in rhythm and blues, Country music, folk music, gospel music, and jazz....
 in the early fifties did little to decrease the Mills Brothers popularity. "Glow Worm" jumped to number one on the pop charts in 1952. "Opus One
Opus No. 1 (1943 song)

"Opus No. 1" is a popular song, composed in 1943 in music by Sy Oliver, with lyrics by Sid Garris.The song was a big hit for the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in 1944 in music....
", an updated version to the Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey

Tommy Dorsey was an United States jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big band era. He was the younger brother of Jimmy Dorsey....
 hit, was soon on the charts as well, followed by "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You", "Yellow Bird", "Standing on the Corner
Standing on the Corner (show tune)

"Standing on the Corner" is a popular music song written by Jimmy Arnold and Frank Loesser and published in 1956 in music. It was introduced by Shorty Long, Alan Gilbert, John Henson, and Roy Lazarus in the Broadway theatre musical theater, The Most Happy Fella....
", and "If I had My Way".

In 1957, John Sr., who was 68, stopped touring with the group. As a trio, the Mills Brothers recorded for Dot Records
Dot Records

Dot Records was an United States record label and company that was active between 1950 in music and 1977 in music. It was founded by Randy Wood ....
 and were frequent guests on The Jack Benny Show, The Perry Como Show, The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show

The Tonight Show is a long-running American late-night talk show and variety show airing on NBC whose The Tonight Show with Jay Leno has been hosted by Jay Leno since 1992....
 and The Hollywood Palace
The Hollywood Palace

The Hollywood Palace was an hour-long television variety show that was broadcast weekly on American Broadcasting Company from January 4, 1964 to February 7, 1970....
.

A move from Decca to Dot Records brought a moderate 1958 hit, a cover of the Silhouettes
The Silhouettes

The Silhouettes were an United States doo wop/Rhythm and blues group whose single "Get a Job " was a #1 chart-topper on the Billboard R&B singles chart and pop music singles record chart in 1958....
' "Get a Job
Get a Job (song)

"Get a Job" is one of the best known doo-wop songs of the 1950s. Recorded by The Silhouettes in October 1957, the song reached the #1 spot on the Billboard pop and R&B singles charts in February 1958....
" that made explicit the considerable influence on doo-wop
Doo-wop

Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music, which developed in African-American communities in the 1940s and which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s the 1960s....
 that the early Mills Brothers records had exerted. The Mills Brothers charted "Yellow Bird" two years prior to Arthur Lyman's Top Ten hit remake.

"Cab Driver", recorded in 1968, was their last great hit. (#23 pop, #3 easy listening) It was written by songwriter C. Carson Parks.

The Later Years

Their fiftieth anniversary in show business was celebrated in 1976 with a tribute at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center . The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt Disney Concert Hall....
 in Los Angeles. Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby

Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an United States popular singer and actor whose career lasted from 1926 until his death.One of the first multimedia stars, from 1934 to 1954 Bing Crosby held a nearly unrivaled command of record sales, radio ratings and motion picture grosses....
 hosted this nostalgic tribute. Few in the audience realized that Harry was now almost blind because of diabetes.

As a trio, Herbert, Harry and Donald continued performing on the oldies circuit until Harry's death in 1982. Herbert and Donald continued until Herbert's death in 1989. Then, Donald began performing with the third generation of the family -- his son, John III. In 1998 the Recording Academy recognized the Mills family's contributions to popular music when it presented Donald, as the surviving member, with a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

The Grammy Award Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to "performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording" ....
.

After Donald's death of pneumonia on November 13, 1999, John III began touring under the name "The Mills Brothers" with Elmer Hopper, who had previously sung lead with Paul Robi's Platters
The Platters

The Platters were a successful vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition, and the burgeoning new genre....
.

Influence

In the late 1960s, Dean Martin
Dean Martin

Dean Martin was an United States singer, film actor and comedian of Italians descent. He was one of the best known musical artists of the 1950s and 1960s....
, hosting The Dean Martin Show
The Dean Martin Show

The Dean Martin Show is a TV Variety show-Television comedy that ran from 1965 in television to 1974 in television, for 245 episodes. It was broadcast by NBC and hosted by legendary crooner Dean Martin....
, requested that his producer Greg Garrison
Greg Garrison

Greg Garrison was a pioneer Television producer and Television director in television, directing nearly 4,000 shows in his career. He received more than a dozen Emmy Award nominations, although he never won....
 book the Mills Brothers on the show, later explaining to Garrison that Harry Mills was in fact his greatest musical influence, more influential than Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an United States singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a solo artist with great success in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers"....
 and Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby

Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an United States popular singer and actor whose career lasted from 1926 until his death.One of the first multimedia stars, from 1934 to 1954 Bing Crosby held a nearly unrivaled command of record sales, radio ratings and motion picture grosses....
. Garrison related this story in a DVD reissue of the best of the Martin shows. The Brothers' performances with Dean of Paper Doll
Paper doll

Paper dolls are figures cut out of paper, with separate clothes usually held onto the dolls by folding tabs. They have been inexpensive children's toys for almost two hundred years....
 and Lazy River
Lazy river

A lazy river is a water ride found in many amusement parks or water parks. They are also found at some resorts and recreation centers. It usually consists of shallow pool that flows similarly to a river....
 were among the musical highlights of the show's ten-year run. The Bee Gees have also stated the Mills Brothers as an early influence.

In popular culture

  • Several of the Mills Brothers hits including "Tiger Rag", "Chinatown", "Moanin' For You" and "Caravan", were featured in the soundtrack of the game Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven
    Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven

    Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven is a third-person shooter video game initially made for Personal computer and released in . It was later Porting to the Sony PlayStation 2 and the Microsoft Xbox in ....
    .


  • Their recording of "Smoke Rings" appears in the movie Thank You For Smoking
    Thank You for Smoking

    Thank You for Smoking is a 2006 in film Golden Globe Award-nominated comedy-drama satire directed by Jason Reitman and produced by David O. Sacks....
    .


Incomplete Singles Discography

  • '"Chinatown, My Chinatown
    Chinatown, My Chinatown

    "Chinatown, My Chinatown" is a popular song written by William Jerome and Jean Schwartz in 1910. The song is named for a refrain in the chorus:*Jerome, William; Schwartz, Jean....
    "
  • '"Tiger Rag'"
  • '"Dinah
    Dinah (song)

    "Dinah" is a popular music song.The music was written by Harry Akst, the lyrics by Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young . The song was published in 1925....
    "' - (with Bing Crosby
    Bing Crosby

    Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an United States popular singer and actor whose career lasted from 1926 until his death.One of the first multimedia stars, from 1934 to 1954 Bing Crosby held a nearly unrivaled command of record sales, radio ratings and motion picture grosses....
    ) Recorded 12/16/31
  • '"Goodbye Blues"'
  • '"How'm I Doin'? (Hey, Hey!)"'
  • '"Baby Won't You Please Come Home"'
  • '"You Rascal You
  • '"My Romance
    My Romance

    My Romance may refer to:*My Romance , a 1935 song written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart*My Romance , a 1990 Carly Simon album*My Romance , a 1948 Broadway musical with music by Sigmund Romberg...
    /The Old Man of the Mountains"' (with Frank Munn, The Boswell Sisters, Connee Boswell, and Fran Frey)
  • '"Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere"'
  • '"That's Georgia"'
  • '"Jungle Fever"'
  • '"Swing It, Sister"'
  • '"Smoke Rings"'
  • '"I Heard"'
  • '"Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet"'
  • '"Sleepy Head"'
  • '"Lazybones"'
  • '"Old Fashioned Love"'
  • '"Miss Otis Regrets
    Miss Otis Regrets

    Miss Otis Regrets is a song by Cole Porter from 1934. It was first performed on stage by Douglas Byng in Hi Diddle Diddle, which opened October 3, 1934 at the Savoy Theatre, London....
    "'
  • '"Sweeter Than Sugar"'
  • '"Limehouse Blues"'
  • '"Shuffle Your Feet"' - (with Don Redman)
  • '"Nobody's Sweetheart
    Nobody's Sweetheart Now

    "Nobody's Sweetheart" is a popular music song, written in 1924 in music, with music by Billy Meyers and Elmer Schoebel, and lyrics by Gus Kahn and Ernie Erdman....
    "' (also known as Nobody's Sweetheart Now)
  • '"Rockin' Chair"' - Recorded 3/8/32
  • '"Dedicated to You"' - (with Ella Fitzgerald)
  • '"Flat Foot Floogie"' - (with Louis Armstrong)
  • '"Paper Doll
    Paper Doll (song)

    "Paper Doll" was a hit song for the Mills Brothers. In the United States it would be the Billboard Hot 100 number one hit for twelve weeks, from November 6, 1943, to January 22, 1944....
    "' - Recorded 2/18/42
  • '"Cherry"' - (with Louis Armstrong)
  • '"Wish Me Luck Amigo, (I Yi, Yi, Yi)"'
  • '"Lazy River"' - Recorded 10/22/41
  • '"I'll Be Around"'
  • '"Till Then
    Till Then

    *Till Then , a popular music song popularized by The Mills Brothers in 1944 in music and later by The Hilltoppers in 1954 in music, single by The Classics 1963 Charted #20...
    "' - Recorded 3/8/32 & 2/27/44
  • '"You Always Hurt The One You Love"' - Recorded 3/8/32
  • '"I Wish"' - Recorded 3/8/32
  • '"Don't Be A Baby, Baby"' - Recorded 3/8/32
  • '"I Don't Know Enough About You"' - Recorded 3/8/32
  • '"I Guess I'll Get The Papers And Go Home"' - Recorded 3/8/32
  • '"Too Many Irons In The Fire"'
  • '"Across The Alley From The Alamo"' - Recorded 3/3/47
  • '"You Never Miss The Water Til The Well Runs Dry"'
  • '"Gloria"'
  • '"Is It True What They Say About Dixie?"' - (with Al Jolson
    Al Jolson

    Al Jolson , born in Lithuania, Russian Empire, was a highly acclaimed American singer, comedian, and actor, and, according to PBS, the "first openly Jewish man to become an entertainment star in America." His career lasted from 1911 until his death in 1950, during which time he was commonly dubbed "the world's greatest entertainer.? Numerous...
    )
  • '"You Tell Me Your Dream, I'll Tell You Mine"' - Recorded 11/2/49
  • '"I Love You So Much It Hurts"'
  • '"I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
    I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm

    "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" is a popular music song. It was written in 1937 by Irving Berlin. It was introduced in On the Avenue by Dick Powell and Alice Faye....
    "'
  • '"Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)"'
  • '"If I Had My Way"'
  • '"When You Were Sweet Sixteen
    When You Were Sweet Sixteen

    "When You Were Sweet Sixteen" is a popular music song.It was written by James Thornton . The song was published in 1898 in music. Its chorus:The 1947 revival of the song led to a number of artists recording it that year, including Jolson, whose June 18, 1947 recording was released by Decca Records as catalog number 24106....
    "'
  • '"Daddy's Little Girl"' - Recorded 1/3/50
  • '"Nevertheless"'
  • '"Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone"' - (with Tommy Dorsey)
  • '"Be My Life's Companion"' - Recorded 11/14/51
  • '"Glow Worm"' - Recorded 7/7/52 #1(Pop)
  • '"The Window Washer Man"' - Recorded 7/10/52
  • '"Shoulder To Weep On, A"' - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
  • '"Say Si Si"'
  • '"Pretty Butterfly"'
  • '"Jones Boy, The"' - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra) Recorded 10/13/53
  • '"She Was Five And He Was Ten"' - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
  • '"You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You"' - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
  • '"Opus One
    Opus No. 1 (1943 song)

    "Opus No. 1" is a popular song, composed in 1943 in music by Sy Oliver, with lyrics by Sid Garris.The song was a big hit for the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in 1944 in music....
    "' - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra) Recorded 9/17/54
  • '"In a Mellow Tone
    In a Mellow Tone

    "In a Mellow Tone" is a 1939 jazz standard composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics written by Milt Gabler....
    "' - Recorded 9/1/55
  • '"Smack Dab in the Middle"' - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
  • '"Standing On The Corner
    Standing on the Corner (show tune)

    "Standing on the Corner" is a popular music song written by Jimmy Arnold and Frank Loesser and published in 1956 in music. It was introduced by Shorty Long, Alan Gilbert, John Henson, and Roy Lazarus in the Broadway theatre musical theater, The Most Happy Fella....
    "' - (with Sonny Burke & His Orchestra)
  • '"Queen of the Senior Prom"' - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
  • '"When I Lost You
    When I Lost You

    "When I Lost You" is a song with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin written in 1912 after his wife of five months, the former Dorothy Goetz, died of typhoid fever....
    "'
  • '"Yellow Bird"' - (with Milton DeLugg & His Orchestra)
  • '"April in Paris"' - (with Count Basie & His Orchestra)
  • '"Blue and Sentimental"' - (with Count Basie & His Orchestra)
  • '"My Shy Violet"'
  • '"Cab Driver"'
  • '"Sweet Georgia Brown
    Sweet Georgia Brown

    "Sweet Georgia Brown" is a jazz standard and pop tune written in 1925, known to many as the theme song of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team....
    "'
  • '"My Gal Sal"'
  • '"Tennessee Waltz"'
  • '"Aincha Aincha Aincha'"
  • '"I Got You"' 1960 London American Recordings 45-HLD 9169


Incomplete LP Discography

  • Were You There
  • The Mills Brothers Sing
  • Stardust Records Presents The Mills Brothers: The Best Of The War Years: The Mills Brothers
  • Souvenir Album
  • Dream
  • San Antonio Rose
  • Memory Lane - 2005
  • The Very Best of the Mills Brothers - 2005
  1. Be My Life's Companion
  2. Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland
  3. When You Were Sweet Sixteen
  4. Nevertheless
    Nevertheless (I'm in Love with You)

    "Nevertheless I'm in Love with You" is a popular music song written by Harry Ruby with lyrics by Bert Kalmar, first published in 1931 in music....
  5. I'll Be Around
  6. Paper Doll
  7. Tiger Rag
  8. Some of These Days
  9. My Gal Sal
  10. Ida, Sweet As Apple Cider
  11. If I Had My Way
  12. The Jones Boy
  13. Till Then
    Till Then (1944 song)

    "Till Then" is a popular music song written by Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus, and Guy Wood and published in 1944 in music.The song was a plea to his sweetheart to wait for him until he could get back home....
  14. You Always Hurt The One You Love
  15. Basin Street Blues
  16. Lazy River
  17. Cielito River
  18. Three Little Fishes
  19. The Very Thought of You
  20. Marie
  21. Cherry
  22. The Glow Worm
  23. Strawberry Frair
  24. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
•Paper Doll [Pulse]- 2005
    • Disc 1:
  1. Paper Doll
  2. You Always Hurt the One You Love
  3. Moonlight Bay
  4. Stardust
  5. Say Si Si
  6. Lord Ups an' Downs (From Epsom Downs)
  7. I'll Be Around
  8. Till Then
    Till Then

    *Till Then , a popular music song popularized by The Mills Brothers in 1944 in music and later by The Hilltoppers in 1954 in music, single by The Classics 1963 Charted #20...
  9. When You Come Back to Me
  10. Twice as Much
  11. I'm Afraid to Love You
  12. Someone Loved Someone
  13. Don't Be a Baby, Baby
  14. (If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have to Swing It
  15. Nagasaki
  16. I Met Her on Monday
  17. On the Banks of the Wabash
  18. (I Want) Someone to Care For
  19. There's No One But You
  20. Meet Me Tonight Dreamland
    • Disc 2:
  1. Too Many Irons in the Fire
  2. You Tell Me Your Dream, I'll Tell You Mine
  3. I Don't Know Enough About You
  4. Never Make a Promise in Vain
  5. Put Another Chair at the Table
  6. Oh! My Achin' Heart
  7. Shoe Shine Boy
  8. Just a Kid Named Joe
  9. Sweet Adeline
  10. By the Watermelon Vine, Lindy Lou
  11. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
  12. I Wish
  13. London Rhythm
  14. The Yam'long About Midnight
  15. The Yam
  16. Diga Diga Doo
  17. Loveless Love
  18. Lazy Bones
  19. Solitude
  20. Swing Is the Thing
  • London Sessions: 1934-1939 - 2002
  • Shoe Shine Boy - 2002
  • Boog It - 2001
  • Sweet Harmony [Universal] - 1998
  • The Mills Brothers Anthology 1931-1968 - 1995
    • DISC 1:
  1. Tiger Rag
  2. Nobody's Sweetheart (also known as Nobody's Sweetheart Now)
  3. Rockin' Chair
  4. Dedicated To You - (with Ella Fitzgerald)
  5. Flat Foot Floogie - (with Louis Armstrong)
  6. You Tell Me Your Dream, I'll Tell You Mine
  7. Cherry - (with Louis Armstrong)
  8. Wish Me Luck Amigo, (I Yi, Yi, Yi)
  9. Lazy River
  10. I'll Be Around
  11. Paper Doll
  12. Till Then
    Till Then (1944 song)

    "Till Then" is a popular music song written by Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus, and Guy Wood and published in 1944 in music.The song was a plea to his sweetheart to wait for him until he could get back home....
  13. You Always Hurt The One You Love
  14. I Wish
  15. Don't Be A Baby, Baby
  16. I Don't Know Enough About You
  17. I Guess I'll Get The Papers And Go Home
  18. Too Many Irons In The Fire
  19. Across The Alley From The Alamo
  20. You Never Miss The Water Til The Well Runs Dry
  21. Gloria
  22. Is It True What They Say About Dixie? - (with Al Jolson)
  23. I Love You So Much It Hurts
  24. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
    I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm

    "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" is a popular music song. It was written in 1937 by Irving Berlin. It was introduced in On the Avenue by Dick Powell and Alice Faye....
    • DISC 2:
  1. Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)
  2. If I Had My Way
  3. When You Were Sweet Sixteen
  4. Daddy's Little Girl
  5. Nevertheless
  6. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone - (with Tommy Dorsey)
  7. Be My Life's Companion - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
  8. Glow Worm, The - (with Hal McIntyre & His Orchestra)
  9. Shoulder To Weep On, A - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
  10. Say Si Si
  11. Pretty Butterfly
  12. Jones Boy, The - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
  13. She Was Five And He Was Ten - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
  14. You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
  15. Opus No. 1 (1943 song)Opus One - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
  16. Smack Dab In The Middle - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
  17. Standing On The Corner
    Standing on the Corner (show tune)

    "Standing on the Corner" is a popular music song written by Jimmy Arnold and Frank Loesser and published in 1956 in music. It was introduced by Shorty Long, Alan Gilbert, John Henson, and Roy Lazarus in the Broadway theatre musical theater, The Most Happy Fella....
     - (with Sonny Burke & His Orchestra)
  18. Queen Of The Senior Prom - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
  19. When I Lost You
  20. Yellow Bird - (with Milton DeLugg & His Orchestra)
  21. April In Paris - (with Count Basie & His Orchestra)
  22. Blue And Sentimental - (with Count Basie & His Orchestra)
  23. My Shy Violet
  24. Cab Driver
  • Singing the Biggest Christmas Songs - 1995
  • Merry Christmas - 1978
  • Glow with the Mills Brothers - 1978
  • The Best of The Mills Brothers, Volume II (Famous Twinsets # PAS 2-1027)
    • Side A
  1. Daddy's Little Girl
  2. Queen of the Senior Prom
  3. Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland
  4. When You Were Sweet Sixteen
  5. Oh! Ma-Ma (The Butcher Boy)
  6. Ballerina
  7. Cool Water
    • Side B
  1. I Guess I'll Get the Papers and Go Home
  2. I Found a Million Dollar Baby (In a Five and Dime Store)
  3. Let Me Call You Sweetheart
  4. Sweet Adeline
  5. Honeysuckle Rose Blues Bossa Nova
  6. One Dozen Roses
    One Dozen Roses

    One Dozen Roses is a 1971 album by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, issued on Motown Records' Tamla label. The penultimate album before lead singer Smokey Robinson departed the group for a solo career, One Dozen Roses features the Top 20 Billboard Hot 100 single "I Don't Blame You At All"....
    • Side C
  1. Moonlight and Roses
  2. Poor Butterfly
    Poor Butterfly

    "Poor Butterfly" is a popular music song. It was inspired by Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly and contains a brief musical quote from the act 2 duet Tutti i fior in the verse....
  3. Memories of You
  4. On the Banks of the Wabash
  5. You Can't Be True, Dear
    You Can't Be True, Dear

    "You Can't Be True, Dear" is a popular music song.It was originally written as a German language song, "Du Kannst Nicht Treu Sein," by composer Hans Otten and lyricist Gerhard Ebeler....
    • Side D
  1. Any Time
  2. Bye Bye Blackbird
    Bye Bye Blackbird

    "Bye Bye Blackbird" is a song published in 1926 by the United States composer Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. It is considered a popular standard and was first recorded by Gene Austin in 1926....
  3. Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out the Barrel)
  4. South of the Border
  5. Home on the Range
    Home on the Range

    "Home on the Range" is the state song of Kansas, U.S.Home on the Range may also refer to:* Home on the Range , a Disney animated feature film...
  6. You Never Miss the Water 'till the Well Runs Dry
  7. Tennessee Waltz
  • Such Sweet Singing - 1969 (unverified date) (Vocalion, a div. of DECCA Records, # VL 73859)
    • Side A
  1. When I Lost You
  2. I Cried Like a Baby
  3. All By Myself
  4. Till We Meet Again
  5. Daddy's Little Girl
    • Side B
  1. Oh, How I Miss You Tonight
    Oh, How I Miss You Tonight

    "Oh, How I Miss You Tonight" is a popular music song, published in 1925 in music, written by Benny Davis, Joe Burke , and Mark Fisher .The song is considered a pop standard, and has been recorded by many people, among them Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, and a Jim Reeves/Deborah Allen duet....
  2. Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland
  3. If I Had My Way
  4. My Girl Sal
  5. Moonlight Bay
  • Fortuosity - 1968
  • My Shy Violet - 1968
  • The Board of Directors
    The Board of Directors (album)

    The Board of Directors is a LP album recorded at the A & R Recording Studios in New York on November 20-21 1967 and released in 1968, featuring the Mills Brothers with Count Basie and orchestra....
     (with Count Basie) - 1968
  1. Up A Lazy River
  2. I May be Wrong But I Think You're Wonderful (Frank Foster
    Frank Foster (musician)

    Frank Foster is an United States Tenor saxophone and Soprano saxophone, flautist, arranger, and composer, who is best known for his work in different periods with the Count Basie orchestra, as well as under his own name....
     solo)
  3. Release Me
  4. I Want To Be Happy (Eric Dixon
    Eric Dixon

    Eric Dixon was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, flautist, and arranger.Dixon's professional career extended from 1950 until his death in 1989, during which time he was credited on perhaps as many as 200 recordings....
     solo)
  5. Down-Down-Down
  6. The Whiffenpoof Song
  7. I Dig Rock And Roll Music
  8. Tiny Bubbles
  9. December
  10. Let Me Dream
  11. April in Paris
  • The Board of Directors Annual Report (with Count Basie) - 1968
  1. Gentle On My Mind
  2. Cherry
  3. You Never Miss The Water Till The Well Runs Dry
  4. The Glow Worm
  5. Sent for You Yesterday (And Here You Are Today)
  6. Sunny
  7. I'll Be Around
  8. Cielito Lindo
  9. Blue and Sentimental
  10. Every Day I Have The Blues
  • The Mills Brothers Live - 1967


  • These Are the Mills Brothers - 1966
  • That Country Feeling - 1964
  • Hymns We Love - 1964
  • Say Si Si and Other Great Latin Hits
  • Everest Records Archive of Folk and Jazz Music: Mills Brothers - 1973
  1. Till Then
  2. I Can't Stop Loving You
  3. Mr. Sandman
  4. He'll Have To Go
  5. You Always Hurt The One You Love
  6. Glow Worm
  7. So Rare
  8. Mood Indigo
  9. One Dozen Roses
  10. Across The Valley From the Alimo


Film Appearances

  • Twenty Million Sweethearts
    Twenty Million Sweethearts

    Twenty Million Sweethearts is a 1934 in film American musical film comedy directed by Ray Enright. The film stars Pat O'Brien , Dick Powell and Ginger Rogers....
  • Over Here!
    Over Here!

    Over Here! is a Musical theater with a score by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman and book by Will Holt. The show was directed by Tom Moore and choreographed by Patricia Birch, with scenic design by Douglas W....
     (1957)
  • Chatterbox
    Chatterbox

    Chatterbox may refer to:...
  • Reveille with Beverly
    Reveille with Beverly

    Reveille with Beverly is an United States film starring Ann Miller, directed by Charles Barton, released by Columbia Pictures, based on the Reveille with Berverly radio show hosted by Jean Ruth Hay....


Gallery


John Mills - son, grandson and nephew of the original group’s members

Elmer Hopper - spent 21 years with The Platters
The Platters

The Platters were a successful vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition, and the burgeoning new genre....
 in Concert March 2005

External links