The Mills Brothers

The Mills Brothers were a major African-American jazz and pop vocal group 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 Early Years

The group was originally composed of four brothers all born in Piqua, Ohio, just 25 miles north of Dayton: John Jr. (1911-1936) basso and guitarist), Herbert (1912-1989) tenor, Harry (1913-1982) baritone, and Donald (1915-1999) lead tenor.

Their parents were John H. and Eathel Mills. Their father, John Sr., owned a barber shop and founded a barbershop quartet, 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 to passerbys.

They entered an amateur contest at Piqua's Mays Opera House. That fateful day, while on stage, Harry discovered he has lost his kazoo. He cupped his hands to his mouth and imitated a trumpet. 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 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

Then in 1928, after playing May's Opera House in Piqua between Rin Tin Tin features, they accompanied the Harold Greenameyer Band to Cincinnati for an audition with radio station WLW. The Band was not hired, but the Mills brother's were. With the help of Seger Ellis, WLW Cincinnati DJ and a music legend of the '20s, they quickly became local radio stars and got their major break when Duke Ellington and his Orchestra played a date in Cincinnati. When the youngsters sang for Duke, he was so impressed he called Tommy Rockwell at Okeh Records, who signed them and brought the group to New York.

In September of 1930, Ralph Wonders urged broadcasting executive William S. Paley, at CBS radio 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 were the 'Tasty Yeast Jesters' when they sang for Tasty Yeast. They had been called the 'Four Boys and a Guitar' on thier 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 very first record recorded for Brunswick, a cover of the Original Dixieland Jass Band standard "Tiger Rag" became a nation wide seller, the only record at that time to sell more than a million copies. Other hits quickly followed -- '"Goodbye blues"', their theme song, '"You're Nobody's Sweetheart Now,"' '"Ole Rockin' Chair,"' '"Lazy River"', '"How'm I doin',"' and others -- cementing them in the minds of the nation and making them national stars.

They were a sensation on CBS in 1930-1931, particularly when they co-starred on the widely popular '"Fleischman's Yeast Hour"' hosted by Rudy Valle. They had thier 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, as the vocal effects made many listeners think they were hearing a muted trumpet, saxophone, and string bass.

The Mills Brothers were sponsored by the some of the largest advertisers in early radio; Standard Oil, Procter & Gamble, Crisco, and Crosley Radio. They began appearing in films. Their first, ''"The Big Broadcast"'' (Paramount, 1932) was an all star radio revue that included Bing Crosby, Cab Calloway, and the Boswell Sisters. In 1934, the Brothers stared with Crosby for Woodbury Soap, and recorded their classics "Lazy Bones," " Sweet Sue," "Lulu's back in town," "Bye-Bye Blackbird," "Sleepy Head," and "Shoe Shine Boy." Film appearances included "Twenty Million Sweethearts" for Warner Brothers in 1934, and "Broadway Gondolier", also for Warner Brothers in 1935.

By now the brothers were highly successful and recognized all over the world. In 1934, The Mills Brothers became the first African-Americans to give a command performance before British royalty. They performed at the Regal Theatre for a special audience; King George V, Queen Mary, 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.

This was a difficult time for the remaining brothers. They were considering 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 the deceased Brother, John Jr. At this time, Norman Brown 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 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."

The Post War Years

Returning to the states, the Brothers were anxious for a hit. They recorded "I'll be Around." Donald Mills chose "Paper Doll" 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 just fifteen minutes, sold six million copies and became the group's biggest hit.

The rise of rock and roll 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," an updated version to the Tommy Dorsey hit was soon on the charts as well, followed by "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You," "Yellow Bird," "Standing on the Corner," and "If I had My Way."

In 1957, John Sr. reluctantly stopped touring with the group. He was seventy-five, but his retirement did not stop the Brothers. As a trio, the Mills Brothers recorded for Dot Records and were Frequent guests on "The Jack Benny Show," "The Perry Como Show,"' '"The Tonight Show," and "Hollywood Palace." They played theatres and clubs, touring up to forty weeks a year.

A move from Decca to Dot brought a moderate 1958 hit, a cover of the Silhouettes' "Get a Job" that made explicit the considerable influence on doo-wop that the early Mills Brothers records had exterted.

"Cab Driver," recorded in 1968, was their last great hit.

The Later Years

Their fiftieth anniversary in show business was celebrated in 1976 with a tribute at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Bing Crosby 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, and Herbert's 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.

After Donald's death of pneumonia on November 13, 1999, John III began touring under the name "The Mills Brothers" with onetime Platters lead vocalist Elmer Hopper.

Incomplete Singles Discography

'"Tiger Rag'"
'"Dinah"' - (with Bing Crosby) Recorded 12/16/31
'"Goodbye Blues"'
'"How'm I Doin'? (Hey, Hey!)"'
'"Baby Won't You Please Come Home"'
'"You Rascal You
'"My Romance/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"'
'"Sweeter Than Sugar"'
'"Limehouse Blues"'
'"Shuffle Your Feet"' - (with Don Redman)
'"Nobody's Sweetheart"' (aka Nobody's Sweetheart Now)
'"Rockin' Chair"' - Recorded 3/8/32
'"Dedicated To You"' - (with Ella Fitzgerald)
'"Flat Foot Floogie"' - (with Louis Armstrong)
'"Paper Doll"' - Recorded 2/18/42
'"You Tell Me Your Dream, I'll Tell You Mine"' - Recorded 11/2/49
'"Cherry"' - (with Louis Armstrong)
'"Wish Me Luck Amigo, (I Yi, Yi, Yi)"'
'"Lazy River"' - Recorded 10/22/41
'"I'll Be Around"'
'"Till Then"' - 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)
'"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"'
'"Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)"'
'"If I Had My Way"'
'"When You Were Sweet Sixteen"'
'"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
'"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"' - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra) Recorded 9/17/54
'"In A Mellow Tone"' - Recorded 9/1/55
'"Smack Dab In The Middle"' - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
'"Standing On The Corner"' - (with Sonny Burke & His Orchestra)
'"Queen Of The Senior Prom"' - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
'"When I Lost You"'
'"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"'

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
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
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 Warm
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
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
- 1. DISC:

1. Tiger Rag
2. Nobody's Sweetheart (aka 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
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

- 1. DISC:

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 One - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
16. Smack Dab In The Middle - (with Sy Oliver & His Orchestra)
17. Standing On The Corner - (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
Fortuosity - 1968
My Shy Violet - 1968
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
The Board of Directors - 1966
These Are the Mills Brothers - 1966
That Country Feeling - 1964
Hymns We Love - 1964
Say Si Si and Other Great Latin Hits

Gallery

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

Elmer Hopper - spent 21 years with The_Platters in Concert March 2005

Notes

References