When thinking about the myriad of male singing groups in the recent past, one group rises to the top of the list – the incomparable Mills Brothers! They were so famous, they became legends in their own time, a feat very few people ever reach.
The four brothers, John C, Herbert. Harry, and Donald, were all born within five years between 1910 and 1915, in Piqua, Ohio. They were born into a musical, but modest of means family. Their father, John H. Mills, was a barber and sang in a barbershop quartet. Their mother, Eathel, was a light opera singer. The four brothers gravitated into vocal music naturally due to their parents.
As soon as Donald, the youngest, was able to sing with his older brothers, their early career in music began. They sang in two churches and outside their father’s barbershop, where they earned a few coins from passersby. Among their early gigs they sang at a local theater during intermission for four dollars a night; not bad pay for 1924, although it was only a dollar a piece.
It was also in 1924, the Mills Brothers unique trademark-sound was created, mostly by accident. The story goes that Harry, who accompanied his brothers on the kazoo, (a toy instrument) either misplaced it or forgot it! Harry had to quickly think of how to mimic an instrument sound. Apparently, at that instant, the sound that launched a remarkable – over 50-year career – was born.
The citizens of their hometown, Piqua, loved them so much – they did not have to worry about scrounging for jobs anymore. In 1928 a famous radio station, WLW, in Cincinnati, Ohio, invited the Mills Brothers to audition for radio work. Unfortunately, they were not hired and had to wait for another chance at fame. During this time, each brother learned how to mimic instruments with their voices.
Two years after their first audition at the radio station they had another audition, and this time they were hired. Their shows became a big hit on radio and the group became nationally known in 1930. Sponsors for the radio show wanted more input in the programming. This meant the Mills Brothers had to use other names for their various sponsors. For example, when Standard Oil of Ohio was a sponsor, the group performed as The Steamboat Four. But on Sundays they could use their own name, The Mills Brothers.
Because of their new-found fame, they signed a three- year contract and were given their own national show on NBC out of New York. This was a first for an all African American singing group. In Cincinnati at WLW they earned $140 a week. In New York, they earned $3,250 a week, about $90,000 in today’s dollars.
One of the highlights of their New York gig was singing at the Palace Theater with Bing Crosby. They also recorded their first song, Tiger Rag that became the first recording ever to sell a million copies. More hits followed and their recording career blossomed. Soon, because of their hit radio show and a million-seller record, many large corporations wanted to sponsor shows.
Hollywood was aware of their popularity and they were offered roles in films. In 1932 the Mills Brothers were featured in the film. The Big Broadcast, along with big-named stars. Other movies followed. By the mid 1930’s the group was on the international scene. They gave the first of four Royal Command performances for the King and Queen of England.
During their tour in 1936, the eldest brother, John C. Mills, the guitarist, developed pneumonia. They went back to America but returned to England before John C. fully recovered; he had a relapse and died. The brothers were so shaken. they contemplated ending their musical career. Their father, John H. Mills, agreed to fill in and became a member of the group. They also found a guitarist. Their father would remain with the group for 20 years. England was so taken by the group that Harry Mills said, “We were the Beatles of the 30’s.” The Mills Brothers toured the world wooing people from South America to Australia.
During World War II the brothers toured the United States entertaining the troops. They did not have a hit recording for quite awhile and they knew if they were to keep their fame, they would soon need a hit song. In 1942 they had their hits! They recorded, I’ll Be Around and Paper Doll. The later became their biggest hit ever, selling more than eleven million copies. After a momentary downturn, in the early 1940’s, they miraculously had a string of hits that sustained them throughout the rest of the decade an into the 1950’s.
Downbeat Magazine named The Mills Brothers, their favorite vocal group in the successive years of 1950, 1951 and 1952 – that was unheard of for three years in a row.
In this era other vocal groups began to lose favor with the public, but not
The Mills Brothers. The quartet hung on and in 1952 they had a tremendous hit with the song, Glow Worm. This song proved to be their last big number one song. After that hit, they like so many others, were losing their fame and popularity with the public; as rock and roll began to dazzle the public, and soon would take over the pop scene in America.
In 1956, their father, John H retired from the group. This left three of them to carry on with another guitarist. They toured less frequently but continued to record with some degree of popularity with the loyal public. In 1967 their father died at the age of 85. That same year the group recorded, Cab Driver, that made the top 40 charts. They still produced recordings into the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.
In the early 1980’s Harry Mills decided to retire. Then Herbert and Donald decided to join their brother in retirement. Harry died in 1982. Herbert and Donald, along with John H. Mills II, Donald’s son, revived the group and continued performing.
A great honor was given to The Mills Brothers in 1993. The group was inducted into the United in Group Harmony Association’s Hall of Fame. In 1998 another honor followed with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Donald and John H gave their final performance in 1998. Donald, the last of the original four Mills Brothers, died in 1999 at the age of 84.
The brother’s home-town Piqua, Ohio, erected a plaque in the middle of the town square in 1990. The following words are on the plaque: America’s Greatest Singing Group and Musical Ambassadors to the World!
These words are true and prophetic as the Mills Brothers circled the globe 16 times during 37 world tours.
The list of their accomplishments is very long. Some of their most popular recordings and hits are: Tiger Rag, Nobody’s Sweetheart, Goodbye Blues, How Am I Doing, Sweet Sue, St. Louis Blues, It Don’t Mean a Thing, I’ll Be Around, Paper Doll, Lazy River, Glow Worm, Standing On The Corner, King Porter Stomp, Yellow Bird and Cab Driver.
Other notable milestones, in their over 50-year career, was 2,300 recordings. Their first hit, Tiger Rag was in 1931. Their last hit was Cab Driver in 1967. The Mills Brothers sold over 75 million records, three dozen gold records, they were first black group to have a radio show, first musical group to sell more that one million copies of a recording, first black group to perform at the London Palladium, four Royal Command Performances and they appeared in more than 40 films, shorts and cartoons.
“Their greatness was in more than just the amazing numbers they produced. It was in their unique sound, their love of music, their perseverance in the face of adversity and their singular ability to cross generational and racial boundaries.” said, Linda McMaken in her article, Sweet Harmony The Mills Brothers.
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