Alan Mills (born Albert Miller; September 7, 1912 or 1913 – June 14, 1977 ) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

folksinger, writer, and actor. He was best known for popularizing Canadian folk music, and for his original song, '' I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly''. He appeared on several radio and television programs and in movies.

Career

As a young man, Mills worked as a newspaperman. He left this work in about 1940 and took a job in radio. He hosted a show for CBC radio on which he played Canadian folk music. Mills began singing and recording traditional music from Canada, accompanying himself on guitar. His first album, ''Let's Sing a Little'', was released by RCA Victor. He composed the classic folk song ''I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly'' (with lyrics by Rose Bonne) which was later recorded by

Burl Ives Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was an American musician, actor, and author with a career that spanned more than six decades. Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his own rad ...

Peter Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary was an American folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival phenomenon. The trio consisted of tenor Peter Yarrow, baritone Paul Stookey, and contralto Mary Travers. The group's reperto ...

and many others. He published a book, ''The Alan Mills Book of Folk Songs and Ballads'', in 1949. His recordings of authentic traditional music were reviewed by Oscar Brand in the ''Saturday Review of Music'', and included in a number of folk music compilation albums. Mills was signed to take part in tour of the United States in 1960, and that year performed at the Newport Folk Festival. He was made a Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

in 1974 for his contributions to Canadian folklore. Mills has also released several albums on

Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987 and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways. History The Folkways Records & Service ...

of Canadian and French folk songs.

Discography

n.d. "Chansons a Boire'

enus VL 301 Enus is a given name and surname. Notable people with the name include: *Anton Enus Anton Albert Enus is a South African-born Australian news presenter. He is currently co-host of '' SBS World News'' on Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). Car ...

Notes

External links

Discography for Alan Mills on Folkways"Alan Mills, Collaborator and Friend"
by

Edith Fowke Edith Fowke, ''(née'' Margaret Fulton; 30 April 1913 Lumsden, Saskatchewan – 28 Mar 1996 Toronto) was a Canadian folklorist.Nygaard King, Betty and Ruth Pincoe. Fowke was educated at the University of Saskatchewan. She hosted the CBC Radio ...

, ''Canadian Folk Music Bulletin'' 30.3 (1996) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mills, Alan 1910s births 1977 deaths People from Lachine, Quebec Members of the Order of Canada Canadian folklorists Canadian folk singers Canadian songwriters Musicians from Montreal Writers from Montreal 20th-century Canadian male singers