The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed the Four Mills Brothers, and originally known as the Four Kings of Harmony, were an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

and

traditional pop Traditional pop (also known as classic pop and pre-rock and roll pop) is Western culture, Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known ...

vocal quartet who made more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50 million copies and garnered at least three dozen gold records. The Mills Brothers were the first African-American artists to have their own show on national network radio (on CBS in 1930); they made appearances in film; and were the first to have a No. 1 hit on the '' Billboard'' singles chart, with " Paper Doll" in 1943. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.

Early years

The Mills Brothers were born into a family of nine in Piqua, Ohio, United States. The quartet consisted of Donald (lead tenor vocals, April 29, 1915 – November 13, 1999), Herbert (tenor vocals, April 2, 1912 – April 12, 1989), Harry (baritone vocals, August 9, 1913 – June 28, 1982), and John Jr. (guitar, double bass, vocals; October 19, 1910 – January 23, 1936). Their father, John Hutchinson Mills (February 11, 1882 – December 8, 1967), was a barber with his own shop and a

barbershop quartet A barbershop quartet is a group of four singers who sing music in the barbershop style, characterized by four-part harmony without instrumental accompaniment, or a cappella. The four voices are: the lead, the vocal part which typically carries t ...

. He was the son of William Hutchinson Mills and Cecilia Simms who lived in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. 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 lessons at the Spring Street Grammar School, they gathered in front of their father's barbershop or on the corner to perform. They entered an amateur contest at May's Opera House but while on stage Harry realized he had lost his kazoo. He improvised by cupping his hand over his mouth and mimicking the sound of trumpet. The brothers liked the idea and worked it into their act. John, the bass vocalist, would imitate the tuba. Harry, a baritone, imitated the trumpet, Herbert became the second trumpet, and Donald the trombone. John accompanied the four-part harmony on

ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...

and then guitar. They practiced imitating orchestras they heard on the radio.

Rise to stardom

In 1928, after playing May's Opera House in Piqua between Rin Tin Tin features, the brothers accompanied the Harold Greenameyer Band to Cincinnati for an audition with radio station WLW. The station did not hire the band, but did hire the Mills brothers. With the help of Seger Ellis, a WLW Cincinnati DJ, they became local radio stars, and got their major break when

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was bas ...

and his Orchestra played a date in Cincinnati. When the youngsters sang for Duke, he called Tommy Rockwell at

Okeh Records Okeh Records () is an American record label founded by the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation, a phonograph supplier established in 1916, which branched out into phonograph records in 1918. The name was spelled "OkeH" from the initials of Ott ...

, who signed them and brought the group to New York City. In September 1930, Ralph Wonders urged broadcasting executive William S. Paley, at

CBS Radio CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broad ...

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 the air. 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 recording for Brunswick Records, a cover of the Original Dixieland Jass Band standard " Tiger Rag", became a nationwide best-seller and a no. 1 hit on the charts in a version with lyrics by Harry DaCosta. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

. Other hits followed – "Goodbye Blues", their theme song, "Nobody's Sweetheart", " Ole Rockin' Chair", "

Lazy River A lazy river is a water ride found in water park A water park (or waterpark, water world) is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well a ...

", "How'm I Doin'", and others. They remained on Brunswick until late 1934, when they signed with

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in We ...

, where they stayed well into the 1950s. On all of their Brunswick records, as well as the early Deccas, the label stated, "No musical instruments or mechanical devices used on this recording other than one guitar". They were a hit on CBS in 1930–1931, particularly when they co-starred on the popular '' The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour'' hosted by Rudy Vallee. From 1932 to 1933 they had a radio series in which they were billed as the "Four Boys and a Guitar". Before their show announcers explained to listeners that the only instrument was a guitar, as the vocal effects made many listeners think they were brass instruments. The brothers were sponsored by

Standard Oil Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co- ...

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer he ...

, Crisco, and Crosley Radio. They began appearing in films. Their first, ''

The Big Broadcast ''The Big Broadcast'' is a 1932 American pre-Code musical comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Bing Crosby, Stuart Erwin, and Leila Hyams. Based on the play ''Wild Waves'' by William Ford Manley, the film is about a radio-sing ...

'' (

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

, 1932) was an all-star radio revue that included

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

Cab Calloway Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalis ...

, and the

Boswell Sisters The Boswell Sisters were an American close harmony singing trio of the jazz and swing eras, consisting of three sisters: Martha Boswell (June 9, 1905 – July 2, 1958), Connie Boswell (later spelled "Connee", December 3, 1907 – October 11, ...

. They also made three "bouncing ball" cartoon shorts for the Fleischer Brothers. Between 1933 and 1935, the Brothers starred with Crosby for Woodbury Soap in ''

Bing Crosby Entertains ''Bing Crosby Entertains'' was a weekly radio show which ran for two seasons during 1933-1935, and was to cement Bing Crosby's reputation as a radio star. ''Bing Crosby Entertains'' was Crosby's most important radio series to date, and it enabled ...

'', making 27 appearances in all on the CBS radio show. They also 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 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, 1934), ''Operator 13'' ( MGM, 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 for a special audience:

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

and Queen Mary. While performing in England, John Jr. became ill. He died in the beginning of 1936. Their father, John Sr. replaced John Jr. as the bass and tuba. At this time, Bernard Addison joined the Brothers as their guitar player.

War years

Through 1939 the group enjoyed remarkable success in Europe. Herbert recalled,

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 "

". It was followed by " Someday You'll Want Me to Want You", "Swing Is the Thing", "Long About Midnight", " Organ Grinder's Swing", and "The Song is Ended". They honored

with a swing version of his "

Caravan Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Camel train, a convoy using camels as pack animals *Convoy, a group of veh ...

," 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 Fishies", and "

Basin Street Blues "Basin Street Blues" is a song often performed by Dixieland jazz bands, written by Spencer Williams in 1928 and recorded that year by Louis Armstrong. The verse with the lyric "Won't you come along with me / To the Mississippi..." was later added ...

". 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 until the fourth brother's return. Smith is noticeable in a number of the Mills Brothers' film appearances. Returning to the States, the Brothers were anxious for a hit and recorded " I'll be Around" in 1943. Donald Mills chose " Paper Doll" as the B-side of the record. "I'll Be Around" became a 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.

Postwar years

The rise of

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...

did little to decrease the Mills Brothers popularity. " Glow Worm" jumped to number two on the pop charts in 1952. " Opus One", an updated version to the

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

hit, was soon on the charts as well, followed by "

You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You" is a popular song written by Russ Morgan, Larry Stock, and James Cavanaugh and published in 1944. The song was first recorded by Morgan and was a hit for him in 1946, reaching the No. 14 spot in the charts ...

", "The Jones Boy", " Yellow Bird", " Standing on the Corner", and " If I Had My Way". The track also peaked at No. 10 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in January 1953. It was the fifth million selling record for the Mills Brothers. In 1956, John Sr., when he was 68, stopped touring with the group. As a trio, the Mills Brothers were frequent guests on television talk shows and variety shows. After leaving Decca for Dot Records, they had a hit in 1958 with a cover version of " Get a Job" by

The Silhouettes The Silhouettes were an American doo wop/ R&B group, whose single " Get a Job" was a number 1 hit on the ''Billboard'' R&B singles chart and pop singles chart in 1958. The doo-wop revival group Sha Na Na derived their name from the song's lyri ...

. They reached the charts with "Yellow Bird" two years before Arthur Lyman's version was a Top Ten hit. "

Cab Driver "Cab Driver" is a song written by Carson Parks and performed by The Mills Brothers featuring Sy Oliver and His Orchestra. It reached #3 on the Easy Listening chart, #21 on the '' Cashbox'' chart, and #23 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in ...

", written by

Carson Parks Clarence Carson Parks II (26 April 1936 – 22 June 2005), also known as C. Carson Parks, was an American songwriter, music publisher, musician and singer, best known for writing the hit song "Somethin' Stupid". His younger brother is the composer ...

and recorded in 1968, was their last hit (No. 23 Pop, No. 3 Easy Listening).

Later years

The Mills Brothers' fiftieth anniversary in show business was celebrated in 1976 with a tribute at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, hosted by

. At the time, 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 his son, John II. In 1998 the Recording Academy recognized the Mills family's contributions to popular music when it presented Donald, as the sole surviving member, with a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

Award for Lifetime Achievement. After Donald's death of pneumonia on November 13, 1999, John II became the next family member to tour under the name "The Mills Brothers" with Elmer Hopper, who had previously sung lead with Paul Robi's Platters. They were at times joined by John II's eldest brother, Don Mills, Jr. Following Hopper's death on May 5, 2019, John II started performing with Randy Taylor as a featured vocalist. Image:WIKI_MILLS_BROTHERS_1.jpg, The Mills Brothers in concert, March 2005 Image:WIKI_MILLS_BROTHERS_2.jpg, John Mills, son, grandson and nephew of the original group's members Image:WIKI_MILLS_BROTHERS_3.jpg, Elmer Hopper, who spent 21 years with The Platters The Mills Brothers were among hundreds of artists who reportedly had material destroyed in the

2008 Universal fire On June 1, 2008, a fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, an American film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. The fire began when a worker used a blowtorch to warm asph ...

Discography

* ''Famous Barber Shop Ballads Volume One'' (

, 1946) * ''Famous Barber Shop Ballads Volume Two'' (Decca, 1949) * ''Souvenir Album'' (Decca, 1950) * ''Wonderful Words'' (Decca, 1951) * ''Meet the Mills Brothers'' (Decca, 1953) * ''Four Boys and a Guitar'' (Decca, 1954) * ''Louis Armstrong and the Mills Brothers'' (Decca, 1954) * ''Singin' and Swingin' '' (Decca, 1956) * ''Memory Lane'' (Decca, 1956) * "Ninety-Eight Cents" and "I'm the Guy" ingle, 45 RPM(Decca, 1956) * ''One Dozen Roses'' (Decca, 1957) * ''The Mills Brothers in Hi-Fi: Barbershop Ballads'' (Decca, 1958) * ''In a Mellow Tone'' ( Vocalion, 1958) * ''Mmmm...The Mills Brothers'' (Dot, 1958) * ''Great Hits'' (Dot, 1958) * ''Sing'' (London, 1959) * ''Merry Christmas'' ( Dot, 1959) * ''Greatest Barbershop Hits'' (Dot, 1959) * ''Let Me Call You Sweetheart'' (Dot, 1959) * ''Great Hits'' (Dot, 1958) * ''Glow with the Mills Brothers'' (Decca, 1959) * ''Harmonizin' With'' (Decca, 1959) * ''Barbershop Harmony'' (Decca, 1960) * ''San Antonio Rose'' (Dot, 1961) * ''Yellow Bird'' (Dot, 1961) * ''Great Hawaiian Hits'' (Dot, 1961) * ''Sing Beer Barrel Polka and Other Golden Hits'' (Dot, 1962) * ''The End of the World'' (Dot, 1963) * ''Say Si Si'' (Dot, 1964) * ''Gems by the Mills Brothers'' (Dot, 1964) * ''Sing for You'' (Hamilton, 1964) * ''The Mills Brothers Today!'' (Dot, 1965) * ''The Mills Brothers in Tivoli'' (Dot, 1966) * ''These Are the Mills Brothers'' (Dot, 1966) * ''Anytime!'' ( Pickwick, 1967) * ''The Board of Directors'' with Count Basie (Dot, 1967) * ''London Rhythm'' (Ace of Clubs, 1967) * ''The Board of Directors Annual Report'' with Count Basie (Dot, 1968) * ''My Shy Violet'' (Dot, 1968) * ''Fortuosity'' with Sy Oliver (Dot, 1968) * ''Dream a Little Dream of Me'' (Pickwick, 1968) * ''Till We Meet Again'' (Pickwick, 1968) * ''Dream'' (Dot, 1969) * ''The Mills Brothers in Motion'' (Dot, 1969) * ''Cab Driver, Paper Doll, My Shy Violet'' (Pickwick, 1969) * ''No Turnin' Back'' ( Paramount, 1970) * ''What a Wonderful World'' (Paramount, 1972) * ''A Donut and a Dream'' (Paramount, 1972) * ''Louis and the Mills Brothers'' (MCA Coral, 1973) * ''Half a Sixpence'' with Count Basie (

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

, 1973) * ''Opus One'' (Rediffusion, 1973) * ''Cab Driver'' ( Ranwood, 1974) * ''Inspiration'' (ABC Songbird, 1974) * ''50th Anniversary'' (Ranwood, 1976) * ''The Mills Brothers'' (Pickwick, 1976) * ''Command Performance!'' (Ranwood, 1981) * ''Copenhagen '81'' (51 West, 1981)

Film appearances

* ''

'' (1932) * ''I Ain't Got Nobody'' (1932) * ''Dinah'' (1933) * ''When Yuba Plays the Rhumba on the Tuba'' (1933) * '' Operator 13'' (1934) with Marion Davies and

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...

* ''

Strictly Dynamite ''Strictly Dynamite'' is a 1934 American pre-Code film directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Lupe Vélez and Jimmy Durante. Premise Norman Foster plays a poet whose life changes when he begins writing comedy for Durante and develops an infatu ...

'' (1934) * ''

Twenty Million Sweethearts ''Twenty Million Sweethearts'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code musical comedy film directed by Ray Enright and starring Pat O'Brien, Dick Powell, Ginger Rogers, and The Mills Brothers. The film was remade in 1949 as '' My Dream Is Yours''. Plot Ag ...

'' (1934) * ''

Broadway Gondolier ''Broadway Gondolier '' (1935) is a musical film directed by Lloyd Bacon. The film was released by Warner Bros., and featured Dick Powell, Joan Blondell and Adolphe Menjou. Plot Richard "Dick" Purcell (Dick Powell), a taxi driver, aspires to ach ...

'' (1935) * ''

Sing as You Swing ''Sing as You Swing'' is a 1937 British musical film directed by Redd Davis and starring Charles Clapham, Bill Dwyer and Claude Dampier. It was made as a quota quickie and features turns from a variety of radio and revue stars with little ...

'' (1937) * ''Chatterbox'' (1943) * ''He's My Guy'' (1943) * ''Hit Tune Jamboree'' (1943) * ''

Reveille with Beverly ''Reveille with Beverly'' is a 1943 American musical film starring Ann Miller, Franklin Pangborn, and Larry Parks directed by Charles Barton, released by Columbia Pictures, based on the ''Reveille with Beverly'' radio show hosted by Jean Ruth H ...

'' (1943) * ''

Rhythm Parade ''Rhythm Parade'' is a 1942 American musical comedy film starring Gale Storm and Margaret Dumont.Cowboy Canteen ''Cowboy Canteen'' is a 1944 American musical western film directed by Lew Landers and starring Charles Starrett. Plot Entertainers perform on a dude ranch for soldiers. Cast * Charles Starrett as Steve Bradley * Jane Frazee as Connie Gray * ...

'' (1944) * ''Lazy River'' (1944) * '' The Fight Never Ends'' (1947) * ''

Daddy's Little Girl "Daddy's Little Girl" is a classic song typically played at white weddings while a bride dances with her father. The song's lyrics and music were first written by Robert Harrison Burke and Horace Gerlach in 1949. Recordings The song was record ...

'' (1950) * ''When You're Smiling'' (1950) * ''The Mills Brothers on Parade'' (1956)

References

External links

Official siteDonald Mills Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (1994)
Mills Brothers recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mills Brothers African-American musical groups American jazz singers American vocal groups Articles containing video clips Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Decca Records artists Dot Records artists Family musical groups Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Musical groups from Ohio People from Piqua, Ohio Traditional pop music singers Vocal quartets Jazz musicians from Ohio