The Mills Brothers
A vocal group that grew into one of the longest-lasting oldies acts in American popular music, the Mills Brothers quickly moved from novelty wonders to pop successes and continued to amaze audiences for decades. Originally billed as "Four Boys and a Guitar," the group's early records came complete with a note assuring listeners that the only musical instrument they were hearing was a guitar. The caution was understandable, since the Mills Brothers were so proficient at re-creating trumpets, trombones, and saxophones with only their voices that early singles like "Tiger Rag" and "St. Louis Blues" sounded closer to a hot Dixieland combo than a vocal group. And even after that novelty wore off, their intricate harmonies continued to charm generations of listeners.
The four brothers were all born in Piqua, Ohio -- John, Jr. in 1910, Herbert in 1912, Harry in 1913, and Donald in 1915. Their father owned a barber shop and founded a barbershop quartet as well, called the Four Kings of Harmony. His sons obviously learned their close harmonies first-hand, and began performing around the area. At one show, Harry Mills forgot his kazoo -- the group's usual accompaniment -- and ended up trying to emulate the instrument by cupping his hand over his mouth. The brothers were surprised to hear the sound of a trumpet proceeding from Harry's mouth, so they began to work the novelty into their act, with John taking tuba, Donald trombone, and Herbert a second trumpet. The act was perfect for vaudeville, and the Mills Brothers also began broadcasting over a Cincinnati radio station during the late '20s.
After moving to New York, the group became a sensation and hit it big during 1931 and early 1932 with the singles "Tiger Rag" and "Dinah" (the latter a duet with Bing Crosby). Dumbfounded listeners hardly believed the notice accompanying the records: "No musical instruments or mechanical devices used on this recording other than one guitar." Though the primitive audio of the era lent them a bit of latitude, the Mills Brothers indeed sounded exactly like they'd been backed by a small studio band. (It was, in essence, the flipside of early material by Duke Ellington's Orchestra, on which the plunger mutes of Bubber Miley and Tricky Sam Nanton resulted in horns sounding exactly like voices.)
The exposure continued during 1932, with appearances in the film The Big Broadcast and hits including "St. Louis Blues" and "Bugle Call Rag." John, Jr.'s sudden death in 1936 was a huge blow to the group, but father John, Sr. took over as bass singer and Bernard Addison became the group's guitarist. Still, the novelty appeared to wear off by the late '30s; despite duets with Ella Fitzgerald ("Dedicated to You") and Louis Armstrong ("Darling Nelly Gray"), the Mills Brothers' records weren't performing as well as they had earlier in the decade. All that changed in 1943 with the release of "Paper Doll," a sweet, intimate ballad that became one of the biggest hits of the decade -- 12 weeks on the top of the charts, and six million records sold (plus sheet music). The group made appearances in several movies during the early '40s, and hit number one again in 1944 with "You'll Always Hurt the One You Love."
The influence of middle of the road pop slowly crept into their material from the '40s; by the end of the decade, the Mills Brothers began recording with traditional orchestras (usually conducted by Sy Oliver, Hal McIntyre, or Sonny Burke). In 1952, "The Glow Worm" became their last number one hit. The group soldiered on during the '50s, though John, Sr. semi-permanently retired from the group in 1956. 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 exerted by early Mills Brothers records. As a trio, Herbert, Harry, and Donald continued performing on the oldies circuit until Harry's death in 1982 and Herbert's in 1988. The last surviving sibling, Donald, began performing with the third generation of the family -- his son, John II -- until his own death in 1999.
© John Bush /TiVo
Similar artists
-
Mills Blues
Jazz - Released by Music City Entertainment on 24 Jul 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Christmas Favourites
Christmas Music - Released by Good Time Records on 20 Nov 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dreaming Of Christmas
Christmas Music - Released by Reminisce Music on 13 Dec 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
St Louis Blues
Jazz - Released by Vintage Jukebox on 10 Nov 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best of The Mills Brothers
Jazz - Released by Entertain Me Ltd on 10 Jan 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
It's Christmas Night
Christmas Music - Released by All Time Records on 28 Nov 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best of The Mills Brothers
Pop - Released by Past Classics Jazz on 9 Dec 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lazybones (Original Recordings 1934)
Jazz - Released by JazzAge on 1 Jan 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tiger Rag (Original Recordings 1932 - 1934)
Jazz - Released by JazzAge on 1 Jan 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live in the 1950's from the Cave Club, Vancouver (Live)
Vocal Jazz - Released by Flyright Records on 16 Jun 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Mills Brothers (1930's) Vol 4
Vocal Jazz - Released by Classic Records on 19 Jul 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Mills Brothers Selected Favorites, Vol. 2
Vocal Jazz - Released by Charly Records on 21 Mar 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Old Fashioned Love
Vocal Jazz - Released by Vanilla OMP on 6 Dec 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The 1930's Recordings - Chronological Volume 4
Jazz - Released by JSP Records on 18 Sep 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The 1930's Recordings - Chronological Volume 5
Jazz - Released by JSP Records on 18 Sep 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Music, Maestro, Please (Mono Version)
Jazz - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Vintage Jazz Pioneers - The Mills Brothers, Vol. 1
Jazz - Released by Sleeping Giant Music on 18 Jul 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Till Then (Billboard Hot 100 - No. 08)
Vocal Jazz - Released by Music Manager on 19 Dec 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Old Fashioned Love
Pop - Released by Jukebox Entertainment on 12 May 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo