McKinley James Millet, Jr. (October 25, 1935 – June 29, 1997)
was an American
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
pianist, bass player, singer and songwriter, best known for co-writing and first performing the songs "
Rich Woman" and "All Around the World" with his group, Li'l Millet and His Creoles.
Life and career
He was born in
, Louisiana. At the age of 10, he played in a band with his brothers, performing pop hits of the day. By about 1952, he had joined the Hawkettes, but left before they recorded, being replaced in the group by
Art Neville
Arthur Lanon Neville Jr. (December 17, 1937 – July 22, 2019) was an American singer, songwriter and keyboardist from New Orleans.
Neville was a staple of the New Orleans music scene for over five decades. He was the founder of the funk band ...
. He then formed his own band, Li'l Millet and His Creoles, who played clubs in Louisiana and Mississippi. The band comprised Millet (vocals, bass), Edgar Myles (vocals, trombone),
Lee Allen (tenor sax), Ernest Mare (guitar), Bartholomew Smith (drums), James Victor Lewis (tenor sax) and Warren Myles (piano). They were heard playing at a club in
Thibodaux, Louisiana
Thibodaux ( ) is a city in, and the parish seat of, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 15,948 at the 2020 census. Thibodaux is a principal city ...
by
Bumps Blackwell
A bumps race is a form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each crew attempting to catch and ‘bump’ the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind.
The form is mainly used in intercollegia ...
of
Specialty Records
Specialty Records was an American record label founded in Los Angeles in 1945 by Art Rupe. It was known for rhythm and blues, gospel, and early rock and roll, and recorded artists such as Little Richard, Guitar Slim, Percy Mayfield, and Lloyd Pr ...
, who signed them to a contract and first recorded them at
Cosimo Matassa's J&M Studios in September 1955.
Their first single, "Rich Woman" / "Hopeless Love", was released in November 1955. "Rich Woman" was co-written by Millet with
Dorothy LaBostrie
Dorothy LaBostrie (May 28, 1928 – November 4, 2007), later Dorothy LaBostrie Black, was an American songwriter, best known for co-writing Little Richard's 1955 hit "Tutti Frutti".
Early life and songwriting career
She was born in Rayland ...
, and was later recorded by
Canned Heat
Canned Heat is an American band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1965. The group is noted for its efforts to promote interest in blues music and its original artists and rock music. It was founded by two blues enthusiasts Alan Wilson and Bob ...
,
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
The Fabulous Thunderbirds are an American blues band formed in 1974.
Career
After performing for several years in the Austin, Texas blues scene, the band won a recording contract with Takoma/Chrysalis Records and later signed with Epic Recor ...
, and
Robert Plant &
Alison Krauss
Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed with ...
, for whom it won the 2009
Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
Millet recorded again in 1956, but the results were unissued until the 1980s or later. He also worked as a songwriter, co-writing "All Around the World", which was recorded by
Little Richard as the
B-side of his 1956 hit "
The Girl Can't Help It
''The Girl Can't Help It'' is a 1956 American musical comedy film starring Jayne Mansfield in the titular role, Tom Ewell, Edmond O'Brien, Henry Jones, and Julie London. The picture was produced and directed by Frank Tashlin, with a screenpl ...
".
[ Millet's demo version of the song was unissued until 1993.
Li'l Millet and His Creoles continued to perform locally until the 1980s. After the dissolution of his band, Millet worked as a bus driver in the 1990s and played a few charity events. He died of cancer in 1997.][Jeff Hannusch, ''The Soul of New Orleans: A Legacy of Rhythm and Blues'', Swallow Publications, Ville Platte 2001, , pp. 74–76]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Millet, Lil
1935 births
1997 deaths
Rhythm and blues musicians from New Orleans
Specialty Records artists
20th-century American musicians