Millie Kirkham (born Mildred Eakes; June 24, 1923 – December 14, 2014) was an American singer who was featured on many classic hit recordings from the mid-1950s through the 1980s.

Early life

Kirkham was born Mildred Eakes in

Hermitage, Tennessee Hermitage, Tennessee, is a neighborhood, located in eastern Davidson County, adjacent to – and named in honor of – The Hermitage, the historic home of Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States. Although the area is incorporated ...

. She performed in high school bands in the early 1940s before graduating to session work. Millie was known as the "Nashville soprano" on numerous hit records and became affectionately known as the fifth member of the Jordanaires. She worked with Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, Brenda Lee, Eddie Arnold, Elvis Presley, and George Jones ("He Stopped Loving Her Today"). Millie first became noticed in 1957 on Ferlin Husky's #1 country and #4 cross-over hit recording of "Gone", in which Millie sang the angelic background harmony. Elvis asked the Jordanaires, "Who is that lady that sang on 'Gone'?", to which the Jordanaires replied, "That's Millie, Millie Kirkham." They called her and she accepted. It was Elvis Presley's 1957 recording of " Blue Christmas" that catapulted Millie to icon status. She was six months pregnant, which was unknown to Elvis, and immediately upon her arrival Elvis said: "someone please get that lady a chair". Their relationship, which included a mutual friendship and love of music, continued for a period of fifteen years and was showcased as part of the highly acclaimed 1970 documentary ''Elvis, That's The Way It Is''. When Millie left, she was replaced by Kathy Westmoreland. Her soprano was heard on many of

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

's recordings such as "My Wish Came True", " The Wonder Of You", "

Surrender Surrender may refer to: * Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy * Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power Film and television * ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...

", "

How Great Thou Art "How Great Thou Art" is a Christian hymn based on an original Swedish hymn entitled "" written in 1885 by Carl Boberg (1859–1940). The English version of the hymn and its title are a loose translation by the English missionary Stuart K. Hine ...

", " Polk Salad Annie", " Bridge Over Troubled Water", " Don't", " Just Pretend", "

(You're the) Devil in Disguise "(You're the) Devil in Disguise" is a 1963 single by Elvis Presley which was written by Bill Giant, Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye. It was published by Elvis Presley Music in June 1963. The song peaked at No. 3 in the US on the ''Billboard' ...

", " C.C. Rider", “

Suspicious Minds "Suspicious Minds" is a 1968 song written and first recorded by American songwriter Mark James. After this recording failed commercially, it was cut by Elvis Presley with producer Chips Moman, becoming a No. 1 song in 1969, and one of the most ...

” and many others. She also sang with Elvis on many of his movie soundtracks and performed with him on stage in the 1970 documentary, '' Elvis: That's the Way It Is'' in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

. Along with

Sonny James Jimmie Hugh Loden (May 1, 1928February 22, 2016), known professionally as Sonny James, was an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, " Young Love", topping both of the early versions of today's ''Billboard'' ...

vocal group, The Southern Gentlemen, Millie was a staple on his recordings. Sonny had an unprecedented string of 16 #1 singles in a row and Millie was on a good number of them. She particularly stood out on his hit recordings of "Running Bear", "Take Good Care of Her", "Heaven Says Hello" and "It's Just a Matter of Time". A longtime fixture in the music community, her credits include numerous radio and television appearances, collaborations with the Jordanaires and the

Anita Kerr Singers Anita Jean Kerr (née Grilli, October 13, 1927 – October 10, 2022) was an American singer, arranger, composer, conductor, pianist, and music producer. She recorded and performed with her vocal harmony groups in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Euro ...

along with her countless recording sessions in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, Las Vegas and Nashville. In February 2008 she appeared in "Nashville celebrates Elvis at the Ryman" alongside George Klein (Emcee),

Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...

, David Briggs,

Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman of the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist ...

Amy Grant Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She began in contemporary Christian music (CCM) before crossing over to pop music in the 1980s and 1990s. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christia ...

Wanda Jackson Wanda LaVonne Jackson (born October 20, 1937) is an American singer and songwriter. Since the 1950s, she has recorded and released music in the genres of rock, country and gospel. She was among the first women to have a career in rock and roll, ...

Wynonna Judd Wynonna Ellen Judd or simply Wynonna ( ; born Christina Claire Ciminella; May 30, 1964) is an American country music singer. She is one of the most widely recognized and awarded female country singers. In all, she has had 19 No. 1 singles, incl ...

, Ray Walker of the Jordanaires,

Ronnie McDowell Ronald Dean McDowell Sr. (born March 25, 1950) is an American country music artist, songwriter, and actor. He is best known for his 1977 song "The King Is Gone", a tribute to Elvis Presley, who had recently died. From that single onward, McDowell ...

, TG Sheppard,

BJ Thomas Billy Joe Thomas (August 7, 1942 – May 29, 2021) was an American singer widely known for his pop, country and Christian hits of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Popular songs by Thomas include "Hooked on a Feeling" (1968), "Raindrops Keep Fallin' ...

and former members of J.D. Sumner & the Stamps.

Personal life and death

Kirkham married drummer Doug Kirkham. He died in 1986. She died on December 14, 2014, at the age of 91 in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

following a stroke earlier in the week.Notice of death of Millie Kirkham
tennessean.com; accessed December 16, 2014.

Partial discography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kirkham, Millie 1923 births 2014 deaths American women singers American session musicians American sopranos Singers from Nashville, Tennessee People from Hermitage, Tennessee 21st-century American women