The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed The Four Mills Brothers and originally known as Four Boys and a Guitar, 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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and

traditional pop Traditional pop (also known as vocal pop or 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 black artists to have their own show on national network radio (on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

in 1930); they made appearances in film; and were the first to have a No. 1 hit on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' singles chart, with "

Paper Doll Paper dolls are figures cut out of paper or thin card, with separate clothes, also made of paper, that are usually held onto the dolls by paper folding tabs. They may be a figure of a person, animal or inanimate object. Paper dolls have been use ...

" in

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 � ...

. They were inducted into the

Vocal Group Hall of Fame The Vocal Group Hall of Fame & Museum Company Inc. was an American-based hall of fame that honored vocal groups throughout the United States. James E. Winner Jr. was the financial and managing partner of the For-profit corporation. Winner and ...

in 1998.

Early years

The Mills Brothers were born into a family of nine in

Piqua, Ohio Piqua ( ) is a city in Miami County, Ohio, United States, along the Great Miami River. The population was 20,354 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located north of Dayton, Ohio, Dayton, it is part of the Greater Dayton, Dayton metro ...

, 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. (

tenor guitar The tenor guitar or four-string guitar is a slightly smaller, four-string relative of the steel-string acoustic guitar or electric guitar. The instrument was initially developed in its acoustic form by Gibson and C.F. Martin so that players o ...

, double bass, 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 founded 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 (a cappella). The four voices are: the lead, the vocal part which typically carries t ...

called "The Four Kings of Harmony". He was the son of William Hutchinson Mills and Cecilia Simms who lived in

Bellefonte, Pennsylvania The Borough of Bellefonte is a borough in and the county seat of Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is approximately 12 miles northeast of State College and is part of the State College, Pennsylvania metropolitan statistical area. ...

. 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 ( ; ); also called a uke (informally), is a member of the lute (ancient guitar) family of instruments. The ukulele is of Portuguese origin and was popularized in Hawaii. The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and con ...

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 Rin Tin Tin or Rin-Tin-Tin (October 10, 1918 – August 10, 1932) was a male German Shepherd born in Flirey, France, who became an international star in motion pictures. He was rescued from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier, ...

features, the brothers accompanied the Harold Greenameyer Band to Cincinnati for an audition with radio station

WLW WLW (700 AM broadcasting, AM) is a commercial radio, commercial news/talk radio station city of license, licensed to Cincinnati, Ohio. Owned by iHeartMedia, WLW is a clear-channel station, often identifying itself as "The Big One". Its studios ...

. The station did not hire the band, but did hire the Mills brothers. With the help of

Seger Ellis Seger Pillot Ellis (July 4, 1904 – September 29, 1995) was an American jazz pianist and vocalist. He also made a few brief film appearances, most notably in collaboration with director Ida Lupino. Life and career He was born in Houston, Texas, ...

, a

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 piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

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 originally was spelled "OkeH" from the init ...

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

William S. Paley William Samuel Paley (September 28, 1901 – October 26, 1990) was an American businessman, primarily involved in the media, and best known as the chief executive who built the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) from a small radio network into o ...

, at CBS Radio 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 The Standard Oil Company (Ohio) was an American petroleum company that existed from 1870 to 1987. The company, known commonly as Sohio, was founded by John D. Rockefeller. It was established as one of the separate entities created after the 1911 ...

. 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 Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916. History 1916–1929 Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing ...

, the

Original Dixieland Jass Band The Original Dixieland Jass Band (ODJB) was a Dixieland jazz band that made the first jazz recordings in early 1917. Their "Livery Stable Blues" became the first jazz record ever issued. The group composed and recorded many jazz standards, the ...

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object ...

Tiger Rag "Tiger Rag" is a jazz standard that was recorded and copyrighted by the Original Dixieland Jass Band in 1917. It is one of the most recorded jazz compositions. In 2003, the 1918 recording of "Tiger Rag" was entered into the U.S. Library of Cong ...

", 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 Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

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/o ...

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

Lazy River "(Up A) Lazy River" is a popular tune and song by Hoagy Carmichael and Sidney Arodin, published in 1930. The melody is by Arodin, arranged and with words modified by Carmichael. It is considered a jazz standard and pop standard, and has ...

", "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, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

, 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 ''The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour'' (also known as ''The Rudy Vallée Show'', ''The Fleischmann Yeast Hour'', and ''The Fleischmann Hour'') was a pioneering musical variety radio program broadcast on NBC from 1929 to 1936, when it became ''The Ro ...

'' hosted by

Rudy Vallee Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch poli ...

. 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 was a Trust (business), corporate trust in the petroleum industry that existed from 1882 to 1911. The origins of the trust lay in the operations of the Standard Oil of Ohio, Standard Oil Company (Ohio), which had been founde ...

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

Crisco Crisco is an American brand of shortening that is produced by B%26G Foods. Introduced in June 1911 by Procter & Gamble, it was the first shortening to be made entirely of vegetable oil, originally cottonseed oil. Additional products marketed ...

, and

Crosley Radio Crosley Radio is an audio electronic manufacturing company headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. It is a modern incarnation of the original Crosley Corporation which existed from 1921 to 1956. Modern Marketing Concepts resurrected the Crosle ...

. 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-singer ...

'' (

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

, 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, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

Cab Calloway Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he became a popular vocalist of the Swing music, swing era. His niche ...

, 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 enabl ...

'', 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. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

, 1934), ''Operator 13'' (

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

, 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. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

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. The Mills Brothers recorded repeatedly with Louis Armstrong. The first session was in April 1937 (Decca 1245).

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 "Organ Grinder's Swing" is a song composed by Will Hudson, with lyrics credited to Mitchell Parish and Irving Mills (Mills was the publisher), published in 1936. It became associated with the Jimmie Lunceford orchestra. Hudson based the "Organ Gri ...

", and "The Song is Ended". They honored

with a swing version of his "

Caravan Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Campervan, a type of vehicle also known as a motor caravan *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Caravan (trail ...

", 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 It or IT may refer to: * It (pronoun), in English * Information technology Arts and media Film and television * It (1927 film), ''It'' (1927 film), a film starring Clara Bow * ''It! The Terror from Beyond Space'', a 1958 science fiction film * I ...

", "

Jeepers Creepers Jeepers Creepers may refer to: * "Jeepers Creepers" (song), a popular 1938 song * ''Jeepers Creepers'' (1939 live-action film), a 1939 film starring Roy Rogers * ''Jeepers Creepers'' (1939 animated film), a 1939 animated short film featuring ...

", "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 "

" 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, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

did little to decrease the Mills Brothers' popularity. "

Glow Worm Glowworm or glow-worm is the common name for various groups of insect larvae and adult larviform females that glow through bioluminescence. They include the European common glow-worm and other members of the Lampyridae, but bioluminescence also o ...

" jumped to number two on the pop charts in 1952. It was the fifth million selling record for the Mills Brothers. The track also peaked at No. 10 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1953. " Opus One", an updated version of the

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

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 cha ...

", "The Jones Boy", " Yellow Bird", " Standing on the Corner", and "

If I Had My Way If I Had My Way may refer to: *If I Had My Way, song from 1914 written by James Kendis and Lou Klein, performed by Ethel Green * Samson and Delilah (traditional song) "Samson and Delilah" is a traditional song based on the Biblical tale of Samson ...

". In 1956, John Sr., when he was 74, 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 Dot Records was an American record label founded by Randy Wood (record producer), Randy Wood and Gene Nobles that was active between 1950 and 1978. The original headquarters of Dot Records were in Gallatin, Tennessee. In its early years, Dot sp ...

, they had a hit in 1958 with a version of " Get a Job", originally recorded 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 lyric ...

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

Cab Driver A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a Driving, driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of thei ...

", written by

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

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 The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center, which is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt ...

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 National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely known for its Gramm ...

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, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

Award for

Lifetime Achievement Lifetime may refer to: * The period between one's birth and death * Life expectancy, the length of time a person is expected to remain alive Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Lifetime (band), a band from New Jersey * ''Life Time'' (Ro ...

. 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 The Platters are an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The act ...

. 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 Platters are an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The act ...

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 Vocalion Records is an American record label, originally founded by the Aeolian Company, a piano and organ manufacturer before being bought out by Brunswick in 1924. History The label was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Company, a maker of pian ...

, 1958) * ''Mmmm...The Mills Brothers'' (Dot, 1958) * ''Great Hits'' (Dot, 1958) * ''Sing'' (London, 1959) * ''Merry Christmas'' (

Dot A dot is usually a small, round spot. Dot, DoT or DOT may also refer to: Orthography * Full stop or "period", a sentence terminator * Dot (diacritic), a mark above or below a character (e.g. ȧ, ạ, İ, Ċ, ċ, etc.), usually to indicate sou ...

, 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 Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...

, 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 Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...

, 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 '' Operator 13'' is a 1934 American pre-Code romance film directed by Richard Boleslawski and starring Marion Davies, Gary Cooper, and Jean Parker. Based on stories written by Robert W. Chambers, the film is about a Union spy who impersonates ...

'' (1934) with

Marion Davies Marion Davies (born Marion Cecilia Douras; January 3, 1897 – September 22, 1961) was an American actress, producer, screenwriter, and philanthropist. Educated in a religious convent, Davies left the school to pursue a career as a chorus girl ...

and

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

* '' Strictly Dynamite'' (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 t ...

'' (1935) * '' Sing as You Swing'' (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. ...

'' (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 ''The Fight Never Ends'' is an American film with a crime fighting theme released in 1948. It was directed by Joe Lerner, with a cast that included boxer Joe Louis, Ruby Dee, The Mills Brothers, and Harrel Tillman. It was one of stage star Ruby D ...

'' (1947) * '' Daddy's Little Girl'' (1950) * ''When You're Smiling'' (1950) * ''The Mills Brothers on Parade'' (1956)

Other references

The song "

You Always Hurt the One You Love "You Always Hurt the One You Love" is a pop standard with lyrics by Allan Roberts and music by Doris Fisher. First recorded by the Mills Brothers, whose recording reached the top of the ''Billboard'' charts in 1944, it was also a hit for Sammy ...

" was featured in the 2010 video game ''

Bioshock 2 ''BioShock 2'' is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Marin and published by 2K Games. It was released worldwide for PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, Windows, and Xbox 360 on February 9, 2010; Feral Interactive released an OS X v ...

''.

References

External links

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

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mills Brothers African-American musical quartets 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 1925 establishments in Ohio