Donald F. Mills
Birth: Apr. 29, 1915
Piqua
Miami County
Ohio, USA
Death: Nov. 13, 1999
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
California, USA
Singer. Born in Piqua, Ohio, he was the last surviving member of the legendary vocal group, The Mills Brothers. He first stepped onto the stage at the age of 7 with his three older brothers and they recorded their first hit Tiger Rag (1928) which became the first million-selling disc by a vocal group. The group had it's own national radio show at CBS Radio New York, in the 1930s and was the first African American group to give a command performance before British royalty in 1934. The group is estimated to have sold more than 50 million records with hits to include "Glow Worm", "Lazy River", "Paper Doll", "Cab Driver", "Basin Street Blues" and "Paper Doll" alone selling six million copies in its first release. They also recorded with Al Jolson, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald and the bands of Duke Ellington and Count Basie. He with his brothers John, Herbert and Harry, retired in the early 1980s. For their contributions to the music industry, Donald Mills was presented a Grammy Award for Life Achievement in 1998 and was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame that same year. Donald died of pneumonia in Los Angeles, California. (bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith)
Family links:
Parents:
John Hutchinson Mills (1889 - 1967)
Eathel Mills Garnes (1890 - 1962)
Spouse:
Sylvia Mills (1915 - 1988)
Siblings:
Dorothea C. Mills Hamilton (1909 - 1987)*
John C. Mills (1910 - 1936)*
Herbert Mills (1912 - 1989)*
Harry Mills (1913 - 1982)*
Donald F. Mills (1915 - 1999)
*Calculated relationship
Burial:
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
California, USA
Plot: Court of Remembrance, Columbarium of Radiant Dawn
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Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Jan 17, 2000
Find A Grave Memorial# 8187
