| The Mills Brothers had three permanent members. They were Herbert Mills, Harry Mills and Donald Mills. Their father was a barber who had been a successful concert singer. In the 1920's the brothers were performing in local vaudeville singing in close harmony and imitating saxophones, trumpets, trombones and bass. Before they moved to New York in 1930 they had their own show on Cincinnati radio. Signing with Brunswick Records they recorded their first hit, 'Tiger Rag' in 1931 and they also sang this in the following year's movie, 'The Big Broadcast', featuring Bing Crosby and many other stars. They appeared in several other musical movies such as 'Twenty Million Sweethearts' (1934), 'Broadway Gondolier' (1935) 'Reveille With Beverly' (1943), 'Rhythm Parade' (1943), 'Cowboy Canteen' (1944) and 'When You're Smiling' (1950).
Bing Crosby featured in several of the brother's recordings in the early 1930's including 'Dinah', 'Can't We Talk It Over', 'Shine' and 'Gems From George White's Scandals'. Other hits of that decade included 'You Rascal, You', 'I Heard', 'Good-Bye, Blues', 'Rockin' Chair', 'St. Louis Blues', 'Sweet Sue', 'Bugle Call Rag', 'It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)', 'Swing It Sister', 'Sleepy Head' and 'Sixty Seconds Together'. |
