MS-049

MS-49

 

MILLS BROTHERS COLLECTION

 

INTRODUCTION

 

This collection contains materials relating to the Mills Brothers singing group, Piqua natives who began their internationally famous careers here in 1920’s Piqua singing in their father’s barbershop.  After appearing on Cincinnati’s WLW radio station in the late 1920’s,  the Mills Brothers moved on to the New York broadcasting business. 

 

Their first hit was “Tiger Rag” in 1931.  Other hits included “Paper Doll,” “You Always Hurt the One You Love,” “Glow Worm,” and “Cab Driver.”  They were the first African-American singing group to have a commercially sponsored radio show.  Their career spanned over fifty years and 2,000 recordings.  The Mills Brothers contributions to the evolution of American popular music are myriad.

 

The collection includes LP’s, sheet music, photographs, newspaper clippings, and materials relating to the 1990 dedication of the Mills Brothers Memorial in downtown Piqua in June, 1990.

 

This collection consists of 3 series stored in 6 boxes with 81 individual folders.  The collection was accessioned into the Flesh Public Library Archives in July, 1998.  There are no restrictions on its use.

 

SCOPE AND CONTENTS

 

Series I:  1990 Mills Brothers Memorial Dedication

Covers materials relating to the June 1990 Memorial dedication in Piqua.

 

Series II:  LP’s

Houses the Archive’s collection of Mills Brothers LP’s.

 

Series III:  Sheet Music

Includes the Archive’s collection of Mills Brothers sheet music.

 

CONTAINER LISTING

 

Box 1

Series I:  1990 Mills Brothers Memorial Dedication

 

File 1: Committee Meeting: Minutes, Agendas, Lists

File 2: Press Releases

File 3: Fundraising

File 4: Contributors

File 5: Correspondence

File 6: Budget/Treasurer’s Reports –Invoices

File 7: Itinerary/Schedule: June 14, 1990

File 8: Guest List/Attendance Lists

File 9: General Artist Corporation Material

File 10: Research Materials

File 11: State College magazine, 1990

File 12: Photographs

 

Box 2

Series I: 1990 Mills Brothers Memorial Dedication

 

File 1: Newspaper Clippings

File 2: Posters

File 3: Invitations & Programs

File 4: 1991 Concert: Posters, Programs, etc.

File 5: Radio Digest –November, 1932

File 6: Radio Stars album: 1932, Dell Pub. –Mills Brothers, p. 50

File 7: Poster: The Big Beat

File 8: Photography

File 9: Programs: Florentine Gardens

File 10: Programs, Louisville’s Club Material

File 11: Commemorative Coin Die

File 12: Tapes (2)

 

Box 3

Sheet Music

 

File 1: The Tones Boy

File 2: Say Si Si

File 3: Let Me Dream

File 4: I’ll Be Around

File 5: Paper Doll

File 6: Don’t Be a Baby, Baby

File 7: On a Chinese Honeymoon

File 8: Glowworm

File 10: Too Many Irons in the Fire

File 11: The Big Broadcast: Please

File 13: Fairy Tales

File 15: I’m Afraid to LoveYou

File 16: Across the Alley from the Alamo

File 19: Put Another Chair at the Table

File 20: AfterAll

File 21: Till Then

File 24: Sally Sunshine

File 25: After You

File 26: The Ol’ Race Track

File 27: I Ran All the Way Home

File 28: My Shy Violet

File 29: Daddy’s Little Boy

File 30: Goodbye Blues (2)

File 31: I Gotta Have My Baby Back

File 32: Cab Driver

File 33: 16 MM. film

 

Box 4

Series III: LP’s

 

A Donut and a Dream

The Sound of Great Entertainment

14-Karat Gold

Lazy River (2)/How Blue?

Country Music & Greatest Hits

Four Boys and a Guitar (2)

The Board of Directors

Till Then

Merry Christmas (2)

Great Hawaiian Hits (2)

The Music Makers

San Antonio Rose

Famous Barber Shop Ballads Volume I

Famous Barber Shop Ballads Volume II

The Mills Brothers Songs You Love to Remember

Our Golden Favorites

The Best of the Mills Brothers

Dream

 

Box 5

Series III: LP’s

 

Mills Brothers Souvenir Album

Gems

The Best of the Mills Brothers

The Best of the Mills Brothers

Golden Favorites Vol. 2

My Shy Violet

These Are the Mills Brothers

Fortuosity (2)

The Music of your Life

 

Series I: 1990 Dedication

 

Box 1

File

 

1 Mills Brothers Committee Minutes, Agendas

Includes minutes of meetings from January 10, 1990 to August 2, 1990, which totaled 13 meetings covering event planning and monument design.  Committee membership lists are also included in this file.

 

2 Press Releases

File contains all press releases generated by the Mills Brothers Memorial Committee related to the 1990 dedication.  Dates range from February 14, 1990 to June 6, 1990.

 

3 Fund Raising

Mills Brothers Medallion sales, “News or Lose” board game, and the fund raising dance held at the Piqua Elks Club were all dedicated to raising funds for the Memorial.  Letters, press releases, tickets, and advertisements are in this file.

 

4 Contributors

This file contains copies of all contributors’ checks to the Mills Brothers Memorial.

 

5 Committee Correspondence

Contains all correspondence related to the 1990 Dedication.  Includes letters inviting press and politicians, letters declining to attend, and thank you notes and letters for the 1990 Dedication.

 

6 Treasurer’s Report/Budget

This file consists of budget reports, medallion sales lists, lists of donors, expenditure reports, and invoices for the 1990 Dedication event.  Included are plans and billing for the monument and travel costs for Don Mills.

 

7 Itinerary/Schedule

Details of the June 1-4, 1990 travel itinerary for Don Mills, schedule of events for the Dedication.

 

8 Lists

This file includes the invitation list for the Dedication, addresses and names of attendees, and copies of the original guest book pages.

 

9 General Artist Corporation

Don Mills’ agency, General Artists Corp. materials including correspondence with the Committee regarding event planning, details of travel costs, and a performance contract and stage plot.

 

10 Research Materials

This file has all research materials assembled by the Committee for Mills Brothers history.  It includes a copy of a 1915 playbill with the Four Kings of Harmony, and a listing of the Mills’ homes in Piqua from 1910 to 1928.

 

11 State College Magazine

This magazine, from February 1990, includes a four page article on the history of the Mills Brothers and their family titled Bellefonte and the Mills Brothers.

 

12 Photographs

Includes 8x10 black and white publicity stills of the Mills Brothers as well as color snapshots of the 1990 Dedication events.

 

Box 2

File

 

1 Newspaper Clippings

This file contains assorted newspaper clippings from various newspapers concerning the Mills Brothers.  The majority date from 1990 and cover the Piqua Memorial Dedication.

 

2 Posters

Contains several copies of the posters advertising the June 3, 1990 Dedication.

 

3 Invitations and Programs

Includes invitations to the Dedication reception on June 2, 1990, public dedication programs for June 3, 1990, and a program for the June 3, 1990 service at the Cyrene A.M.E. Church in Piqua.

 

4 1991 Concert

Contains original layout for the Don and John Mills Concert programs, programs themselves, and posters advertising the May 8, 1991 Concert at Lehman High School.

 

5 Radio Digest, November 1932

Has an article with the Mills Brothers entitled “Radio’s Dark Town Harmonizers” -pp. 22 & 23, includes pictures.

 

6 Radio Stars Album

c. 1932, Dell Publishing –article on the Mills Brothers, p. 50.

 

7 Telegram c. 1930 –Greenameyer request for a show by the Mills Brothers.

 

Series II –Mills Brothers LP’s

 

14 Karat Gold

Pickwick Records

 

Lazy River

Pickwick Records

 

The Best of the Mills Brothers

MCA Records

 

Such Sweet Singin’

Decca

 

The Mills Brothers and Country Music’s Greatest Hits

1975, Ranwood Records

 

Golden Favorites, Vol. II

MCA Records

 

My Shy Violet

1968, Dot Records

 

Series II –Mills Brothers LP’s

Box 3

 

Merry Christmas              You Always Hurt the One You Love*

1959, Dot Records          *33

 

Fortuosity (2 copies)

1968, Dot Records

 

Four Boys and a Guitar

1972, GNP Crescendo Records, Inc.

 

Today!

Dot Records

 

These Are the Mills Brothers

1966, Dot Records

 

The Music of Your Life

1983, CBS, Inc.

 

Count Basie & the Mills Brothers

1968, Dot Records

 

Dream a Little Dream of Me

Pickwick Records

 

Gems by the Mills Brothers

1964, Dot Records

 

Great Hits

Dot Records

 

In a Mellow Tone

Decca

 

All of the above have album covers.

 

Famous Barbershop Ballads, Vol. II*

Decca Records

 

Series III –Sheet Music of the Mills Brothers

Box 4

 

File

1    The Jones Boy

By Mann Curtis and Vic Mizzy

c. 1953, George Pincus Music Corp.

2    Say” Si Si”

By Ernesto Lecuona

Edward Marks Music Corp.

3    Let Me Dream

By Norman Brown and Ballard Edwards

Famous Music Corp.

4    I’ll Be Around

By Alec Wilder

c. 1943, Edwin H. Morris and Co.

5    Paper Doll

By Johnny Black

Edward B. Marks Music Corp.

6    Don’t Be a Baby, Baby

By Buddy Kaye and Howard Steiner

c. 1946, Triangle Music Corp.

7    On a Chinese Honeymoon

c. 1943, Leeds Music Corp.

8    Glow Worm

c. 1952, Edward B. Marks Music

9    Daddy’s Little Boy

c. 1947, Beacon Music Co.

10  Too Many Irons in the Fire

Edward b. Marks Music

11  Please

The Big Broadcast

c. 1930’s, Famous Music Corp.

12  How’m I Doin?

c. 1932, Mills Music

13  Fairy Tales

c.  1949, Miller Music Corp.

14  Straight Down the Middle

Famous Music Corp.

15  I’m Afraid to Love You

c. 1947, Bob Stephens, Inc.

16  Across the Alley From the Alamo

c. 1947, Leslie Music Corp.

17  Goodbye Blues

c. 1932, Robbins Music Corp.     

18  Fair and Warmer

c. 1930’s, M. Witmark and Sons

19  Put Another Chair at the Table

c. 1945, Leeds Music Corp.

20  After All

c. 1951, George Paxton, Inc.

21  Till Then

c. 1944, Sun Music Co., Inc.

22  I Gotta Have My Baby Back

c. 1949, Peer International Co.

23  Cab Driver

c. 1963, Black Hawk Music Co.

24  Sally Sunshine

c. 1972, Gil Music Corp.

25  After You

c. 1947, Barton Music Corp.

26  The Ol’ Race Track

c. 1968, Notable Music Co.

27  I Ran All the Way Home

c. 1951, Laurel Music Corp.

28  My Shy Violet

c. 1968, George Pincus & Sons Music Corp.

 

8-track tape: The Very Best of the Mills Brothers

c. 1977, GRT Music

 

8-track tape: Memories Nice and Easy

2 pack

c. 1979, The Reader’s Digest Association

 

VHS tape: Mills Brothers Memorial Documentary

c. 1990, Classic Video

 

Compact Disk: Still…There’s You

c. 1995, JHM Enterprises

 

16 MM film

 

Mills Brothers Home - Corner of Greene and Spring Streets

Mills Brothers Home - Corner of Greene and Spring Streets.