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.