Frank Mills facts for kids

Frank Mills, born on June 27, 1942, is a Canadian pianist. He is famous for his instrumental song "Music Box Dancer." This song became a big hit around the world.

Frank Mills: A Canadian Pianist

Growing Up and Learning Music

Frank Mills was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He grew up in Verdun, Quebec. He started playing the piano when he was only three years old. His family loved music. His mother played piano, and his father was a singer.

When Frank was 17, both of his parents had passed away. He later went to McGill University for five years. He first studied engineering there. But he soon changed his studies to music. He would play songs for his friends, from old-style ragtime to new songs by Bob Dylan. The piano at his school had thumbtacks on its hammers. This made a very special sound.

Starting His Music Career

In the late 1960s, Frank Mills joined a music group called The Bells. He left the band in 1971. Soon after he left, the band had a big international hit song.

Frank then worked as a pianist for CBC Television. He also recorded his first solo album. It was called Seven of My Songs. From this album, he had a hit song called "Love Me, Love Me Love." This song became number one in Canada in 1972. It also reached number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

The Story of "Music Box Dancer"

In 1974, Frank Mills released an album that included "Music Box Dancer." But at first, this song was not a hit. In 1978, he signed a new deal with Polydor Records Canada. The record company released a new song as a single. "Music Box Dancer" was put on the other side of the record.

This record was sent to easy listening radio stations. But by mistake, a copy went to a pop music station in Ottawa. The radio director played the main song and was confused. So, he played "Music Box Dancer" to check the record. He loved it and started playing it on his station. This made the song a big hit in Canada. The album then sold very well in Canada. This led Polydor in the US to release the album and single there too.

"Music Box Dancer" Becomes a Global Hit

In Nashville, a TV producer named Bob Parker started playing "Music Box Dancer" on his news show. He played it during the closing credits. Soon, radio DJs in Nashville began playing the song a lot. Both the song and the album became huge hits.

In the spring of 1979, the song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also reached number four on the Billboard Easy Listening chart. The album reached number 21 on the Billboard Top Album chart. Both the single and the album sold over a million copies.

"Music Box Dancer" was Frank Mills' only top-40 pop hit in the US. His next song, "Peter Piper," reached number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100. But it was a top-10 hit on the Adult Contemporary chart. He had one more song, "Happy Song," that reached number 41 in 1981.

Awards and Later Career

Frank Mills won two Juno Awards in 1980. He won for "Composer of the Year" and "Instrumental Artist of the Year" for his song "Peter Piper." He won "Instrumental Artist of the Year" again in 1981.

He continued to release albums until the early 1990s. In 2010, he went on a Christmas tour with Canadian singer Rita MacNeil. They toured together again in 2012.

Music in Movies and TV Shows

"Music Box Dancer" was used as the theme song for a TV show in Los Angeles. This show was called 2 on the Town from 1979 to the early 1980s.

The song has also been heard in an episode of The Simpsons. It was also used in the Kill Bill movies. The BBC2 golf show, Around with Alliss, used it as its theme song. Other Frank Mills songs were also used on BBC TV channels in the 1970s and 1980s.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Frank Mills appeared on the annual Telemiracle telethons. These shows were broadcast from Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan.

See also

In Spanish: Frank Mills para niños