Mitch Miller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mitch Miller
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Miller with dancers from Sing Along with Mitch, 1961
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mitchell William Miller |
| Born | July 4, 1911 Rochester, New York, U.S. |
| Died | July 31, 2010 (aged 99) New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Choral, traditional pop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, conductor, record producer, record company executive |
| Instruments | English horn, oboe, vocals |
| Years active | 1928–2005 |
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Mitchell William Miller (born July 4, 1911 – died July 31, 2010) was an American musician, singer, and conductor. He was also a very important person in the music industry. Mitch Miller was known for being a conductor and a record producer. He helped decide which songs and artists would become popular.
Miller was one of the most influential people in American popular music during the 1950s and early 1960s. He worked as the head of A&R (Artists and Repertoire) at Columbia Records. He also became a best-selling recording artist himself. Later, he even had his own NBC television show called Sing Along with Mitch.
Mitch Miller studied music at the Eastman School of Music. He started his career playing the oboe and English horn. He made many well-known classical and pop recordings.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Mitchell William Miller was born in Rochester, New York. His birthday was July 4, 1911. His mother, Hinda Miller, used to be a seamstress. His father, Abram Miller, was a worker who came from Russia. Mitch had four brothers and sisters.
Playing the Oboe and English Horn
Mitch Miller started playing the oboe when he was a teenager. He chose it because it was the only instrument left for his junior high school orchestra tryout. After high school, he went to the Eastman School of Music. There, he became good friends with Goddard Lieberson. Goddard later became the President of CBS music.
After college, Miller played with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Then he moved to New York City. He played with many famous musicians like George Gershwin and Charlie Parker. He even worked with Frank Sinatra on a recording in 1946.
Miller also played the English horn in a famous recording. It was for Dvořák's New World Symphony in 1947. He also performed with the CBS Symphony Orchestra. In 1938, he played music for Orson Welles's famous radio show, The War of the Worlds.
Mitch Miller: The Music Boss
Mitch Miller became a very important person behind the scenes in music. He joined Mercury Records as a classical music producer. Then, in 1950, he moved to Columbia Records. At Columbia, he became the head of Artists and Repertoire (A&R).
What an A&R Executive Does
Being an A&R executive was a big job. This person decided which musicians and songs a record company would record. They also decided which songs would be promoted and become popular. Mitch Miller helped shape the sound of Columbia Records in the 1950s and early 1960s.
He signed and produced many popular artists for Columbia. These included Johnnie Ray, Tony Bennett, and Johnny Mathis. He also helped guide the careers of artists already with the label, like Doris Day. Miller even discovered Aretha Franklin and signed her first big recording contract.
His View on Rock 'n' Roll
Mitch Miller was not a fan of rock 'n' roll music. He once said that rock 'n' roll was "musical baby food." He believed it was about being average and fitting in. Because of his views, he didn't sign artists like Elvis Presley or The Beatles. These artists later became huge stars for other record companies.
However, in 1958, he did sign Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. These artists were also popular around the same time as Elvis. Even though he didn't like rock 'n' roll, Miller sometimes produced songs for Columbia artists that had a rock sound.
Mitch Miller: The Hit Maker
As a record producer, Miller was known for being creative. He helped create many songs that became big hits. However, some people thought his music was too cheerful or used too many tricks. For example, he produced songs like "Come On-a My House" for Rosemary Clooney.
Some artists, like Frank Sinatra, didn't always like Miller's ideas. Sinatra felt forced to record certain songs. But Columbia Records had many hit songs during the 1950s thanks to Miller.
Recording Artist: Mitch Miller and the Gang
In the early 1950s, Mitch Miller started recording with Columbia's house band. They were called "Mitchell Miller and His Orchestra." He also formed "Mitch Miller and the Gang" in 1950. This group featured a male chorus and Miller's special musical arrangements.
Mitch Miller and the Gang had many hit songs. These included "Tzena, Tzena, Tzena" and "The Yellow Rose of Texas". "The Yellow Rose of Texas" was a number one hit in the U.S. and sold over a million copies! Another popular song was "The Children's Marching Song".
In 1958, Miller's medley of marches from the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai was very popular. It stayed on the Billboard pop charts for 29 weeks! Miller also recorded children's music for the Golden Records label.
Sing Along with Mitch TV Show
Mitch Miller became even more famous with his TV show, Sing Along with Mitch. It started as a special episode in 1960. Then, in 1961, it became a weekly show on NBC. It was a community sing-along program. Mitch Miller hosted it with a male chorus.
The show was like Miller's popular "Sing Along with Mitch" record albums. To help viewers sing along, the lyrics appeared at the bottom of the TV screen. Many people remember a "bouncing ball" that followed the words. However, Miller said this was something people remembered from old movie theater sing-alongs.
The show featured singers like Leslie Uggams. One of the tenors in Miller's chorus was Bob McGrath. He later became a very well-known cast member on the children's show Sesame Street. Famous guests like George Burns and Shirley Temple also appeared on the show. Sometimes, other celebrities like Johnny Carson would even hide in the chorus!
The TV show's popularity led to more "Sing Along with Mitch" record albums. These albums came with lyric sheets so people could sing along at home. The TV show ran from 1961 to 1964. It ended because musical tastes were changing, and the show's main audience was older.
After leaving Columbia Records in 1965, Miller continued to lead sing-alongs. He often led crowds in song at special events, especially Christmas carols in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He also appeared on PBS TV specials and conducted the Boston Pops Orchestra many times.
Mitch Miller's Conducting Style
Mitch Miller had a unique way of conducting on TV. At first, he conducted like a normal choirmaster, with his arms out wide. But the TV director told him his arms were out of the camera's view. So, Miller had to pull his arms closer to his body. He ended up with a jerky, restricted conducting style that he used for the whole show.
This unique style led to many funny parodies. Comedians like Steve Allen and Stan Freberg made fun of his conducting. Even cartoon shows like The Flintstones had spoofs of Sing Along with Mitch.
Personal Life
Mitch Miller was married for 65 years to Frances Alexander. She passed away in 2000. They had two daughters and one son. His son, Mike Miller Jr., is a respected illustrator of children's books.
Mitch Miller lived in New York City for many years. He passed away on July 31, 2010, after a short illness. He was 99 years old.
Awards and Honors
- Mitch Miller received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. This award honors musicians who have made lasting contributions to music.
- He was also honored by the Barbershop Harmony Society in 1985.
- In 2013, he was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame.
Discography
Singles
| Year | Title | Charts | |
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| US | UK | ||
| 1950 | "Tzena, Tzena, Tzena" | 3 | 1 |
| 1955 | "The Yellow Rose of Texas" | 1 | 2 |
| 1956 | "Song for a Summer Night" | 8 | |
| 1958 | "March from the River Kwai" and "Colonel Bogey"" (medley) | 20 | |
| 1959 | "The Children's Marching Song" (also known as "This Old Man") | ||
| 1959 | "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" | ||
Albums
As 'Mitch Miller and the Gang':
- Sing Along with Mitch (album) (Columbia, 1958)
- Christmas Sing Along with Mitch (Columbia, 1958) (Billboard: Best-selling Christmas album, 1958, 1959, 1960)
- More Sing Along with Mitch (Columbia, 1958)
- Still More! Sing Along with Mitch (Columbia, 1959)
- Folk Songs Sing Along with Mitch (Columbia, 1959)
- Party Sing Along with Mitch (Columbia, 1959)
- Fireside Sing Along with Mitch (Columbia, 1959)
- Saturday Night Sing Along with Mitch (Columbia, 1960)
- Sentimental Sing Along with Mitch (Columbia, 1960)
- March Along with Mitch (Columbia, 1960)
- Memories Sing Along with Mitch (Columbia, 1960)
- Mitch's Greatest Hits (Columbia, 1961)
- Happy Times! Sing Along with Mitch (Columbia, 1961)
- TV Sing Along with Mitch (Columbia, 1961)
- Your Request Sing Along with Mitch (Columbia, 1961)
- Holiday Sing Along with Mitch (Columbia, 1961)
- Rhythm Sing Along with Mitch (Columbia, 1962)
- Peace Sing Along (Atlantic, 1970)
As 'Mitch Miller and the Sing Along Chorus':
- Golden Harvest Sing Along (Columbia, 1961)
