Stephanie Mills facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stephanie Mills
Mills for the 2020 United States Census
Born	(1957-03-22) March 22, 1957 (age 68) Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Singer songwriter actress
Years active	1966–present
Spouse(s)	Jeffrey Daniel ​ ​ (m. 1980; div. 1983)​ Dino Meminger ​ ​ (m. 1989; div. 1991)​ Michael Saunders ​ ​ (m. 1993; div. 2001)​
Children	1
Musical career
Genres	Soul gospel pop disco dance R&B
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	ABC Records Motown 20th Century Casablanca MCA GospoCentric LightYear Expansion Records

Stephanie Dorthea Mills (born March 22, 1957) is a talented American singer, songwriter, and actress. She became famous for playing Dorothy Gale in the original Broadway musical The Wiz. This show won seven Tony Awards and ran from 1974 to 1979. The song "Home" from The Wiz became a number one hit on the U.S. R&B charts and is now her signature song.

Throughout the 1980s, Stephanie Mills had five number one R&B hits. These included "Home", "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love", "I Feel Good All Over", "(You're Puttin') A Rush on Me", and "Something in the Way (You Make Me Feel)". In 1981, she won a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for her song "Never Knew Love Like This Before". Her albums What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin, Sweet Sensation, and Stephanie all sold enough copies to be certified gold or platinum. These successful albums were released through 20th Century Fox Records. In 2025, Billboard magazine recognized her as one of the "75 Best R&B Singers of All Time".

Early Life and Beginnings

Stephanie Mills was born to Joseph and Christine Mills. She grew up in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, a neighborhood in New York. As a child, she was raised Baptist and sang gospel music. She often performed at Brooklyn's Cornerstone Baptist Church.

A Star's Journey: Career Highlights

Stephanie Mills started her professional career when she was just nine years old. Her first role was in the Broadway musical Maggie Flynn. When she was eleven, she won the Amateur Night competition at the famous Apollo Theater six weeks in a row! This led to her becoming the opening act for the popular music group, the Isley Brothers.

First Steps in Music

In 1973, Mills signed with Paramount Records. Her first single, "I Knew It Was Love," was released. Later, she signed with Motown, a very famous record label. However, her first two albums with Motown did not produce any big hits, so she left the label in 1976.

Becoming Dorothy in The Wiz

Stephanie's career truly took off when she played Dorothy in the Broadway musical The Wiz. This show was an African-American version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The song "Home" was first sung by Mills in this stage production. It later became a hit when Diana Ross covered it for the movie version three years later.

Finding Her Sound: Disco and R&B Success

Even after The Wiz, it took a little while for Mills to find major success in the music industry. This changed in 1979 when she signed with 20th Century Fox Records. Here, she found her perfect style, mostly in disco music. She recorded popular songs like "Put Your Body In It", "You Can Get Over", and "What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin'". Her album, What Cha' Gonna Do with My Lovin', became her first gold record.

She quickly followed this success with her 1980 album, Sweet Sensation. This album featured her huge hit "Never Knew Love Like This Before". This song reached number 12 on the R&B charts and number 6 on the Pop charts in 1980. It also became a top 4 hit in the UK Singles Chart. In 1981, her album Stephanie included a popular duet with Teddy Pendergrass called "Two Hearts".

More Hits and a Return to Stage

Her 1983 album, Merciless, featured her popular cover of Prince's "How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore?". It also had the dance chart hit "Pilot Error". In 1984, Mills had another UK hit with "The Medicine Song". This song also reached number one on the U.S. dance chart and number 8 on the R&B chart. On May 24, 1984, Mills returned to the theater to star in a short tour of The Wiz.

In 1985, Stephanie Mills' song "Bit by Bit (Theme from Fletch)" was featured in the Chevy Chase film, Fletch.

Continued Success in the Late 80s

Mills' success reached new heights in 1986. Her version of "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love", written by Angela Winbush, became a number one hit on the R&B singles chart. She truly made a strong comeback with her next album, If I Were Your Woman, released in 1987. She had now signed with MCA Records. Hits from this album included the title track, "I Feel Good All Over" (a three-week number one R&B hit), and "You're Puttin' a Rush on Me". The album sold enough copies to be certified platinum.

Mills' success continued with her 1989 album, Home. This album featured hits like "The Comfort of a Man" and a new version of her classic song "Home" from The Wiz. Another song written by Angela Winbush, "Something in the Way You Make Me Feel", also became a platinum record for Mills.

Later Career and Recent Work

Mills released one more album, Something Real, in 1992, and a Christmas album before leaving MCA in 1992. In 1993, she once again played Dorothy in The Wiz revival. In 1994, she released a live gospel album called Personal Inspirations. After this, Mills took a break from recording to care for her son.

In 1997, Mills played the main role in a big production of Stephen Schwartz's Children of Eden in New Jersey. She also appeared in the 2007 gospel TV series Sunday Best. In 2008, she began a comeback, releasing new songs. She independently released Born For This in 2004. Her first single in over ten years, "Can't Let Him Go", was also released. A collection of her greatest hits, Gold, was released earlier.

Mills performing on stage at the Detroit Opera House in 2017

Towards the end of 2012, Mills released a new song called "So In Love This Christmas". In 2015, Mills was cast as Aunt Em in the NBC live musical production of The Wiz. This was forty years after her first time starring in the Broadway show.

In 2021, Mills participated in a Verzuz battle with singer Chaka Khan. Both singers performed their hit songs. In 2024, Mills returned to Broadway after many years, playing Missus Hermes in the musical Hadestown.

Family Life

Stephanie Mills has been married a few times. She was married to Jeffrey Daniel from 1980 to 1983. He was a member of the R&B/soul group Shalamar. She was also married to Dino Meminger from 1989 to 1991, and Michael Saunders from 1993 to 2001.

Stephanie Mills has a son named Farad Mills, who was born with Down syndrome. She also had a brief relationship with fellow singer Michael Jackson.

Music Albums

• Movin' in the Right Direction (1974)
• For the First Time (1975)
• Love Has Lifted Me (1976)
• What Cha' Gonna Do with My Lovin' (1979)
• Sweet Sensation (1980)
• Stephanie (1981)
• Tantalizingly Hot (1982)
• Merciless (1983)
• I've Got the Cure (1984)
• Stephanie Mills (1985)
• If I Were Your Woman (1987)
• Home (1989)
• Something Real (1992)
• Personal Inspirations (1994)
• Born for This! (2004)

Stage Performances

• Maggie Flynn (1968)
• The Wiz (1974–79; 1984; 1993)
• Harlem Suite (1988)
• Stephanie Mills Comes Home to Broadway (1989)
• Children of Eden (1997)
• Purlie (1998)
• Ragtime (1999)
• Funny Girl (2002) (a special benefit concert)
• Hadestown (2024)

Film and TV Appearances

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: Stephanie Mills para niños

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart