The group was originally composed of four brothers all born in Piqua, Ohio: John Jr (1911-1936) basso and guitarist, Herbert (1912-1989) tenor, Harry (1913-1982) baritone, and Donald (1915-1999) lead tenor. Their father owned a barber's shop, and founded a barbershop quartet called the Four Kings of Harmony. As the boys grew older, they began singing in the choir of the Cyrene African Methodist Episcopal Church and in the Park Avenue Baptist Church in Piqua. After their lessons at the Spring Street Grammar School, they would gather in front of their father's shop on Public Square or at the corner of Greene and Main to sing and play the kazoo to passersby.
They entered an amateur contest at Piqua's Mays Opera House, but while on stage Harry discovered he had lost his kazoo. He cupped his hands to his mouth and imitated a trumpet. The success of his imitation led to all the brothers taking on instruments to imitate and created their early signature sound. John Jr accompanied the four-part harmony first with a ukulele and then a guitar. They practised imitating orchestras they heard on the radio. John, as the bass, would imitate the tuba, Harry, a baritone, imitated the trumpet, Herbert became the second trumpet, and Donald the trombone. They entertained on the Midwest theatre circuit, at house parties, tent shows, music halls, and supper clubs throughout the area, and became well known for their close harmonies, mastery of scat singing, and their ability to imitate musical instruments with their voices.
In 1928, after playing May's Opera House in Piqua between Rin Tin Tin features, the brothers accompanied the Harold Greenameyer Band to Cincinnati for an audition with radio station WLW. The band was not hired, but the Mills brothers were. With the help of Seger Ellis, WLW Cincinnati D.J. and a music legend of the 1920s, they quickly became local radio stars and got their major break when Duke Ellington and his Orchestra played a date in Cincinnati. When the youngsters sang for Duke, he called Tommy Rockwell at Okeh Records, who signed them and took the group to New York.
In September 1930, Ralph Wonders urged broadcasting executive William S. Paley, at CBS Radio in New York, to turn on his office speaker and listen to an audition of four young men. For the audition they were "The Mills Brothers", but they had been known by many other names. They were billed as "The Steamboat Four" when they sang for Sohio, and had been called the "Four Boys and a Guitar" on their Sunday shows. When Paley heard their performance, he immediately went downstairs and put them on the air. The next day, the Mills Brothers signed a three-year contract and became the first black group to have a network show on radio.
Their first recording for Brunswick Records, a cover of the Original Dixieland Jass Band standard "Tiger Rag" became a nationwide best-seller and a number-one hit on the charts in a version with lyrics by Harry DaCosta. Other hits followed: "Goodbye Blues", their theme song, "Nobody's Sweetheart", "Ole Rockin' Chair", "Lazy River", "How'm I Doin'", and others. They remained on Brunswick until late 1934, when they signed with Decca, where they stayed well into the 1950s. On all of their Brunswick records, as well as the early Deccas, the label stated:
"No musical instruments or mechanical devices used on this recording other than one guitar."
They were a hit on CBS in 1930–1931, particularly when they co-starred on the widely popular The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour hosted by Rudy Vallee. They had their own popular radio series in 1932–1933, one of the earliest built around a black act, billed as the "Four Boys and a Guitar". Before their show announcers commonly explained to listeners that the only instrument was a guitar, as the vocal effects made many listeners think they were hearing a muted trumpet, saxophone, and string bass or tuba.
The Mills Brothers were sponsored by some of the largest advertisers in early radio; Standard Oil, Procter & Gamble, Crisco, and Crosley Radio. They began appearing in films. Their first, The Big Broadcast (1932) was an all-star radio revue that included Bing Crosby, Cab Calloway, and the Boswell Sisters. They also made three "bouncing ball" cartoon shorts for the Fleischer Brothers. In 1934, the brothers starred with Crosby for Woodbury Soap, and recorded their classics "Lazy Bones", "Sweet Sue", "Lulu's Back in Town", "Bye-Bye Blackbird", "Sleepy Head", and "Shoe Shine Boy". Their film appearances included Twenty Million Sweethearts (1934) and Broadway Gondolier (1935).
In 1934, The Mills Brothers became the first U.S. black musicians to give a command performance before British royalty. They performed at the Regal Theatre for a special audience: King George V, Queen Mary, and their mother. While performing in England, John Jr became ill. It took him months to recover from battling pneumonia. Before he was completely well, the brothers returned to England. John Jr once again became sick and died at the beginning of 1936.
The remaining brothers considered breaking up, but their mother told them John Jr would have wanted them to continue. They followed her suggestion and their father, John Sr, replaced John Jr as the baritone and tuba. At this time, Norman Brown joined the Brothers as their guitar player.
Through 1939 the group enjoyed remarkable success in Europe. In the period between John Jr's death and their return to the States, they re-recorded "Lazy River". It was followed by "Someday You'll Want Me to Want You", "Swing Is the Thing", "Long about Midnight", "Organ Grinder's Swing", and "The Song is Ended". They honoured Duke Ellington with a swing version of his "Caravan", and then produced a series of classic recordings: "South of the Border", which they performed in a tour of South America, along with "Ain't Misbehavin'", "It Don’t Mean a Thing", "Jeepers Creepers", "Three Little Fishies", and "Basin Street Blues".
During this era, there was also a brief time when the group performed with a non‑family singer. Gene Smith served as a stand-in for one year when Harry was drafted into the Army. Although Smith's solo singing did not particularly resemble the group's usual sound, he was able to harmonise well until the fourth brother's return. Smith is very noticeable in a number of the Mills Brothers' film appearances.
Returning to the States, the Brothers were anxious for a hit and recorded "I'll be Around" in 1943. Donald Mills chose "Paper Doll" as the B-side of the record. "I'll Be Around" became a popular hit, then a disk jockey turned the record over. "Paper Doll", recorded in fifteen minutes, sold six million copies and became the group's biggest hit.
The rise of rock and roll in the early 1950s did little to decrease the Mills Brothers' popularity. "Glow Worm" jumped to number one on the pop charts in 1952. The track also reached number ten in the U.K. singles chart in January 1953. "Opus One", an updated version of the Tommy Dorsey hit, was soon in the charts as well, followed by "You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You", "The Jones Boy", "Yellow Bird", "Standing on the Corner", and "If I Had My Way".
In 1957, John Sr, who was then sixty-eight, stopped touring with the group. As a trio, the Mills Brothers were frequent guests on The Jack Benny Show, The Perry Como Show, The Tonight Show, The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, The Dean Martin Show, and The Hollywood Palace. A move from Decca to Dot Records brought a moderate 1958 hit, a cover of the Silhouettes' "Get a Job" that made explicit the considerable influence on doo-wop that the early Mills Brothers records had exerted. The Mills Brothers also charted "Yellow Bird" two years before Arthur Lyman's top-ten hit remake.
"Cab Driver", recorded in 1968, was their last hit. It was written by songwriter C. Carson Parks, who also wrote "Somethin' Stupid", a hit the previous year for Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy.
The Mills Brothers' fiftieth anniversary in show business was celebrated in 1976 with a tribute at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, hosted by Bing Crosby. At the time, Harry was now almost blind as a result of diabetes.
As a trio, Herbert, Harry, and Donald continued performing on the oldies circuit until Harry's death in 1982. Herbert and Donald continued until Herbert's death in 1989. Then Donald began performing with the third generation of the family, his son, John III. In 1998 the Recording Academy recognised the Mills family's contributions to popular music when it presented Donald, as the sole surviving member, with a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
After Donald's death of pneumonia on the 13th November 1999, John III began touring under the name "The Mills Brothers" with Elmer Hopper, who had previously sung lead with Paul Robi's Platters.
Altogether, the group recorded more than 2,000 recordings, selling more than fifty million copies and gaining them at least three dozen gold records. The Mills Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.
Basin Street Blues
The Mills Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the Mississippi
We'll take a boat to the land of dreams
Steam down the river, down to New Orleans
The band's there to meet us
Old friends there to greet us
Where all the proud and elite folks meet
Basin Street is the street
Where the best folks always meet
In New Orleans, land of dreams
You'll never know how nice it seems,
Or just how much it really means
Glad to be, oh yes-sirree
Where welcome's free and dear to me
Where I can lose, lose my Basin Street Blues
Basin Street, oh Basin Street
Is the street, mama
New Orleans, land of dreams
The lyrics to The Mills Brothers' "Basin Street Blues" is a beautifully written and poetic ode to New Orleans and its famous street - Basin Street. The song's first two lines, "Won't you come along with me, to Mississippi," invites the listener to join the singer on a journey down the Mississippi River to New Orleans - a place where dreams are made of. The following verse describes the excitement of returning to New Orleans where the band and old friends await. The lyric, "Where all the proud and elite folks meet, heaven on earth, they call it Basin Street," paints a picture of a place where everyone wants to be - where the rich and famous go to socialize and have a good time.
The chorus "Basin Street is the street, where the best folks always meet," cements the idea that this is the place to be. The singer continues on to say "You'll never know how nice it seems, or just how much it really means. Glad to be, oh yes-sirree, where welcome's free and dear to me, where I can lose, lose my Basin Street Blues." These lines convey the sentiment that in Basin Street, one can be free to let go and enjoy themselves without a care in the world. The final verse repeats the chorus before concluding with the line "Basin Street, oh Basin Street, is the street, mama. New Orleans, land of dreams," emphasizing the importance of this place in the imagination of the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't you come along with me
Would you please come with me
To the Mississippi
To the river of Mississippi
We'll take a boat to the land of dreams
We'll travel by boat to a place of ideal hopes
Steam down the river, down to New Orleans
Cruise down the river, on to New Orleans
The band's there to meet us
The musical ensemble is present to welcome us
Old friends there to greet us
Our long-time companions are present to welcome us
Where all the proud and elite folks meet
This place is where people of high status gather
Heaven on earth, they call it Basin Street
They describe Basin Street as a paradise on earth
Basin Street is the street
The street is named Basin Street
Where the best folks always meet
This is the gathering place of the finest people
In New Orleans, land of dreams
This is in New Orleans, a place where dreams come true
You'll never know how nice it seems
You won't truly understand how pleasing it is
Or just how much it really means
Or how much it truly signifies
Glad to be, oh yes-sirree
It certainly feels good to be here
Where welcome's free and dear to me
Where acceptance is freely given and dear to me
Where I can lose, lose my Basin Street Blues
Where I can be relieved of my worries and depression caused by my life struggles
Basin Street, oh Basin Street
Basin Street, oh Basin Street
Is the street, mama
Is the street, mother
New Orleans, land of dreams
This is New Orleans, a place of promise
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Spencer Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Okiepita50 T-town
Those guys were so fantastic. Man I could listen to them all day long.
Paul Johnson
Absolutely one of the greatest singing groups of all time. Listening to them always brings a smile to my face and lets me forget my troubles for awhile. God Bless them....
Niels Senius Clausen
Shel silverstein
Thea R Blessitt
I concur! At 60, there's no way I can ever stop listening to the music that my parents, aunts, & uncles listened to almost daily! So perfect are their harmonies, I thank my dad, a native of N'awlins, & my uncle's for being my Lindy Hop partners! May our good Lord Bless the Mills Bros and their descendants always!
J. Liberty
Paul- I couldn't agree more. : )
Patricia Otoole
Me too. I listened to them on a record I'm 81
Myriam Rozenberg
that´s exactly my case!
Claire Morris Dobie
They are amazing. Instrumental voices. Even the conductor is smiling.
chorch teacher
You're absolutely right. That's John Williams with the Boston pops (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, etc) He knew the musical legends the Mills brothers are
Glenn Koons
JOHN WILLIAMS ,THE CONDUCTOR.