Mrs Mills

Gladys Mills, née Gladys Jordan (29 August 1918 – 24 February 1978),^[1] known as Mrs Mills, was an English pianist who was active in the 1960s and 1970s, and who released many records. Her repertoire included many sing-along and party tunes made popular in the music hall.

Early life

She was born in Beckton, East London, England.^[1] Her uncle Henry was a harp player and her mother was a main influence in developing her musical ability. She took piano lessons from the age of 3½ to the age of seven.

While working as the superintendent of the typing pool in the office of the Paymaster General in London,^[1] she was spotted by a talent scout at a Woodford Golf Club dance near her home in Loughton, Essex (where she lived most of her life). In December 1961, she made her first television appearance on The Billy Cotton Show. By the end of January 1962, she would be a household name.

Career

She shot to fame during the same period as her stable-mates The Beatles, with whom she shared space at Abbey Road Studios (as mentioned in the Beatles Anthology DVD bonus materials).

Mills was signed to a management contract by Eric Easton who later went on to manage The Dave Clark Five and The Rolling Stones. After signing to Parlophone, she released her first record – the "Mrs Mills Medley" single – which entered the Top Twenty of the UK Singles Chart,^[2] and her career as an entertainer began – a career that would last well into the 1970s. She toured the UK, making many appearances on TV and radio throughout this period. Mills was also a successful recording artist overseas in territories where there were large numbers of expatriates from the UK including Australia, Canada and Hong Kong.

Her oeuvre consisted of standards (British and international), plus cover versions of contemporary hits. A 2003 release (The Very Best of Mrs Mills, on EMI Gold) includes such hits as "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend", "Hello, Dolly!", "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" and "Yellow Submarine".

She appeared on two episodes of The Morecambe and Wise Show in 1971 and 1974, where she performed a medley of favourites with the studio orchestra.^[3] Another satirical example of Mills' style of performance came in an edition of the BBC TV's The Two Ronnies. The sketch ("Family Entertainment – John & Mrs Mills") occupied the end-of-the-show musical slot, with Ronnie Barker as the silk-laden Mrs Mills at piano, and Ronnie Corbett as a uniformed Sir John Mills (who was no relation). They performed a medley of Mills-style classics (on the theme of Mills's character in the 1969 film Oh! What a Lovely War). The show (series 4; episode 4) was originally broadcast on BBC Two on 23 January 1975. In 1973, she appeared in an episode of The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club.

In December 1974, she appeared as the subject of This Is Your Life, hosted by Eamonn Andrews, when it was revealed that the first record she had recorded was "The Girl in Calico", cut in a make-your-own-record booth on Southend Pier, for a half-crown, with her girlhood pal Lily Dormer.

Little was seen of Mills on television in her final years and she died of a heart attack on 24 February 1978 in London.^[1]

Legacy

Loughton Town Council commissioned a blue plaque to her memory on the house at 43, Barncroft Close, her home for many years.^[4]

Although Mills's musical legacy had been largely forgotten in recent times, June 2012 saw the emergence of London-based tribute band The Mrs Mills Experience^[5] with a debut at The Vintage Festival at Boughton House in Northamptonshire.^[6] On 13 July they were filmed playing live at The Prince Albert pub in Brixton, London Borough of Lambeth by the BBC.^[7] On 23 September 2012 BBC Four broadcast the 60-minute documentary Let's Have a Party! The Piano Genius of Mrs Mills on the life of Mills, which included footage of the band and contributions from Rick Wakeman, Rowland Rivron and Pete Murray, amongst others.^[8]

Discography

A Best of CD was released by the EMI Gold imprint, and another CD (The Mrs Mills Collection) appeared on the HMV Easy label. A list of her UK output (according to a vast, now lost Parlophone listing from the web) is as follows:

EMI/Parlophone Records — singles (all mono) with the Geoff Love Orchestra

EMI/Parlophone Records – EPs (all mono)

EMI/Parlophone Records – LPs (PMC: mono, PCS: stereo)

EMI/Music For Pleasure Records – LPs (all stereo)

Other recordings (all stereo)

Apple iTunes also lists several albums, such as "Knees-Up Roaring 20s Party", "Crazy Rhythm", "Mairzy Doats And Dozy Doats", and "Just Mrs Gladys Mills". Microsoft's Groove Music lists "Welcome To Mrs Mills Honky Tonk Party". These are simply reissued albums, or compilations of tracks, from various EMI Parlophone albums and singles. The cover art on these albums, rather than the content, has been of interest to collectors.

References

External links

• Mrs Mills appearance on This Is Your Life