Mrs Mills was discovered while working as the superintendent of the typing pool in the Paymaster General’s office in London in the early 60s.
Her catchy piano style and jolly, happy-go-lucky personality won over a talent scout who saw her performing at a Woodford Golf Club dance near her Essex home in Loughton in December 1961.
After signing a management contract to Eric Easton (who later managed The Dave Clark Five and The Rolling Stones), Mrs Mills was snapped up by the Beatles’ record label Parlophone.
Mrs Mills Medley
Her first single – “Mrs Mills Medley” – entered the UK Top Twenty, and was a piano medley of the songs, “I Want to Be Happy,” “The Sheik of Araby,” “Baby Face,” “Somebody Stole My Gal,” “Ma He’s Making Eyes at Me,” “Swanee,” “Ain’t She Sweet,” and “California Here I Come.”
The song reached number 18 in the charts and was the first piano medley to bother the Top 20 since Russ Conway’s Christmas ivory-tinkler in 1959.
Gladys Mills (née Gladys Jordan) then embarked on a career that lasted well into the 1970s, with her jaunty pub piano renditions of popular and traditional songs like, “The Lambeth Walk,” “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”, “Hello, Dolly!”, “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” and “Yellow Submarine” making her a hit all around the country,
A feast of albums
Over the following 15 years, Mrs Mills banged out nearly 40 albums (all recorded at Abbey Road Studios), with four charting in the U.K. between 1964 and 1971, all during the Christmas period.
Mrs Mills didn’t take herself too seriously, a fact evidenced by some of the bonkers album sleeves, which showed her in all sorts of strange outfits and locations,
One had her riding a miniature rocking horse and another saw her feeding fruit to an elephant on a hillside.
The most successful album of all was, “Come to My Party”, which peaked at number 17 in 1964. And yes, I have a vinyl copy and it’s ace (thanks, Nicola!).
Paaaaatry!
Mrs Mills was all about fun, having a laugh and letting everyone join in. Her music harked back to music halls, communal singalongs, the wartime spirit and evenings by a roaring fire in smoky, boozy pubs.
This was a woman who liked to party and party she did, as some of her album titles testify:
Everybody’s Welcome at Mrs Mills’ Party
It’s Party Time!
Mrs Mills’ Party
Everybody’s Welcome at Mrs Mills’ Party
Come To My Party
Let’s Have Another Party
Summer Party
Party Pieces
Party Mixture
Bumper Bundle Party
Music Hall Party
Anytime Is Party Time
Another Flippin’ Party
Hollywood Party
It’s Party Time Again
Mrs Mills died on February 24, 1978.
Here’s a few reminders of her unique talent:
Mrs Mills on the Morecambe and Wise show, 10th October 1971
After a bit of jovial joshing with the comic maestros, Mrs Mills gets stuck into a top medley of songs including, “Ain’t That a Grand and Glorious Feeling,” “Yes Sir that’s My Baby,” “Powder Your Face With Sunshine” and “My Old Man Said Follow The Van.”
This is Your Life
Finally, Mrs Mills on ‘This Is Your Life,’ screened on 24/12/1974, less than four years before her death:
UPDATE: The Mrs Mills Experience band is going on the road!
I’ve managed to find a team of musicians who love Mrs Mills as much as me, and we’re going to be playing festivals and gigs in the summer of 2012. Check out the webpage for news and updates – and come along and see us! We’ll have tap dancers, go-go dancers and, of course, loads of Mrs Mills big hits: http://mrsmills.org/
Mrs Mills: more info
Buy The Very Best of Mrs. Mills
Born: August 29, 1918, Beckton, East London, England
Died: February 24, 1978
[Feature on Mrs Mills]
[Wikipedia]
Related posts:
Mrs Mills Experience join in the nautical japes at the Tamesis Dock boat party – photos
Mrs Mills Experience and Glam Chops festive party, Buffalo Bar
New music hall sensation, the Mrs Mills Experience, debuts at the Offline Club, Brixton
Brixton! Get ready for the Mrs Mills Experience!
The BBC film the Mrs Mills Experience at the Brixton Albert
The Mrs Mills Experience brings music hall to the dubstep Dogstar
The Mrs Mills Experience wow the crowds at Duckie
Our musical Christmas house party
My late mother, God bless her, was an avid fan of Mrs Mills, hence I grew up listening to Gladys ‘tinkling the ivories’ – and all these years later, I still enjoy listening!
I have read quite a few articles about her, but have never seen anything written about MISTER Mills. I am intrigued…
I danced to Gladys Mills at the Roebuck in Loughton in the early 1950 before she was famous, I think
her husband played the saxophone in the band
Mrs Mills ran a pub in 1966 near Loughborough, Leics.
I used to visit for lunches )can’t recall the name of the establishment.
Made fabulous ham rolls. She & her husband made us all very welcome.
Often there too was her agent producer.
THE PUB WAS THE KINGS ARMS,DERBY ROAD, HATHERN…
Did she ever have singers singing on her albums