Singer, Composer. He was a member of the African-American quartet, the Mills Brothers, who debuted in the early 20th century, singing with a smooth harmony jazz as well as mainstream popular songs. They were among the pioneers of African-American groups who gained commercial success with a national following. Beginning his singing career at age ten, he sang first tenor and was considered the shy one of the brothers. According to his obituary, besides him, the quartet comprised of his brother John, Jr., Harry and Donald. Born one of nine children into a musical family, his father, John, Sr., was a member of a barbershop quartet, who had appeared with his wife in light opera and later taught his sons to sing. They sang in various churches and at school. Originally, the brothers would perform after school in front of their father's barbershop, while his brother Harry played the kazoo. They were first named Four Boys and a Kazoo, then the Four Kings of Harmony before the Mills Brothers. At their debut in an amateur talent contest at the Mays Opera house in 1924, Harry forgot his kazoo and improvised a trumpet sound with his mouth and hands. In 1928, the group was hired for a spot on a radio show, where they later performed with Duke Ellington and his orchestra. Ellington promoted them to the record business. Their debut record in 1930, which was their rendition of a Dixieland Band favorite, "Tiger Rag," and "Nobody's Sweetheart", became the first million record sellers for a vocal group. Early in the 1930s, the quartet sang radio commercials for Procter & Gamble. As the first African-American artists to give a command performance before British royalty in 1934, their mother sat in the royal box with King George V and Queen Mary. In 1936 while in England, his brother John, Jr. suddenly died and his father replaced him in the quartet for the next twenty years. Leaving England three days before World War II started in 1939, they performed in South America and Australia before returning to the United States. As a composer, he wrote "Twenty Million Sweethearts" in 1934, "Rhythm Parade" in 1942, and "When You're Smiling" in 1950. The group made over 2,000 recordings, sold over 50 million copies of records, and earned at least three dozen Gold Records. "Paper Doll," which was recorded on the B-side of a record in 1943, was their greatest hit. Their last No. 1 record was "The Glow Worm" in 1953. The quartet appeared in at least twenty Hollywood films. Eventually, he and Donald toured as a duet after their father's and Harry's death, and in the 21st century, the next generations are performing the title "Mills Brothers". The Mills Brothers were awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording. In 1998, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and from the Grammy Awards given a Lifetime Achievement Award. He died from the complications of viral meningitis. He married Dorothy Hutson in 1963 and he had a child.