Mitch miller wife
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A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and a classically trained oboist, Mitch Miller first entered the pop music scene in 1948 at Mercury Records, where he guided such acts as Vic Damone, Frankie Laine and Patti Page to success. In 1950 he was lured by Goddard Lieberson to Columbia Records as that label's A&R director, where he made stars out of Tony Bennett, Johnnie Ray, Guy Mitchell and many others. Miller himself first shot to prominence in the late 1950s with his "Sing Along" series of albums, which ultimately led to his own series, Sing Along with Mitch (1961). His opposition to rock and roll, however, undercut Columbia's market position for several years until after he left the label in 1965. In recent years he has occasionally served as a guest conductor for symphony orchestras across the country.
BornJuly 4, 1911
DiedJuly 31, 2010(99)
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Mitchell William “Mitch” Miller
Mitch Miller was a Musician/Singer/Conductor/Recording Star/Record Producer/TV Star. As the head of Artists and Repertoire at Columbia Records he worked with many of the biggest recording stars of the day including Doris Day, Tony Bennett, and Johnny Mathis. His own hit recordings, Mitch Miller and the Gang, led to his hit TV show Sing Along With Mitch which featured Leslie Uggams and others.
Born in Rochester, NY and a 1932 graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Miller began his phenomenal career in music as a classically trained oboist and English horn player with the Columbia Broadcasting Systems (CBS) radio network symphony. On the night of Orson Welles’ infamous, “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast Miller was one of the musicians playing the musical accompaniment. He started doing session work and recorded with the Philadelphia Orchestra at RCA. When CBS bought the American Record Company in 1939 and renamed it Columbia Records he recorded with many prestigious groups, conductors and composers.
He left Columbia Records in the late 40’s fo
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Mitch Miller
Biography
Music industry executive and producer. Born July 4, 1911. Served as a record producer for Mercury Records, then became head of pop recording for Columbia Records, 1950-1961. Covered many country songs for the pop market, including Hank Williams’s “Cold, Cold Heart” (recorded by Tony Bennett), Stuart Hamblen’s “This Ole House” (recorded by Rosemary Clooney), and Melvin Endsley’s “Singing the Blues” (recorded by Guy Mitchell).
Interview Summary
1983 February 24
(55 minutes)
Mitch Miller, producer for Columbia Records, talks about his decision to cover country songs for the pop field during the 1950s. Discussion includes the development of his work with Nashville; working with Fred Rose and Wesley Rose; covering Hank Williams’s songs; the story behind recording “A White Sport Coat and A Pink Carnation”; the quality of country songs during the 1950s; promoting pop versions of country songs; his role as head of pop production for Columbia Records during the 1950s; and comments on changes in the music industry since the 1950s.