Biography for
Mitch Miller (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

4 July 1911, Rochester, New York, USA

Date of Death

31 July 2010, Lenox Hill, New York, USA

Birth Name

Mitchell William Miller

Nickname

The Beard

Mini Biography

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.

IMDb Mini Biography By: W.B.

Spouse

Frances Josephine Alexander

(10 September 1935 - 3 March 2000) (her death) 3 children

Trivia

Producer/performer for Golden Records, a successful children's label, during the 1950s and early 1960s.

A rabid opponent of rock-and-roll, he never signed any rock acts to Columbia Records while he was head of its pop music division. Thus, such performers as The Byrds and Bob Dylan were signed with the company only after Miller left the label in early 1965.

Daughters Margaret Miller Reuther, Andrea Miller, and son Mitchell Jr.

In 1956 Miller, then A&R director of Columbia Records, hosted a panel discussion show on CBS-TV on which he brought on two psychiatrists who warned parents about the "negative effects" rock music had on teenagers and gave a list of "signs" to watch out for.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6101 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Was portrayed by Eli Rill in Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story (1982) (TV).

He played the oboe in the orchestra for George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" when it opened on Broadway in 1935.

Personal Quotes

[When asked his opinion, in the early 1960s, of rock music] It's not a music, it's a disease.