Posted on 08/02/2010 10:17:06 AM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
Mitch Miller, an influential record producer who became a hugely popular recording artist and an unlikely television star a half century ago by leading a choral group in familiar old songs and inviting people to sing along, died Saturday in Manhattan. He was 99.
His daughter Margaret Miller Reuther confirmed the death Monday morning, saying her father had died after a short illness at Lenox Hill Hospital. Mr. Miller lived in Manhattan.
Mr. Miller, a Rochester native who was born on the Fourth of July, had been an accomplished oboist and was still a force in the recording industry when he came up with the idea of recording old standards with a chorus of some two dozen male voices and printing the lyrics on album covers.
The Sing Along With Mitch album series, which began in 1958, was an immense success, finding an eager audience among older listeners looking for an alternative to rock n roll. Mitch Miller and the Gang serenaded them with chestnuts like Home on the Range, That Old Gang of Mine, Ill Take You Home Again, Kathleen and Its a Long Way to Tipperary.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
OMG...I used to see his show on the tube back when I was a kid...I had no idea he was still with us...RIP, Mitch...
There was a commercial for the Gap a few Christmases back that was a spoof of the Mitch Miller sing-along Gang. Brought back memories.
I grew up listening to and loving Mitch Miller’s Christmas music. RIP Mitch.
Yeah, but he was no Ray Conniff.....Ray Ruled!!!!
j/k!!!
He also provided Bob Dylan with his Christmas hit, which I loved, “Must be Santa.”
99 years old, though... wow! He led a full and wonderful life. Rest in peace, Mr. Miller.
I truly didn't know he was still around. He was a genuine giant.
Oh! Mitch gone. Anything might happen now.
Funny how things happen in this World. I was thinking about Mitch Miller over the weekend as the song Birth of the Blues was going through my head over and over. I believe the best version of that song was sung on his show by a then IIRC sixteen year old girl named Leslie Uggams.
Rest in Peace Mr. Miller.
WTG for sure! Good, long, accomplished life.
BTW, nobody ever did the “men’s chorale” better than SCTV’s “Five Neat Guys”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMjtvSABQ3Q
It’s really a shame when TV people or Musicians die, I’m just grateful he this wasn’t another nameless, faceless midwesterner responsible for making this country what it is ...
Do they allow accordions in Heaven?
Sinatra worked with Mitch Miller?
The UK Daily Mail had an interview yesterday with Buddy Greco. He talked about Marilyn’s last week. She went to Sinatra’s casino in Tahoe. She was all pissed off that Bobby Kennedy dropped her and she was going to spill the beans with a press conference about how JFK and Bobby passed her around like a piece of meat.
The impression I got from the article was that Sinatra was trying to tell her to just keep her mouth shut. Frank was supposedly still fond of her and he knew that people wanted her “taken care of.” My guess is Sinatra had the power to step in and try to save her.
She was drunk, drugged up and pissed off which angered Sinatra. I guess he knew he was not going to be able to save her.
"Be Kind to your web footed FRiends."
I still have the Blizzard Song on 45. It came with a six pack of Fresca.
Listen to the theme of the movie “The Longest Day” and you’ll get a nice appreciation for the man and his music.
I had a 78rpm record of him doing The Yellow Rose of Texas.
Sing along with Mitch. Yeah, very good memories here, too. I hope (and suspect) where he is now, they don’t need a bouncing ball to sing praises!
Look how skinny men used to be.
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