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 ...
My husband has every song he ever did. At the family parties, his dad would get sloshed and put on the Mitch Miller. It was really funny to see all those drunks singing harmony.
May God bless you and keep you, Mitch!
As a little kid, I remember watching your TV show and singing along with the bouncing ball. A calmer, more family friendly time in this world and you helped make it so.
ap thread here
Conductor Mitch (”Sing Along With Mitch”) Miller dies at age 99
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2563278/posts
I bet there are many audience members waiting for the first sing-a-long in heaven. my folks among them
ping
Accordians, harmonicas, marimbas, new age hippy drums .....words fail.
Many decades ago, my Aunt Arlene owned the most fantastic used furniture store, ever, in LA. When I was a young child she gifted me with one of the original electric guitars...oh the sound created by sliding a metal bar up and down the strings. Of course, I was compelled to take lessons and forced to practise. At the time, I thought I was hated by my family, consigned to a back bedroom with the door shut. Later, of course, I knew they hated the thing as much as I did. Oh, the memories!
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RIP Mitch.
For years one of the traditions of our family was to sing along with that Christmas Album he did.
I saw him... "Bob" from Sesame Street! Who knew? ;-)
Oh, wow! I was going through the episodes posted on Youtube (Digging those commercials and promos) and found an easter egg. Look who shows up at the 3:30 mark of this show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ5GwzvkN-k
He played Nick Nack up to Heaven."
They liked him so much that he remained a regular for another 3 years.
Your impression is likely correct.
Ithink people made guest appearances on his show, Kind of like Laugh In cameoes.
Brings back a lot of lovely, warm, and very corny memories!
Cool...thanks for the ping!
I agree with you in every respect.
He was one of the best known entertainment personalities in the US in the sixties. Then it seems as if no one ever heard from him since.
Your question indicates that you are young. (LOL!!!)
LOL, I wonder if there are others that we don’t recognize because they are so young.
I sure do like all those males voices.
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