Kerry Mills

Kerry Mills (né Frederick Allen Mills; 1 February 1869 in Philadelphia – 5 December 1948 in Hawthorne, California), publishing also as F.A. Mills, was an American ragtime composer and music publishing executive of popular music during the Tin Pan Alley era.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} His stylistically diverse music ranged from ragtime through cakewalk to marches. He was most prolific between 1895 and 1918.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

Career

Mills trained as a violinist and was head of the Violin Department of the University of Michigan School of Music when he began composing. He moved to New York City in 1895 and started a music publishing firm, F. A. Mills Music Publisher, publishing his own work and that of others.^[11]

Selected works

• "Impecunious Davis"
• "In The City Of Sighs And Tears"
• "Just For The Sake Of Society"
• "Let's All Go Up To Maud's"
• "The Longest Way 'Round Is The Sweetest Way Home"
• "Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis" (words by Andrew B. Sterling)
• 1895 : Rastus on Parade - Characteristic Two Step March for Piano
• 1895 : Shandon Bells - Two Step March
• 1896 : Happy Days in Dixie - Characteristic March
• 1897 : At A Georgia Camp Meeting - A Characteristic March listen to:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLR2ZI0evgs
• 1899 : Whistling Rufus - Characteristic Two Step March, Polka & Cakewalk
• 1899 : Impecunious Davis - A Characteristic March
• 1900 or before: Cake-Walk
• 1900 : Kerry Mills Medley - Themes from Previous Cake Walk and Songs
• 1902 : Harmony Moze - Characteristic Two Step
• 1902 : A Brand Plucked from the Burning (words by Alfred Bryan)
• 1902 : I Know She Waits for Me (words by Alfred Bryan)
• 1903 : Valse Hèléne
• 1903 : Petite Causerie - A Quiet Chat
• 1903 : Valse Primrose - Les Primevères
• 1903 : 'Leven Forty-Five From The Hotel - Two Step March
• 1903 : Me and Me Banjo - Characteristic Piece
• 1903 : Petite Causerie (A Quiet Chat)
• 1903 : Valse Helene
• 1903 : L'amour Aux Bois (Cupid's Bower)
• 1903 : Valse Primrose (Les Primeveres)
• 1903 : Like A Star That Falls From Heaven (words by Alfred Bryan)
• 1904 : We'll Be Together When the Clouds Roll By (words by Alfred Bryan)
• 1906 : Old Heidelberg: - Characteristic Two Step March
• 1906 : While The Old Mill Wheel Is Turning (words by Will D. Cobb)
• 1907 : Red Wing" - An Indian Intermezzo (words by Thurland Chattaway). Mills adapted the melody from Schumann's "The Happy Farmer"
• 1908 : Kerry Mills Barn Dance
• 1908 : Sun Bird - Intermezzo
• 1908 : Hallie (A Little Romance)
• 1908 : Sweet Sixteens - March
• 1908 : Any Old Port in a Storm (words by Arthur J. Lamb)
• 1908 : If You Were Mine (words by Arthur J. Lamb)
• 1909 : Comical Eyes (words by Bartley C. Costello)
• 1909 : Kerry Mills Rag Time Dance
• 1909 : A Georgia Barn Dance
• 1909 : The Scarf Dancer - A Novelty Two Step
• 1909 : Lily of the Prairie - Two Step Intermezzo
• 1909 : Sicilian Chimes - Reverie
• 1909 : Kerry Mills Potpourri
• 1909 : Don't Be an Old Maid, Molly
• 1909 : Where Were You Last Night? (words by Alfred Bryan)
• 1910 : That Fascinating Ragtime Glide
• 1910 : Valley Flower - Intermezzo
• 1910 : Kerry Mills Palmetto Slide
• 1910 : The Wyoming Prance - A Rag Time Two Step
• 1910 : I've Lost My Nannie
• 1911 : You've Got the Wrong Number, But You've Got the Right Girl (words by Arthur J. Lamb)
• 1914 : Kerry Mills Turkey Trot
• 1914 : Kerry Mills Fox Trot
• 1918 : Snooky Hollow - Intermezzo
• 1919 : Tokio - Fox Trot on Chorus from Geisha Girl

See also

• List of ragtime composers

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kerry Mills.

• Sheet music for his song "We'll Be Together When the Clouds Roll By" from the collection at University of Oregon Libraries
• Free scores by Kerry Mills at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
• Kerry Mills recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.

References