Biography
Born on 13 October 1941 in West Wickham, Kent, England, Gary Mills was the nephew of jazz band leader Nat Gonella. In common with numerous British pop vocalists of the late 1950s, he began performing at London’s 2i’s coffee bar, an exposure that secured a contract with Dick Rowe of Top Rank. Early releases included covers of prominent American successes such as ‘Running Bear’, ‘Teen Angel’, ‘Hey, Baby’, ‘Seven Little Girls’ and ‘Footsteps’; the B-side of the final title then entered the charts. Written originally for the Norman Wisdom picture Follow A Star, the song ‘Look For A Star’ instead appeared in the Hammer production Circus Of Horrors. Across the Atlantic, Mills—having removed one ‘r’ from his forename for the American market—saw his soundtrack recording share the listings with three domestic cover versions; although he reached the Top 40 in 1960, the highest-placed rendition belonged to his near-namesake Garry Miles, also known as Buzz Cason. The track marked both Mills’ greatest commercial achievement and the first hit for its composer, Mark Anthony, later recognized as Tony Hatch. On tour Mills was supported by the Flee-Rekkers; he subsequently registered two modest British successes with the follow-up ‘Top Teen Baby’ and ‘I’ll Step Down’, issued by Decca in 1961. He also featured in the largely forgotten films London Nights and Treasure Island W.C.2.
Albums
