Biography
Little Lisa, originally billed as Lisa Miller, inked her deal with Motown Records at age fifteen. Her mother was Kay Lewis, one half of the Lewis Sisters duo alongside Helen, both of whom were active as writers and artists on the Motown roster during that period. Although more than a dozen sides were tracked, the only release to reach the public was the 1965 VIP single “Hang on Bill,” credited to Berry, Robert, and Gwen Gordy and backed with “Puppet on a String.” Among the tracks left in the vault were her versions of the Marvelettes’ “Daddy Knows Best,” “Honey Boy” (already cut by both Mary Wells and the Supremes), “Don’t Let Me off the Hook,” “Sweeter As the Days Go By,” “Baby I’ve Got It,” and “Memories, Keep Haunting Me.”
Her mother and aunt likewise failed to score hits for the label; Motown issued a pair of singles by the sisters on the VIP imprint, yet neither made an impression. Better remembered under the alternate names Singing School Teachers and Soul Teasers, Helen and Kay earned wider notice through outside material such as “Just Walk in My Shoes” for Gladys Knight & the Pips, “Baby, Baby” (distinct from “Ooo, Baby Baby”) for the Miracles, and the initially shelved “Mr. Soul Brother,” originally cut by Blinky (Sandra Williams) and later reworked by Christine Adams on Cyclone Records. After the siblings had departed Motown and following Marvin Gaye’s death, his recording of “This Love Starved Heart of Mine” found favor on British shores. Prior to their Motown tenure the pair had appeared on Liberty, Verve, and World Pacific, and their earliest published composition dates to 1952.
While still in her teens Lisa secured voice-over work on the Fantastic Four animated series under the name Leeza Miller, supplying the voices of Nova and Frankie Ray across the program’s 1967–1970 run; she also portrayed the monster Wendigo on The Hulk. In 1992, credited as Leeza-Miller-McGee, she voiced Charley Davidson in the animated feature Biker Mice From Mars.
Post-Motown, she recorded “Does She Know” for Trident before moving to Canterbury Records, a Mattel Toys subsidiary overseen by Ken Handler, the real-life inspiration for the Ken doll. Helen and Kay were appointed the label’s Artist and Repertoire directors, writing and producing for Yellow Balloon, Joanie Sommers, Sandy Wynns, Alex Valdez, and Little Lisa (now again listed as Lisa Miller, not to be confused with the Australian pop/country artist). Under their guidance she completed the album Within Myself, for which the sisters supplied most of the songs, and issued the 1967 holiday single “The Loneliest Christmas Tree,” a darkly themed yuletide story that continues to sell each season; its A-side, “Love Is,” also enjoyed regional success.
She next recorded for Cyclone, releasing “Castles in the Sky” backed with “Broken Home,” both sides written by the Lewis Sisters and produced by Bob Mercy. In the late eighties Ian Levine captured her for his Motorcity project under the name Leeza Miller, yielding the tracks “Sign of a Heartache” and “Tomorrow Never Comes.” Additional sessions have found her serving as lead vocalist alongside Glenn Medeiros or contributing background vocals for David Weaver, Craig & Company, Michael Sembello, Jai Cie, and Joanie Bartels. Her most prominent credit arrived through her work with Sergio Mendes, on whose 1983 single “Never Gonna Let You Go” she sang lead; the Brazilian’s recording reached number four on the charts. The Southern California native continues to perform in nightclubs and fulfill studio dates.
Her mother and aunt likewise failed to score hits for the label; Motown issued a pair of singles by the sisters on the VIP imprint, yet neither made an impression. Better remembered under the alternate names Singing School Teachers and Soul Teasers, Helen and Kay earned wider notice through outside material such as “Just Walk in My Shoes” for Gladys Knight & the Pips, “Baby, Baby” (distinct from “Ooo, Baby Baby”) for the Miracles, and the initially shelved “Mr. Soul Brother,” originally cut by Blinky (Sandra Williams) and later reworked by Christine Adams on Cyclone Records. After the siblings had departed Motown and following Marvin Gaye’s death, his recording of “This Love Starved Heart of Mine” found favor on British shores. Prior to their Motown tenure the pair had appeared on Liberty, Verve, and World Pacific, and their earliest published composition dates to 1952.
While still in her teens Lisa secured voice-over work on the Fantastic Four animated series under the name Leeza Miller, supplying the voices of Nova and Frankie Ray across the program’s 1967–1970 run; she also portrayed the monster Wendigo on The Hulk. In 1992, credited as Leeza-Miller-McGee, she voiced Charley Davidson in the animated feature Biker Mice From Mars.
Post-Motown, she recorded “Does She Know” for Trident before moving to Canterbury Records, a Mattel Toys subsidiary overseen by Ken Handler, the real-life inspiration for the Ken doll. Helen and Kay were appointed the label’s Artist and Repertoire directors, writing and producing for Yellow Balloon, Joanie Sommers, Sandy Wynns, Alex Valdez, and Little Lisa (now again listed as Lisa Miller, not to be confused with the Australian pop/country artist). Under their guidance she completed the album Within Myself, for which the sisters supplied most of the songs, and issued the 1967 holiday single “The Loneliest Christmas Tree,” a darkly themed yuletide story that continues to sell each season; its A-side, “Love Is,” also enjoyed regional success.
She next recorded for Cyclone, releasing “Castles in the Sky” backed with “Broken Home,” both sides written by the Lewis Sisters and produced by Bob Mercy. In the late eighties Ian Levine captured her for his Motorcity project under the name Leeza Miller, yielding the tracks “Sign of a Heartache” and “Tomorrow Never Comes.” Additional sessions have found her serving as lead vocalist alongside Glenn Medeiros or contributing background vocals for David Weaver, Craig & Company, Michael Sembello, Jai Cie, and Joanie Bartels. Her most prominent credit arrived through her work with Sergio Mendes, on whose 1983 single “Never Gonna Let You Go” she sang lead; the Brazilian’s recording reached number four on the charts. The Southern California native continues to perform in nightclubs and fulfill studio dates.
Albums