Mrs. Miller
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Elva Ruby Miller (October 5, 1907 – July 5, 1997) known professionally as Mrs. Miller, was an American singer who became a novelty figure in the 1960s for her unconventional interpretations of contemporary pop songs. An untrained mezzo-soprano, she performed with a pronounced vibrato and frequently deviated from standard pitch and tempo.[1]
Miller's recording of "Downtown" entered the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1966, where it reached No. 82. Its B-side, "A Lover’s Concerto", also charted that month, peaking at No. 95.[2]
Life and career
Elva Ruby Connes was born in Joplin, Missouri, the third of seven children of Edward and Ada (née Martin) Connes. She spent her childhood in Missouri and Kansas.
On January 17, 1934, she married John Richardson Miller, a professional investor three decades her senior. The couple moved to Claremont, California the following year, where she studied music, voice, and composition at Pomona College and participated in church and community activities.[3] Although she described singing as a hobby, Miller recorded several self-financed projects, including classical, gospel, and children's music. She produced at least one privately distributed 45 RPM single, "Slumber Song", which she shared with local orphanages.
Miller came to public attention when radio disc jockey Gary Owens featured her on his program in 1960 and later included her on a limited-run album of his comedy material. Arranger Fred Bock heard her recordings, encouraged her to attempt contemporary popular songs, and submitted the results to various record labels.[4] In 1965, producer Lex de Azevedo signed her to Capitol Records.[4][5]
Miller's commercial appeal was widely attributed to the unconventional and amateurish qualities of her singing, a characteristic also associated with performers such as Florence Foster Jenkins and Wing.[6] Capitol Records highlighted this aspect of her work; in a 1967 Life magazine interview, Miller stated that during recording sessions she was sometimes conducted slightly ahead of or behind the beat, and that the released versions often used what she considered the worst takes.
Miller's debut album, Mrs. Miller’s Greatest Hits (1966), consisted entirely of contemporary popular standards and sold more than 250,000 copies within its first three weeks. Owens wrote the album's liner notes. Two additional Capitol albums followed: Will Success Spoil Mrs. Miller?! and The Country Soul of Mrs. Miller.[4][7] She performed for American troops in Vietnam, appeared at the Hollywood Bowl, and made guest appearances on numerous television talk and variety shows. Miller also appeared in the 1967 film The Cool Ones, performing "It’s Magic".
As public interest declined, Capitol Records ended its association with Miller in 1968. She later released Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing on Amaret Records and issued several singles on her own label, Vibrato Records.[4] She recorded two albums at Radio Recorders studios in Hollywood for Dunhill Records, though they received little attention. Her final known recording, a self-released EP, appeared in 1971.[8]
Miller may have been the inspiration for a similar act called Mr. Miller and the Blue Notes, who released a version of the Herman's Hermits hit "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" in 1966.[9]
Later years and death
Miller retired in 1973 and subsequently devoted much of her time to charitable work. She lived in a condominium in Northridge, Los Angeles until the 1994 Northridge earthquake, after which she relocated to a retirement home.[4][10]
Miller died in 1997 at the Garden Terrace Retirement Center in Vista, California, at the age of 89.[10] She was interred in the Pomona Mausoleum at Pomona Valley Memorial Park in Pomona, California.
In 1999, Capitol Records released a compilation of her recordings on its Ultra-Lounge label titled Wild, Cool & Swingin’: The Artist Collection, Volume Three.[11]
Discography
Albums
| Album[12] | Year | US charts[13][failed verification] |
|---|---|---|
| Mrs. Miller's Greatest Hits | 1966 | 15 |
| Will Success Spoil Mrs. Miller?! | 1966 | — |
| The Country Soul of Mrs. Miller | 1967 | — |
| Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing | 1968 | — |
| Wild, Cool & Swingin': The Artist Collection Volume Three | 1999 | — |
| The Turned-On World of Mrs. Miller | 2000 | — |
| A Christmas Gift from Mrs. Miller | 2020 | — |
"—" did not chart
Charting singles
| Single | Year | Billboard Hot 100[2] | RPM 100[14] |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Downtown" | 1966 | 82 | - |
| "A Lover's Concerto" | 1966 | 95 | 53 |
See also
- Leona Anderson
- Florence Foster Jenkins
- Tryphosa Bates-Batcheller
- William Hung
- William Topaz McGonagall
- William Shatner's musical career
- Jonathan and Darlene Edwards
References
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- ^ Irving Wallace, David Wallechinsky and Amy Wallace, The Book of Lists 2 (1983); Template:ISBN
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Mrs. Miller - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Heller, Skip (1999). "Searching for Mrs. Miller; The Link Between Charles Ives and Ed Wood". Strange and Cool Magazine.
- ^ a b c d e Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Scott, David. "Slightly Out of Tune". Pomona College Magazine. Pomona College. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Heller, Skip. "Searching for Mrs. Miller". Dana Countryman. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 305. ISBN 0-7535-0149-X.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Bonafante, Jordan (22 September 1967). A Most Unlikely Lark. New York: Time Inc. pp. 117–125.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Mrs. Miller – Ma (He's Making Eyes At Me) / She Had To Go And Lose It At The Astor (1971, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ Darryl W. Bullock, The World's Worst Records: Volume One: An Arcade of Audio Atrocity Page 76
- ^ a b Profile, danacountryman.com; accessed 26 September 2015.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Mrs. Miller - Ultra-Lounge - Wild, Cool & Swingin', retrieved 2023-01-28
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Mrs. Miller | Album Discography | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Mrs. Miller | Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."RPM Top 100 Singles - June 6, 1966" (PDF).
External links
- Mrs. Miller's World website
- Works by or about Mrs. Miller at the Internet Archive
- Mrs. Miller discography at Discogs
- Mrs. Miller at IMDbTemplate:Edit at Wikidata
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