Just out – the first ever book on one of the greatest vocal groups of all time – the Mills Brothers! FOUR BOYS AND A GUITAR: The Story and Music of the Mills Brothers by Douglas E. Friedman, is the only biography of this famous American singing group, and it was worth the wait! If you love vocal harmony of any kind – R&B, Doo Wop, Acappella, Soul, Jazz or even Barbershop – this book is an absolute must! Beginning in the mid-1920’s, the Mills Brothers laid the groundwork for all these styles of quartet singing. With over 70 Chart hits, the Mills Brothers dominated popular music for decades. The book tells the group’s story from their humble beginnings in Piqua, Ohio to their rise to international stardom. Their radio career, their recordings, their movies, their tours of the U.K. – it’s all in here. The racial aspects of their story are also covered, especially as they mirrored the racial history of the country over the course of the group’s career.
As a music historian as well as co-founder and former president of the Mills Brothers Society, I can truly say that this book is a vital contribution to the study of American popular music. It is superbly researched and well written. If you are coming to one of our Roxy & Dukes acappella shows, email us and we’ll have a few of autographed copies there for sale. Otherwise, you can order a copy directly from the author by going to www.millsbrothersbook.com.
The book sells for $22.95 plus $3.50 postage. 100% of the profits from the sale of this book go to the Center for Holocaust, Human Rights & Genocide Education, Inc. and its programs designed to combat racism.
We’ll have a complete review posted to our Book Review Page shortly.
