exploremusic

If you’re of a certain, er, advanced age, you might know the name Mitch Miller.  Back in the 40s, 50s and early 60s, he was a powerful executive at Columbia Records.  One word from Mitch could make or break a career.

Mitch, however, didn’t like rock music.  He hated it with every fibre of his being.

Mitch’s domain was “good” music from people like Johnny Mathis, Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett and Patti “How Much is That Doggie in the Window” Page.  And although he tried with Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin, he neither got either and both projects were abject failures.  As for Bob Dylan, he just didn’t understand the point, although he did allow one of his people to sign Dylan to Columbia.
 
Mitch turned his scorn of rock into very popular recording and television careers.  His Sing Along with Mitch TV series was a Top 20 show for NBC in 1961-62.  Imagine gathering around the tube to watch this with the family.

 
Mitch’s Sing Along albums became the stuff of legend.  Rumour has it that Queen is singing “Mitch MILL-uh” just after “Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?” bit in “Bohemian Rhapsody.”  (Queen fans will rightly dispute this as Freddy is actually singing "Bismillah," which is Arabic for "In the name of God."  Freddy was born in Zanzibar and would have definitely heard this word many times growing up.)  And when the ATF launched an assault on David Koresh and the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, in 1993, they tried to wear everyone down by playing one of the Sing Along albums at high volumes.  (It didn’t work, so they stormed the compound and ten people died.)

Despite his hatred of rock, Mitch helped it grow.  Money brought in by his “good” music superstars funded the scouting and development of new artists at Columbia, many of whom went on to become rock’n’roll stars.  And the more young people were exposed to Mitch’s music, the more they were motivated to find something a little more, er, rebellious.

Mitch Miller was 99 when he died on July 31.