Stephanie Mills

While she never attained the crossover notoriety her immense talent deserved, over the 10 year period 1979-1989 Stephanie Mills quietly assembled an impressive collection of performances for multiple record labels and established herself as one of the most successful Soul vocalists of that period.

A prodigy, Mills was performing small roles on Broadway even as a child, but received her big break (and made the most of it) in 1975 when, at age 18, she landed the role of Dorothy in the Broadway Soul musical The Wiz. Her small frame belied the huge, powerful voice she carried, and she owned the role for several years (though was unfortunately overlooked in casting for the ill-fated movie version, which was instead given to a much older Diana Ross).

She began her recording career in the mid-70s on ABC Records with an album of Broadway covers, and was then signed by Motown and teamed with legendary pop writers Burt Bacharach and Hal David for a couple albums that attempted to position Mills as a young Dionne Warwick. Her signing by 20th Century Fox in 1978 began the uptick in her popular appeal, as she paired with hot writers/producers Mtume and Lucas for Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin?, a solid album of dance oriented numbers that blended fairly sophisticated arrangements with her lovely, strong voice and scored big on the Soul, Dance and Pop charts. She followed the next year with Sweet Sensation and what would become her signature song, the infectious "Never Knew Love Like This Before." She continued her success in 1980 with a self-titled album that included a great duet with Teddy Pendergrass, "Two Hearts."

In 1983, Stephanie moved to Casablanca Records, where she recorded three albums with various producers and scored moderate hits with the dance-oriented "Pilot Error" and "The Medicine Song," but appeared to be an artist caught between the end of the disco era and the emergence of the burgeoning Urban Adult Contemporary genre. She firmly moved into the latter camp with her signing by MCA in 1985, and she released her career best material over the next half decade, working with talented producers Angela Winbush and Ron Kersey. Her recordings of "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love," "I Feel Good All Over" and a new version of her classic recording "Home" gave her three number ones and firmly established her as one of the most expressive and talented vocalists of the era.

The 1990s saw Mills releasing a number of disparate albums, including a dance-oriented disc, a Christmas disc and her first Gospel recording, but none of them fared as well as her earlier work. She stopped recording in 1994 for a full decade before self-releasing the critically acclaimed Born for This in 2004.

A Conversation with Stephanie Mills

[This piece was provided to us by Ms. Mills in Nov. 2004, author unknown]

How do you feel about where you are right now:

“I can only call it an inspired time. My son Farad and the rest of my family give me an anchor but they also act as a signpost for me about what is really important in life. That energy and realization has allowed me to put sing and create in a new, more important way for myself.”

People may call this a “comeback” since you haven’t put out a CD in thirteen years, but you have been working and creating during that time.

“You know, its funny, I guess it is a comeback as far as me not having a new CD out for awhile, but for me, in my day to day world, it just seems like a natural progression of everything that I have done for the past thirteen years. In that time, I have done lots of life stuff, like becoming a mom, but also, I did regional theater, worked with other artists and performed all over the world and really was able to view my career in a new way. Not so defined by the ‘hits’ and able to chart my own course through the entertainment business. Remember, I have been doing this since I was 11 years old, so even though I am still young, I am a veteran and have a very unique view of this amazing business.”

Do you think attitude has a lot to do with your longevity?

“Oh absolutely. When you are in your twenties and trying to make it, every little thing is so important about your career. But now, with my family intact and my life so much more settled, I believe in having as much fun with my music and my voice as possible. The approach is all about NOT taking it too seriously, being totally myself in every aspect and really just stop struggling with it and just have a great time! Instinct is everything, just putting it out there in the universe, staying connected and being yourself at all costs. This collection of songs is really an updated version of who I am and how I have grown. I am singing better, writing better and generally in better voice which allowed me to collaborate and create in a whole new way.”

So you think you have changed your way of doing things as you have matured?

“Well yes and no. No, in that I am still Stephanie and I like who that person is, but yes in that I am singing with more confidence and eagerness than I have felt in years. After the birth of my son…(I mean, if you can give birth…you can do anything!!), life gets a perspective that didn’t exist before…I just don’t sweat the small stuff anymore, I have a wider perception of the world because having a child makes you see and feel life in a bigger, more vast way. Also, I have grown so much through that experience and my life, that my relationship to my child, others and myself is richer and more rewarding. The creative process can’t help but be affected by my personal transformation. They go hand in hand and that is what has brought me to this new place. I am just so excited about everything and I cant wait for people to hear “Born For This!”

Who are your inspirations both professionally and personally?

“Well first and foremost, my son and my dad and my love of God. Also my extended family is so important to me. We all live pretty close in Charlotte and they continuously inspire me day to day.

Professionally, well, that question is interesting: When I was very young, I had the opportunity to meet Butterfly McQueen. I will never forget that, because it made me aware of how many African-American artists have shaped our business. I enjoy old movies and adore Bette Davis. Those early days of the movies were so glamorous and classy! In music, I love old R&B and we can’t even start this without mentioning Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight and Lena Horne! I also love Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones but I have to include Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Anita Baker, The Temptations and of course, classic Jackson Five!! Some of the younger singers out now are so good too, like Mary J., and Alicia Keys. I just love music! Through the years, I have had the good fortune to work with so many great artists and be exposed to so many creative souls. I really have been blessed.

Who are your friends in this business?

Oh well, we all know each other …(laughing) But my real personal, family type friends include the actor/writer James Stovall and my good girlfriend, Angela Winbush… She is one of the most talented and underrated singers out there. I love her songs and have recorded them through the years.

Your performances have been called inspiring. You have the ability to touch people with the strength and depth of your voice. How do you relate to your fans?

“I just love my fans. They give me so much. People will open up to you when you are honest and real about what you do and that is so true in a live performance. From the time I was a child until now, the audience has always shown me respect and love and I give that back to them in full measure. Through my travels and performances, I have become involved in speaking with women about violence and abuse in their homes. There is nothing more upsetting to me than women who subject themselves to violence and abuse against themselves. I have spoken and performed for women who are incarcerated and I have seen what drives some of them to the edge. I have become an advocate for women and make it my business to visit with them in each of the cities that I tour in. I am currently exploring starting a foundation to raise awareness and money to help victims of abuse.”

Any last thoughts?

“My son, my family and friends and all of my collective experience has brought me to putting out Born For This! and my hope is that my fans will get the feeling behind the music— to enjoy and treasure life, laugh a lot and use whatever your God given talents are to put out that message! We all have a gift to give, my gift is song and I intend to continue to create for a long time to come!!”



Stephanie Mills has one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music, an ultra soulful songstress whose onstage energy and power inspires standing ovations wherever she performs.

She is a legendary Grammy© and American Music Award©-winning recording artist with five best-selling albums and ten Billboard #1 singles.

The legendary singer is back and launching her new single, “Can’t Let Him Go” from the forthcoming release Born For This! in stores early in 2004. She’s recorded the project with such star songwriters and producers as Gordon Chambers, the New York-based Flavahood Productions, and BeBe Winans. Stephanie is excited about the creative freedom she is experiencing while recording Born For This!

"This collection is an updated version of what I do," she says. "I wrote some songs myself, collaborated with the producers and everything really came together for the album which will be on my own label.

For her many fans the world over, that’s welcome news: for, without a doubt, Stephanie Mills is truly back in stride again, stronger and more soulful than ever!

A CAREER HISTORY
Over the span of a 25 year illustrious career, Stephanie Mills has distinguished herself as an actress and performer who is as at home on the Broadway stage as she is in the recording studio.

Hit records such as "I Have Learned To Respect The Power Of Love," "Home" and "Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin’’ have become enduring classics. Stephanie’s critically acclaimed appearances in shows like the four-time Tony Award-winning "The Wiz" and "Your Arms Too Short To Box With God" have assured her of a consistently loyal following among fans, industry insiders and critics alike. The loyalty that she has inspired in her audience has seen her through a twenty-five year career filled with accomplishments and achievements.

Stephanie’s journey as an enduring performer began like that of so many of her contemporaries; singing gospel in church in her native Brooklyn. Her vocal abilities became evident early on and by the age of nine, she was mesmerizing crowds in her first Broadway musical "Maggie Flynn," sharing the stage with co-stars Shirley Jones and the late Jack Cassidy.

Other early credits included appearances in such pop culture classic, shows like "Captain Kangaroo," "Wonderama," "The Electric Company" and "String" (presented by the Negro Ensemble Company in New York City).

For six consecutive weeks, an eleven-year old Stephanie won the famous Amateur Night at the renowned Apollo Theater and a first recording, "I Knew It Was Love" landed her the much-coveted role of Dorothy in the Broadway musical "The Wiz" at the age of fifteen. For five years, Stephanie wowed packed houses with her amazing vocal gift and after making albums for ABC and Motown, she signed with 20th Century Records in 1979.

Working with producers James Mtume & Reggie Lucas, Stephanie recorded "Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin’’" and by 1984, she had climbed the charts with major hits: "Sweet Sensation," "Never Knew Love Like This Before" (a gold single), "Two Hearts" (a duet with Teddy Pendergrass), "Keep Away Girls," "How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?" and "The Medicine Song." Stephanie scored three best-selling albums in a row with "Whatcha Gonna Do…With My Lovin’?", "Sweet Sensation" and "Stephanie" in the span of just two years.

The ‘80s were a golden period for the petite vocalist: signed to MCA Records, Stephanie was responsible for a string of hit singles and albums. "I Have Learned To Respect The Power of Love" (1986), "I Feel Good All Over" and "(You’re Puttin’) A Rush On Me" (both from 1987), "Something In The Way (You Make Me Feel)" and "Home" (both 1990 recordings) all topped the R&B charts. The 1987 album "If I Were Your Woman" was No. 1 on the R&B Albums chart and was a Top 30 pop best-seller; while the 1989 album "Home" was also a Top 5 R&B and Top 100 charted LP.

Returning to the stage, Stephanie toured the country in the early ‘90s with "The Wiz" and during the past decade, she has appeared in a number of highly-acclaimed roles in such shows as "Your Arms Too Short With Box" (starring with Teddy Pendergrass), "Children Of Eden," "Ragtime," "Play On" (a tribute to Duke Ellington’s music), "His Woman, His Wife" and "Black Nativity." The recipient of NAACP Image Awards, Stephanie’s multi-faceted career has also included recurring roles in popular television soap operas "Search For Tomorrow" and "One Life To Live."

In 1994, Stephanie returned to her gospel roots with "Personal Inspirations," an album that won praise with both gospel and secular audiences, netting her "Stellar Award" and "Dove Award" nominations.

Stephanie marked a return to recording in 1999 with the dance music cut "Latin Lover," produced by Masters At Work and in 2000, she did a duet with BeBe Winans for his Motown album "Love And Freedom." Stephanie’s music has frequently been sampled during the last few years and in 2001, she was a special guest on rapper DMX’s "The Great Depression" album, reprising the vocals from her first 1979 hit "Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin’" for the track "When I’m Nothing."

Following a dazzling performance at comedian Sinbad’s Soul Festival in Aruba, Stephanie began touring again in 2001 and has been wowing audiences on shows with artists like The O’Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, The Isley Brothers, Carl Thomas and at festivals that have included Mary J. Blige, India.Arie, Alicia Keys, Babyface and Smokey Robinson.

She says, "It’s been wonderful being back onstage and singing songs from all parts of my career. So many people have asked me when I would have a new record out and I would just say ‘soon.’ I was surprised because, so many times, people forget about you if you don’t have a new release! But then after the birth of my son Farad last year, I felt revitalized. I felt like singing and performing again”.

“I think I’m more creative musically and when I do a lot of my material now, I can relate to it more than ever. The experiences in life make you sing differently. And," she adds, "One of the results of having my child has been that it’s definitely made my voice stronger. I can sing higher and hold notes longer…"

Look for Stephanie Mills to make another mark in her wonderful career as fans begin to discover the creative energy and soulful singing that is a mainstay of her voice and more so than ever on Born for This!