Gordon Mills
| Gordon Mills | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Gordon William Mills 15 May 1935 Madras, British India |
| Died | 29 July 1986 (aged 51) Los Angeles, California, United States |
Gordon William Mills (15 May 1935 – 29 July 1986) was a successful London-based music industry manager and songwriter who was born in Madras, British India and grew up in Trealaw in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales. He managed the careers of eminent vocalists Engelbert Humperdinck and Tom Jones, and co-wrote (with Les Reed) Jones's signature song, "It's Not Unusual".
Mills's parents met and married in British India when his father was serving in the British Army. They returned to Britain shortly after Gordon's birth. An only child, Mills was taught to play the harmonica by his mother, Lorna.
At age 15, Mills joined a group playing in pubs and clubs in the South Wales Valleys. At age 17, he was called up for National Service and served in Germany and Malaya.
Returning to the UK, he competed in a harmonica championship event organised by Hohner at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He came second, qualifying him to represent the UK in the European final which he then won. Invited to join the Morton Fraser Harmonica Gang, he met musicians Don Paul and Ronnie Wells with whom he formed a trio known as The Viscounts. One song "Who Put the Bomp (In The Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)" (1961) became a minor hit in the UK Singles Chart. Their cover of "Short'nin' Bread" (1960) also had some earlier success.
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