Stephanie Mills Discography

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Personal Information

Born March 22, 1957, in Brooklyn, NY; daughter of Joseph Mills (a New York City employee) and Christine Mills (a hairstylist); married three times, divorced twice.
Education: Took courses at Julliard School of Music.

Career

Appeared at Apollo Theatre at age 11; appeared in lead role of Dorothy in The Wiz, 1974; released debut album, Movin` in the Right Direction, 1974; released commercial breakthrough Whatcha Gonna Do with My Lovin`; , 1979; toured with Teddy Pendergrass and the Commodores, early 1980s; signed with MCA label and released Stephanie Mills, 1985; encountered financial problems, early 1990s; largely retired from secular recording, early 1990s; released gospel album Personal Inspirations, 1995; various stage appearances, mid-1990s-.

Life`s Work

Known to many theatergoers as the diminutive actress who created the role of Dorothy in the hit Broadway musical The Wiz, Stephanie Mills went on to enjoy R&B stardom in the 1980s and early 1990s. Mills`s agile yet powerful mezzo soprano voice is an instantly identifiable instrument, and recording and touring urban contemporary music remained the focus of her creative energies for many years. In the 1990s, however, Mills largely retired from the pop-music business after enduring financial setbacks at the hands of unscrupulous business associates.

The daughter of a municipal-employee father and a hairstylist mother, Mills was born in the New York City borough of Brooklyn on March 22, 1957, and grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Her early musical experiences included singing in the choir at Brooklyn`s Cornerstone Baptist Church, but her inclination toward performing probably began before that: Mills was the youngest girl among six siblings, and she grew up being the center of attention. She showed musical talent from the start and was singing and dancing for the rest of the family when she was only three.

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