Died On This Date (December 8, 1967) John Mills, Sr. / The Mills Brothers
themusicsover John Mills Sr.
February 11, 1889 – December 8, 1967
John Mills Sr. was the patriarch of the popular vocal quartet, the Mills Brothers who scored several pop vocal hits throughout the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. They made a remarkable 2000+ recordings that sold over 50 million copies, earning them over 30 gold records. Any worthy collection of their hits should include “Dinah,” “Caravan,” “Tiger Rag,” “Paper Doll,” and “Cab Driver.” When John Mills Jr. became ill and died in 1936, Mills Sr. took his place in the group. J0hn Mills Sr. was 78 when he passed away on December 8, 1967.
What You Should Own
Darby Crash is best remembered as founder and lead singer for influential Los Angeles punk band, the Germs. Formed in 1977, the Germs were part of the same scene that produced X, Fear, the Circle Jerks and Black Flag. In 1977, they released a single, “Forming,” which is regarded by many to be the first punk record to come out of Los Angeles. The Germs disbanded in 1980, with Crash going on to form the Darby Crash Band, that didn’t last much longer than a handful of gigs. He got the Germs back together for a reunion show on December 3, 1980. Four days later he took his own life by overdosing on heroin in an apparent suicide pact with friend, Casey Cola who actually survived the OD. In 1981, Crash and the band were featured prominently in Penelope Spheeris’ acclaimed documentary on the L.A. punk scene, The Decline of Western Civilization.
Dee Clark was a soul singer who started his professional career in 1952. Over the next few years, he sang in a handful of groups until he went off on his own in 1957. By 1961, he had released a couple of top 20 hits but then went to the next level with the single, “Raindrops,” which went all the way to #2 on the pop charts and #3 on the R&B charts. The record sold over 2 million copies and has been covered by Tony Orlando and David Cassidy. It still receives regular airplay on oldies stations around the U.S. Clark was barely surviving financially by the late ’80s, performing in oldies shows whenever possible. He suffered a stroke in 1987, but still performed despite the fact he was partially paralyzed and had acquired a speech impediment. On December 7, 1990, Dee Clark suffered a fatal heart attack. He was 52 when he died.