Millie
b. Millicent Small, 6 October 1942, Clarendon, Jamaica. After leaving home at the age of 13 to further her singing career in Kingston, Millie recorded several tracks with producer Coxsone Dodd, who teamed her up with Roy Panton. As Roy And Millie, they achieved local success with We'll Meet and Oh, Shirley and caught the attention of entrepreneur Chris Blackwell. On 22 June 1964, Millie accompanied Blackwell to the UK and recorded Harry Edwards’ Don't You Know, before being presented with the catchy My Boy Lollipop, formerly a US R&B hit for Barbie Gaye, which became a transatlantic Top 5 hit, the first crossover ska record. Such chart fame proved evanescent. A carbon copy follow-up, Sweet William, was only a minor hit, and Bloodshot Eyes failed to breach the Top 40. Thereafter she languished in relative obscurity. Even a brief tie-up with Jackie Edwards in Jackie And Millie, and a nude spread in a men's magazine failed to revitalise her career. Ultimately handicapped by her novelty hit, Millie's more serious work, such as the self-chosen MILLIE SINGS FATS DOMINO, was sadly ignored.