When Mitch Miller, then Columbia Records’ top song-picker, asked Rosemary Clooney to sing an oddball tune adapted from an old Armenian folk melody, “I damn near fell on the floor,” Clooney recalled. She reluctantly agreed to record the song, with backing from an electric harpsichord, and “Come On-a My House” transformed her from a $50-a-session backup singer into an international star. “Nothing happened to me until I met Mitch,” she said.
The same could be said for several of the 20th century’s best-known singers. Miller, who died this week at 99, was “a career shaper for singers like Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Mathis, Doris Day, Patti Page, and Frankie Laine,” said The New York Times. His singalong albums, which invited listeners to join in on old favorites like “That Old Gang of Mine,” were instant hits, as was the offshoot television show, Sing Along With Mitch, making him one of America’s most popular bandleaders. But he was also a serious musician, working as a classical oboist before signing on with Mercury Records and later Columbia, as the head of artists and repertory, responsible for matching songs with singers.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.