Millie Small

Biography

Millie Small (born Millicent Dolly May Small in Clarendon, Jamaica, on 6 October 1946; died 5 May 2020 in England) — often known as "Little Millie Small" — was a Jamaican singer-songwriter best known as the singer of the 1964 hit, My Boy Lollipop. Small was the daughter of a sugar plantation overseer. In her teens, she was part of a duo called Roy & Millie (with Roy Panton) and was recording for Coxsone Dodd's Studio One record label. They had a minor local hit with "We'll Meet." In late 1963...

Millie Small (born Millicent Dolly May Small in Clarendon, Jamaica, on 6 October 1946; died 5 May 2020 in England) — often known as "Little Millie Small" — was a Jamaican singer-songwriter best known as the singer of the 1964 hit, My Boy Lollipop.

Small was the daughter of a sugar plantation overseer. In her teens, she was part of a duo called Roy & Millie (with Roy Panton) and was recording for Coxsone Dodd's Studio One record label. They had a minor local hit with "We'll Meet."

In late 1963 she was taken to London by Chris Blackwell to make her fourth recording, an Ernest Ranglin rearrangement of "My Boy Lollipop", which had originally been recorded and released by white R&B singer Barbie Gaye in late 1956, becoming a minor hit in the New York area.

Released in March 1964, Small's cover was a massive hit, reaching number two both in the UK Singles Chart and in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Including singles sales, album usage and compilation inclusions, the song has since sold more than seven million copies worldwide.

"Lollipop" turned Small into an instant international star, performing with the Beatles on the Fab Four's BBC-TV special. Then hosting her own TV special on Finnish National Television. She also performed on the British TV Show "Ready, Steady, Go" (These can be seen on YouTube.com), the ABC-TV Show "Shindig", and had a starring role in a BBC-TV dramatic presentation.

"My Boy Lollipop" was doubly significant in British music. Small was the first Jamaican artist to have a major hit in the U.K and the U.S. Her recording was the first major smash for Island Records (although it was actually released via Fontana Records because Blackwell did not want to over-extend Island's then-meager resources), and Small was the first artist to have a hit that was recorded in the so-called "bluebeat" style. This was a "music genre" that had recently emerged from Jamaica, and came to be known as ska, is the direct ancestor of reggae.

Small continued to tour and perform up to the early 1970s. There is a video of Small's live performance at the 1970 Wembley Reggae Festival on DailyMotion.com.

On 6 August 2011, the 49th anniversary of Jamaica's independence, the Governor-General created Small a Commander in the Order of Distinction, for her contribution to the Jamaican music industry. The award was accepted on her behalf by former Prime Minister Edward Seaga.

Discography

* "Don't You Know" / "Until You're Mine" - 1963
* "My Boy Lollipop" - 1964 - Combo Records
* "Sweet William" - 1964
* "I Love The Way You Love" / "Bring It On Home To Me" - 1964
* "I've Fallen In Love With A Snowman" / "What Am I Living For" - 1965
* "See You Later Alligator" / "Chilly Kisses" - 1965
* "My Street" / "It's Too Late" - 1965
* "Bloodshot Eyes" / "Tongue Tied" - 1965
* "My Street" / "A Mixed Up Fickle Moody Self Centred, Spoiled Kind Of Boy" - 1966
* "Killer Joe" / "Carry Go Bring Come" - 1966
* "You Better Forget" / "I Am In Love" - 1967
* "Chicken Feed" / "Wings Of A Dove" - 1967
* "When I Dance With You" / "Hey Mr. Love" - 1968
* "Readin' Writin' Arithmetic" / "I Want You Never To Stop" - 1969
* "Time Will Tell" - 1970/2004 - Trojan Records Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.