Stephanie Mills American blues singer Date of Birth: 22.03.1957 Country: USA

1. Biography of Stephanie Mills
2. Early Music Career
3. Breakthrough Success
4. Later Career
5. Later Years

Biography of Stephanie Mills

Stephanie Mills, an American blues singer, was born on March 22, 1957, in New York City, USA. She won her first music competition when she was just nine years old. Two years later, Mills emerged victorious in the "Amateur Night" music competition at the Apollo Theater in New York, earning her the title of the "girl with a big future." It was during this time that she also landed her first role in the Broadway musical "Maggie Flynn."

Early Music Career

In 1973, Mills started performing with the group "The Isley Brothers," and in 1974, she released her first solo album, which went largely unnoticed by the public. However, in 1975, her career took off again when she was offered the role of Dorothy in an African-American adaptation of the musical "The Wiz." The musical was a resounding success, thanks in no small part to Mills' performance of the song "Home." During the production, Mills met up-and-coming singer Michael Jackson, and they began a passionate romance. However, their relationship ended after a few premieres of "The Wiz."

Breakthrough Success

In 1979, Mills recorded her next solo album, which was released by the record label "20th Century Fox." The album quickly became a hit, and the song "Put Your Body In It" topped the American charts for several weeks. The following year, Mills solidified her success with the release of the album "Sweet Sensation," featuring the mega-hit "Never Knew Love Like This Before." The song reached the sixth spot on the list of the most popular pop hits of 1980, becoming Mills' signature song (later, three cover versions of "Never Knew Love Like This Before" were released).

Later Career

Mills collaborated with popular artist Teddy Pendergrass on her next album (he was considered "America's black sex symbol" in the 80s). The songs from the album achieved success in both the American and British charts, but their joint tour was cut short as Pendergrass was involved in a car accident and was paralyzed for two years. Mills also faced personal problems during this time, going through a divorce with her husband, musician Jeffrey Daniels from the group "Shalamar," after a marriage of only 18 months.

Later Years

Between 1995 and 2000, Mills released several albums that did not achieve significant success. In 1995, she took a break from the music scene for two years after giving birth to her son. In 2000, she collaborated with rapper DMX on several singles.