Millie Kirkham (born Mildred Eakes; June 24, 1923 – December 14, 2014) was an American singer who was featured on many classic hit recordings from the mid 1950s through the 1980s. Millie was known as the "Nashville soprano" on numerous hit records and became affectionately known as the fifth member of the Jordanaires.
Kirkham was born Mildred Eakes in Hermitage, Tennessee
and raised in Donelson. She started her career singing in the National Life and
Accident Insurance Girls' Glee Club before becoming a regular performer on WSM
broadcasts in 1946, including Sunday Down South, working under WSM-AM
programming director and Tree Publishing founder Jack Stapp. Not long after she
left to focus on recording sessions in 1954 -- just a few years before the rise
of the famed "Nashville Sound."
Through her early work with vocal group The Jordanaires
(best-known as Presley's background vocalists) she helped shape that sound. She
was first invited to sing with the group on Husky's #1 country and #4
cross-over hit recording of "Gone", in which Millie sang the angelic
background harmony. Elvis asked the Jordanaires, "Who is that lady that
sang on 'Gone'?", to which the Jordanaires replied, "That's Millie,
Millie Kirkham." They called her to see if she would sing for Elvis and
she accepted.
It was Elvis Presley's 1957 recording of "Blue
Christmas" that catapulted Millie to icon status. She was six months
pregnant, which was unknown to Elvis, and immediately upon her arrival Elvis
said: "someone please get that lady a chair". As she recalled
during an appearance at the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012, Presley had been asked to re-record the song, and was less than enthused at the prospect.
during an appearance at the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012, Presley had been asked to re-record the song, and was less than enthused at the prospect.
"He turned around to us," Mrs. Kirkham said.
"The musicians and the singers, and he said, 'OK, let's just get this over
with. Just do anything. Have fun, have a good time, do something silly.' So I
started going, (sings) 'Woooo,' and he motioned for me to keep doing it, and
grinned at me. So I just did it all the way through the whole song. When we got
through, we all laughed and said, 'Well, that's one record that the record
company will never release.' (laughs). But they did, and if I was getting
royalties, I'd be a rich old woman."
Harold Bradley, Buddy Harman, Kelso Herston & Millie |
Jordanaires, Millie & Jim Reeves |
She also sang on classics by many other artists, such as
Ferlin Husky's "Gone," Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry," Patti
Page's "These Fools," Bobby Vinton's "Blue Velvet," Roy
Orbison's "It's Over" and George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her
Today." Other names on Kirkham's sprawling list of credits include Chet
Atkins, Patsy Cline, Porter Wagoner, Bob Dylan, Charley Pride, Kris
Kristofferson, Carl Perkins, Loretta Lynn, Hank Snow, Reba McEntire and Bobby Vinton.
In February 2008 she appeared in "Nashville
celebrates Elvis at the Ryman" alongside George Klein (Emcee), Pat Boone,
David Briggs, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Wanda Jackson, Wynonna Judd,
Ray Walker of the Jordanaires, Ronnie McDowell, TG Sheppard, BJ Thomas and former members of J.D. Sumner & the Stamps.
She was married to drummer Doug Kirkham, who died in 1986. Millie died on December 14, 2014, at the age of 91 in Nashville, Tennessee following a stroke earlier in the week.
Ray Walker of the Jordanaires, Ronnie McDowell, TG Sheppard, BJ Thomas and former members of J.D. Sumner & the Stamps.
She was married to drummer Doug Kirkham, who died in 1986. Millie died on December 14, 2014, at the age of 91 in Nashville, Tennessee following a stroke earlier in the week.
(Edited from Wikepedia, Tennessean & Nashville Scene)
2 comments:
Thanks to Hit Parade who requested a post about today’s artist.
Please enjoy this selection of Kirkham's performances, which you’ll find on these 25 tracks I’ve compiled from her session work. I only had a limited time to trace as many as I could, so it’s rather selected, but believe me she’s on every track somewhere in the background. Track listing is in no special order andare taken from various albums from my library.
So for “Millie Kirkham - In Session” go here:
https://www.upload.ee/files/11921719/Millie_Kirkham_-_In_Session.rar.html
01) Ferlin Husky - Gone.mp3
02) Bobby Helms - A Hundred Hearts.mp3
03) Jim Reeves - Anna Marie.mp3
04) Patsy Cline - Back in Baby-'s Arms.mp3
05) Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas.mp3
06) Bobby Vinton - Blue Velvet.mp3
07) George Jones - He Stopped Loving Her Today.mp3
08) Sonny James - Heaven Says Hello.mp3
09) Brenda Lee - I'm Sorry.mp3
10) Roy Orbison - It-'s Over.mp3
11) Kris Kristofferson - Jesus Was A Capricorn.mp3
12) Arnie Derksen - Let the Whole World Know.mp3
13) Elvis Presley - Milky White Way.mp3
14) Burl Ives - My Adobe Hacienda.mp3
15) Johnny Tillotson - Poetry in Motion.mp3
16) Elvis Presley - My Wish Came True.mp3
17) Carl Dobkins Jr - Raining in My Heart.mp3
18) Sonny James - Running Bear.mp3
19) Bobby Bare - Shame on Me.mp3
20) Patsy Cline - That's How a Heartache Begins.mp3
21) Sonny James - Take Good Care Of Her (1).mp3
22) Carl Dobkins Jr. - True Love.mp3
23) Eddie Arnold - What-'s He Doing In My World.mp3
24) Burl Ives - When the Bloom Is on the Sage.mp3
25) Elvis Presley - The Wonder of You.mp3
Hi Bob,
Thanks for bringing attention to such a deserving, probably overlooked artist. And on such short notice, two days before her birthday.
Hit Parade :-)
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