Stephanie Mills
| Stephanie Mills | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Stephanie Dorthea Mills |
| Born |
March 22, 1957 New York City, New York, United States |
| Genres | R&B, soul, gospel |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | piano, guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Labels | Motown, 20th Century, Casablanca, MCA, GospoCentric, LightYear, Expansion Records |
Stephanie Dorthea Mills (born March 22, 1957) is an American R&B, soul and gospel singer, songwriter and Broadway star. She rose to stardom as "Dorothy" in the original Broadway run of the musical The Wiz from 1975 to 1977. The song "Home" from the show later became a No.1 U.S. R&B hit for Mills and her signature song. In the 1980s she scored five No.1 R&B hits, including "Home", "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love", "I Feel Good All Over", "(You're Puttin') A Rush on Me" and "Something in the Way (You Make Me Feel)". Mills' 1980 song "Never Knew Love Like This Before" won a Grammy Award for best R&B vocal performance.
Mills was born in Brooklyn, New York City. As a child, she sang gospel music at Brooklyn's Cornerstone Baptist Church, and began her career at age 9, appearing in the Broadway musical Maggie Flynn. After winning Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater six weeks straight at age 11, she went on to become the opening act for the Isley Brothers.
In 1973, Mills was signed to Paramount records by Michael Barbiero, and her first single "I Knew It Was Love" was released. She was later signed to Motown. Her first two albums there failed to produce a hit, and she left the label in 1976.
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