Originally known as “The Four Kings of Harmony”, the Mills Brothers were an African-American jazz and pop vocal quartet formed in 1928 consisting of 4 brothers: Harry (1913-1982), Donald (1915 -1999), Herbert (1912-1989) and John Jr. (1910-1936). Born in Piqua, Ohio, they first began singing in church Choir and performing on the street. They eventually entered an amateur contest at May’s Opera House, during which Harry lost his kazoo and had to improvise by cupping his hands over his mouth and imitating the sound of the instrument. The brothers liked the sound and incorporated mimicking the sounds of orchestra instruments into their act. They first got their big break performing with Duke Ellington and his Orchestra and signed a record deal with Okeh Records. They went on to record over 2000 songs, sell more than 50 million copies and receive at least than 3 dozen gold records. They would also become the first African-American artists to have their own show on national network radio in 1930. The band changed members several times, most notably after the death of John Jr. who was replaced by his father. The band officially stopped touring in 1982 after Harry’s death. In 1998, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Mills family was recognized by the Recording Academy for their contributions to popular music.