Stanley Mills, Former Music Publisher, Dies at 91

Stanley Mills, a former music publisher who served on the boards of the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) and the Harry Fox Agency, has died at the age of 91.

Mills, the son of Mills Music Publishing Company founder Jack Mills, died on Thursday (Dec. 29) at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y. A cause of death was not provided.

Mills was born on Feb. 18, 1931. He began his career by working for his father at Mills Music. He remained with the company after it was sold to EMI Music Publishing in 1964. Two years later, he joined E.B. Marks (now Carlin America). In 1968, with the urging of his songwriter friends, Mills founded September Music and Galahad Music, representing many influential songs at the time, including “Cara Mia,” “Hands Up,” “My Melody of Love,” and the “Chicken Dance.”

Mills sold both September Music and Galahad Music to Memory Lane Music in 2015.

He is survived by his sons, Kenneth Mills and Mitchell Mills; nephews, Joshua Mills and Peter Alpert; and five grandchildren. Services will be private.