Billy Mills
As one half of the duo Pic and Bill (Charles Pickens being the other) Billy
Mills, reputedly born in North Carolina, recorded extensively for several
of Major Bill Smith’s Fort Worth, Texas based labels, including Charay
and Le Cam. Unlike his partner, Mills had a brief if interesting solo
career. His first disc included a version of “Under The Pines”,
a song that every black artist recorded by Smith seems to have recorded,
backed by a very fine version of Art Neville’s All
These Things,
turning a typical Allen Toussaint New Orleans ballad into a more general
southern soul cut of considerable merit.
The big voiced singer joined John
Richbourg in 1973 for a couple of 45s on his 77 imprint.
Easy
Goin' Fellow is a great bluesy version of the Roscoe Shelton hit, with his
voice superbly set in a backing of horns, guitar and piano from the best
studio in the South, Fame in Muscle Shoals. The flip “Sad Memories” is
a more orthodox up-tempo soul performance, with Mills himself getting half
share of the writing credit.
Discography
Under the pines / All
these things ~ CHARAY 61
Easy goin' fellow / Sad memories ~ 77 111
I just love her / Best way (to forget a girl) ~ 77 126