Mrs. Elva Miller - Biography

Biography

Connes was born in Joplin, Missouri, to Edward and Ada (Martin) Connes. She grew up in Missouri and Kansas. In 1934 she married John Richardson Miller and moved with him to Claremont, California. She studied music, voice, and composition at Pomona College and involved herself in church and community projects. She said singing was "a hobby", but produced several records, mainly of classical, gospel, and children's songs. She self-financed and recorded at least one 45 ("Slumber Song"), and distributed it to local orphanages. It was while making such a recording that arranger Fred Bock heard her. He convinced her to try more modern songs and took the recordings to different record labels.

KMPC disc jockey (and later Laugh-In announcer) Gary Owens featured Miller on his radio program, as early as 1960 and, around that time, she also appeared on a limited-run album of his comedy routines. Owens can certainly be credited to have first discovered her, as her later success on Capitol Records did not take place until late 1965.

Miller was signed to Capitol Records by Lex de Azevedo, a young up-and-coming producer at the label. His uncle, Bill Conkling, was then president of Capitol Records. Azevedo was also a member of The King Family. He is now a successful music producer in the LDS Church and, when approached, does not care to discuss his involvement with Miller.

Miller's success, like that of Florence Foster Jenkins and Wing, was due to the perceived amateurishness of her singing. Capitol Records seemed eager to emphasize it—in a 1967 interview with Life magazine, Miller herself claimed that during recording sessions she was deliberately conducted a half beat ahead or behind time, and claimed the worst of several different recordings of a song would be chosen for the finished album.

Her first LP, ironically titled Mrs. Miller's Greatest Hits, appeared in 1966. Made up entirely of pop songs, it sold over 250,000 copies in its first three weeks. KMPC disc jockey Gary Owens wrote the liner notes. Will Success Spoil Mrs. Miller?! followed and The Country Soul of Mrs. Miller came a year later.

Miller sang for US servicemen in Vietnam, performed at the Hollywood Bowl, guest starred on numerous television shows, and appeared in Roddy McDowall's film The Cool Ones. However, interest in Miller soon waned. She was dropped by Capitol and, in 1968, she released one album, Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing, on the Amaret label. Before issuing several singles on her own Vibrato Records label, she recorded two albums worth of material at Radio Recorders for Dunhill Records which went unnoticed, then retired from singing in the early 1970s.

Miller was apparently unaware at first that her musical ability was being ridiculed, but eventually realized it and decided to go along with the joke. She attributed her break with Capitol to her wanting to sing correctly and record ballads, while Capitol wanted to continue the "so bad it's good" style.

Miller retired sometime around 1972, when interest in her career had almost completely waned. She spent her remaining years doing charity work and died while living in a nursing home.