Millie Small CD, was a powerful Jamaican singer-songwriter best known for her classic remake of “My Boy Lollipop”. Born Millicent Dolly May Small on October 6, 1946 in Clarendon, Jamaica; Small would captivate the world with her powerful high pitched vocals. Small’s early career began at the age of twelve when she won the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour talent contest. Moving to Kingston to pursue a singing career, she initially worked with producers such as Coxsone Dodd and Lindon Pottinger, collaborating with singers like Owen Gray and Roy Panton. The two gained minor success with the hit “We’ll Meet”. Though petite in stature, she was impactful enough to catch the attention of Island Record boss Chris Blackwell. In 1963 Blackwell took her to England, her first recording in London, “Don’t You Know”, made little impact when released by Fontana Records. Later that year, Blackwell had guitarist Ernest Ranglin rearranged Barbie Gayle’s version of “My Boy Lollipop” and the rest was history.  The single was released in 1964 and Small’s version immediately became an international success. The song reached number two on both the British and U.S Billboard charts and topping the charts in Canada & Australia. Millie became an instant superstar as the song captured the success of transcending into the biggest selling “Ska” song of all time with sales of over 7.5 million. Her first album, “More Millie”, contained a varied selection of songs arranged by Ranglin. In the US it was issued as “My Boy Lollipop”, with a slightly different selection of tracks. Her early Jamaican recordings were also reissued to take advantage of her popularity. She appeared on the 1964 Beatles TV special “Around the Beatles. On 28 December 1964 she also appeared in ITV’s Play of the week episode: “The Rise and Fall of Nellie Brown”, playing the role of Selina Brown. She was dubbed as a blue beat singer who became the first Jamaican artist to have a major hit in both the UK and U.S. at the same time. This feat gave Island Records its first major hit and ensured stardom for Small who also paved the way for women on a global level.

Being a megastar propelled Small into the limelight that transitioned performances with the Beatles and other stars. She would appear on several television programs as well as hosting her own TV special on Finnish National Television. Small’s success continued with appearances on the British TV show “Top of the Pops” and a world tour. Despite her initial success, subsequent singles like “Sweet William” were less successful. She released her second LP Millie sings Fats Domino”Small continued to tour globally but faced challenges in maintaining her earlier level of popularity. She recorded duets with Jackie Edwards and released albums like “Millie Sings Fats Domino” and “The best of Jackie & Millie”, unfortunately her recording contracts with Island and Fontana ended in 1968. In 1969, Small returned to recording with the emergence of reggae in the UK. She worked with Trojan and President Records, releasing singles such as “My Love and I” and “Enoch Power.” After a brief period with President Records, she largely took a break from recording. Millie continued to tour and perform in Jamaica and in 1971, she moved to Singapore. She returned to the UK in 1973, keeping a low profile and staying out of the public’s eye. Though she continued recording and touring up until the early seventies, she took a break to focus on other matters. Nonetheless, her impact on the music industry is still recognized even today.