Once Bitten...Twice: Tony Mills Music Legacy

At just the age of 19, Mills joined in with the band Shy, an English AOR and Glam Metal group from England. For 8 years, Mills was the vocals for Shy in their first 4 albums including there most popular record in sales of 1983 with the album Once Bitten...Twice. During his time with Shy, he has toured with groups such as Twisted Sister, Meatloaf, Gary Moore, Bon Jovi, Sleeze Beez and UFO. It was also during the time when Mills was also helped with backing vocals in Cinderella's debut album Night Songs, along with having writting sessions with Don Dokken, Micheal Bolton and John Parker.

Mills left Shy in 1991 when wanting to perform solo. At this time, MCA Records wanted Mills to write an album, but have it be created with other members. So Mills invited Bob Maxim and other members from 10CC and Sad Cafe to then create a band, Siam. After working with Siam, he left in the mid 90s as he spent a year in a Rush tribute band, YYZ. It was after this, Tony Mills was brought back to be with Shy. He performed two more albums with Shy, Unfinished Business and Sunset and Vines. Mills then left again when he created two solo albums Cruiser and Freeway To The Afterlife. He was then again reunited with Shy, but it didn't work out as he left again.

In 2006 Mills was asked to join Norweigan band, TNT and he graciously accepted. Tony Harnell, who was the vocalist for TNT left for personal and professional reasons. So with Mills now the new vocalist, he created the album, The New Territory. Despite high-sales, the album was poorly recieved by critics. 2007, he toured with TNT in support of acts such as Ozzy Osbourne, Skid Row and Motorhead. Between 2006 and 2010, Mills was widely recognized by numerous acts from Europe and The States helping with writing, recording, sound engineering and overall performance of record production. In 2008, Mills was also working on TNT's new album, Atlantis and was successful in the process.

In 2008, Mills then joined Serpentine. After a short-while, Mills released their album A Touch of Heaven from a German record label in 2010 and this led to Mills and the band having a 92% rating in Burrn! magazine and also reaching the Top 100 in Japan marking 72nd in most popular music. It was at the same time, Mills finished the TNT album, A Farewell To Arms. After some time went by, Mills suffered a heartattack in a Norway Airport and this prompted him to leave Serpentine.

Still with TNT at the time, Mills then toured with TNT across Europe. 3 years later, Tony left to produce more of his own work and did so for 7 years. With his two solo albums and the hit single, Girls In Norway. Mills at the time tried to bring Siam back together, but it wasn't successful so he reverted back to solo works and created a Siam sound of Heavy Metal with his new album, Over My Dead Body in 2015. In 2017, Tony helped Italian band Crying Steel to release an album and was successful. Through his solo carrer, Mills helped groups in Europe such as Serpentine, Guild, Nergard and China Blue.

In April of 2019, Tony Mills recieved bad news and was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer that was terminal. Still focusing on music, he released his new album Beyond The Law which would be his last as he passed 6 months later in September at the age of 57.

Brought onto Earth: July 7, 1962
Passage to Heaven: September 18, 2019

Awards, Medals, Recognitions

Mills was tributed by Negard's album as they delayed the release in his honor.

Tony Harnell did a tribute tour for Mills in Europe.

TNT video release in 2011; Tony Mills as Tony Mills

Tony Mills quote

"We went to church on Sunday, forgot it all by Monday, all promises were broken, by prayers we left unspoken." Song: Running Guns

Author Notes: R.I.P to a man who put others first before himself.

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