Kerry Mills

American composer of popular music during the Tin Pan Alley era (born February 1, 1869 in Philadelphia, PA - died December 5, 1948 in Hawthorne, Los Angeles Co., CA). Mills composed music a variety of music including ragtime, cakewalks, marches, and film music. He was most prolific between 1895 and 1918. One of his biggest hits was "At A Georgia Camp Meeting" (1897) while he is probably best remembered for his songs "Meet Me In St Louis, Louis" (1904), "Redwing" (1907), and "Whistling Rufus" (1899). After receiving an early musical education, Mills led the violin department at the University of Michigan from 1892-1893. In 1895, he moved to New York City where he started a music publishing firm (F. A. Mills Music Publisher) through which he published his own music and that of others. By 1930, he had relocated to Los Angeles, where he was working as a writer.