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Rodney Mills is an American mastering engineer in Atlanta, GA.
He has been involved in the music industry for over 40 years and has earned over 40 gold and platinum records for engineering, producing, and mastering.
Biography
A native Georgian, Rodney began his music career in 1962 playing bass for The Bushmen. During his seven years with the group, Rodney became intrigued with recording music and actively started pursuing a career as an engineer in 1967.
In 1968, Rodney became chief engineer at Lefevre Sound Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. During his three years there, he engineered records for several local and national acts ranging from gospel, country, R&B, rock, and everything in between. Some of the artists he worked with there included Joe South, Billy Joe Royal, Dennis Yost and the Classics IV, The Meters, The Stamps Quartet, James Brown, The Winstons, Mylon LeFevre, and scores of other projects.
In 1970, Rodney was approached by Buddy Buie to build a studio for him and become the chief engineer there. He co-designed and oversaw the construction of the famous Studio One in a suburb of Atlanta, Doraville, Georgia. For the next sixteen years, Rodney worked almost exclusively in this studio on countless projects for different artists and clients.
During his tenure at Studio One, Rodney worked with numerous artists as engineer and later as producer/engineer. The list includes: B.J. Thomas, The Atlanta Rhythm Section (8
In 1986, Rodney left Studio One to continue his career as a producer independent of any studio. Since then, he has produced
In 1994, Rodney saw a need for a mastering service in Atlanta and formed "Rodney Mills' Masterhouse". This service was a natural step for Rodney to take as a result of his experience in participating in the mastering process countless times as a client with industry pioneers such as Bob Ludwig. With his previous experience working with some of the leading mastering engineers in the world, he knew he could provide a similar service in Atlanta and the south. The idea was received enthusiastically in the recording community and continues to be a major leader in the mastering field. Since then, he has mastered thousands of projects for national & regional acts including Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, The Wallflowers, Collective Soul, Kentucky Headhunters, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Lil John and the Eastside Boyz, Bonecrusher, and many many more.
Notable recordings (60's - 90's)
- Color Him Father - The Winstons (1969)
- Amen Brother - The Winstons (1969) (featuring the "Amen Break")
- Spooky - Dennis Yost and the Classics IV (1968)
- Stormy - Dennis Yost and the Classics IV (1968)
- Traces - Dennis Yost and the Classics IV (1969)
- Tuesday's Gone - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973)
- Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973)
- Gimme Three Steps - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973)
- Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973)
- Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974)
- Workin' For MCA - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974)
- Don't Ask Me No Questions - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974)
- Call Me The Breeze - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974)
- Doraville - Atlanta Rhythm Section (1974)
- Moonlight Feels Right - Starbuck (1976)
- So Into You - Atlanta Rhythm Section (1976)
- Street Survivors (Album) - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1977)
- Whats Your Name - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1977)
- That Smell - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1977)
- Aint No Good Life - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1977)
- I Love The Nightlife - Alicia Bridges (1978)
- Imaginary Lover - Atlanta Rhythm Section (1978)
- Champagne Jam - Atlanta Rhythm Section (1978)
- I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight - Atlanta Rhythm Section (1978)
- Rockin' Into The Night - .38 Special (1980)
- Captured (Album) - Journey (1981)
- Hold On Loosely - .38 Special (1981)
- Caught Up In You - .38 Special (1981)
- I'm No Angel - Greg Allman (1986)
- Before The Bullets Fly - Greg Allman (1988)
- Second Chance - .38 Special (1988)
- Rock & Roll Strategy - .38 Special (1988)
- Cycles (Album) - The Doobie Brothers (1989)
- Dreams (Album) - The Allman Brothers Band (1989)
- Brotherhood (Album) - The Doobie Brothers (1991)
Musical history
In 1969 at Lefevre Sound Studios, Rodney was beginning his career as a recording
engineer. One of his first engineering projects included recording a
45rpm single for a Washington, D.C. based
gospel group called The Winstons. The single for the group, titled "Color Him Father", went on to sell over 500,000 copies (RIAA certified gold) and won a Grammy Award
the same year for Best R&B Song. The B-Side of the 7" vinyl single was an up-tempo
instrumental rendition of an older gospel music classic titled "Amen Brother". This song included a 4 bar drum solo played by
Winstons drummer G.C.
Coleman, which years later was to become known as the the famous "Amen Break". Since
then, this beat has been sampled by an astonishing amount of artists including
2 Live Crew, N.W.A.,
Awards and recognition
1996 was a special year for Rodney, as he was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. The annual black tie event held at the Georgia World Congress Center honors Georgians in the music business. Along with the acceptance of this most prestigious award, he was enshrined in the Hall of Fame building in Macon, GA. among other notable inductees including Ray Charles, Lena Horne, James Brown, Bill Lowery, Buddy Buie, Little Richard, Gladys Knight, Joe South, TLC, REM and many others.
Affiliations
Rodney has also served on the Board of Governors for NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Science), and has served on several committees and panels for their Music In The Schools program. This organization is responsible for the nomination and voting of the Grammy Awards, one of the highest honors awarded for excellence in music.
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