Mike Mills

Michael Edward Mills (born December 17, 1958) is an American multi‑instrumentalist, singer, and composer best known as a founding member of the alternative‑rock legend R.E.M. Born in Orange County, California to Marine father Frank and mother Adora, Mills moved with his mother and grandmother to Atlanta at six months old before settling in Macon, Georgia, where he met future bandmate Bill Berry in high school. Their early collaborations in bands such as Shadowfax (later The Back Door Band) laid the groundwork for a partnership that would later relocate to Athens, Georgia, and culminate in the formation of R.E.M. while Mills attended the University of Georgia. Unlike his peers, Mills brought formal musical training to the group, which helped shape the band’s intricate arrangements; his melodic bass style was inspired by Paul McCartney and Chris Squire, and he frequently contributed keyboards, piano, and occasional lead vocals, adding depth to classics like “Nightswimming” and “Find the River.” Throughout the 1980s and 1990s his backing harmonies became a signature element of R.E.M.’s sound, and his songwriting credits include a string of beloved tracks such as “At My Most Beautiful,” “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville,” and “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?”.

Beyond R.E.M., Mills has pursued a prolific side‑career as a collaborator, producer, and composer for film and other artists. He contributed to Warren Zevon’s Sentimental Hygiene, recorded with the Hindu Love Gods, and co‑founded The Baseball Project, a super‑group chronicling baseball history. In 2014 he joined Joseph Arthur’s band, famously breaking the news of David Letterman’s retirement onstage, and he has led performances of Big Star’s Third/Sister Lovers across major cities worldwide. His artistic curiosity led to a 2016 concerto for violin, rock band, and string orchestra with violinist Robert McDuffie, a project revived in 2022. A testament to his cultural impact, a newly described mushroom, Pluteus millsii, was named after him in 2023. An avid fantasy‑sports enthusiast and a lifelong Georgia Bulldogs fan, Mills remains married to Jasmine Pahl and continues to influence generations of musicians with his melodic sensibility and collaborative spirit.