Big John Mills, Texas legend and guitar virtuoso, began playing guitar at age 4. By age 12, Mills was earning a living as a highly sought-after guitarist and session musician.
Mills was raised in Texas, living in most every part of the state and ultimately growing up in Deer Park. Mills studied music at East Texas State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Business in 1982.
The definitive Texas player, Mills played on over 80 records in 2005. His work on Jimmy Kaiser’s “I’m Gone” earned him his first Texas Music Award as Musician of the Year in 2006. He won Musician of the Year 2008 for his own CD, “THAT: Tributes, Heartaches and Texas.” In 2010, Mills was once again recognized for his work on Dewey Wayne’s “Here for the Music”, by being awarded the Musician of the Year award for the third time.
Mills has four CDs to date: “Big John Mills” (1998), “Honky Tonks and Neon Lights” (2003), which was the first self-released CD by an independent artist to hit the Americana Top 10, and “THAT: Tributes Heartaches and Texas.” (2008) and His fourth CD Honkytonkology (2014) is currently On Radio and can be found online and at live Shows. Of his debut CD, MyTexasMusic wrote, “Big John Mills’ self-titled debut offering is an instrumental masterpiece showcasing his incomparable talent as a guitarist.” Miss Lana wrote, “Each line is a gem and your foot is tapping of its own volition.”
An engaging and electrifying performer and showman, Mills calls his expertly played music “Texacountryswingbluesicana” and those who have heard him at venues throughout Texas cannot argue that his natural-born expertise in each musical style makes his compositions – different at any given show, depending on mood and karma – riveting and utterly amazing. Guitar-playing skill like Big John’s does not often accompany such deft and wise songwriting and phrasing, but Big John is the whole package. His original rocking and rollicking song, “Spicy Chicken,” is the theme song for the Texas Music Awards. His great original songwriting has earned him the respect of his peers and the devotion of legions of fans around Texas, across the country and in Europe.
His songwriting influences range from Merle Haggard to Floyd Tillman, Johnny Bush and Hank Williams. Vocally, John is influenced by Ray Price and Jerry Jeff Walker, and his pickin’ channels Chet Atkins, Steve Ray Vaughn, Wes Montgomery and Jerry Reed.
“There’s not a better Telecaster picker around” –MyTexasMusic on Big John Mills
“Mills...writes authentic honky-tonk with a punch and delivers the goods with plenty of flair and style.”
– Country Standard Time