Callywood Live from the California African American Museum

Stephanie Mills began her career appearing in her first play at the age of 9. Two years later, Mills won Amateur Night at the world-famous Apollo Theater a record six times. The victory lead to her being cast in her first Broadway role, the orphaned child of a runaway slave in the musical Maggie Flynn.

In 1973, Mills' musical recording career was launched when she was signed to Paramount records by Michael Barbiero, and her first single "I Knew It Was Love" was released. She was later signed to Motown. Her first two albums there failed to generate a buzz as the label couldn't find Mills' sound, and she left the label in 1976.

In 1975, Mills' career took a rise when she portrayed Dorothy in an African-American adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz entitled The Wiz, where she began dating Michael Jackson. Filled with a more urban style of music and scenery, The Wiz made Mills a star particularly because of her stellar performance of the song "Home." It would become her signature tune for years, and would be covered later by Diana Ross for the big-screen adaptation three years later and by Whitney Houston for her dramatic musical performance debut on TV in the early 1980s.

Musical success was elusive until 1979, when signed under the 20th Century Fox record label, Mills found her breakthrough in disco music, recording songs such as "Put Your Body In It," "You Can Get Over," and "What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin'." The resulting album, What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin, was Mills' first gold record.

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[dominoeffect1]

I SECOND THAT EMOTION VIC!

[victorantonio1]

Love, Love, Looooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­ooooooove her :)