*TV One has established a strong marketing factor for the network with its music series, “Unsung.”
Past episodes have highlighted singers like Teddy Pendergrass, Teena Marie, Phyllis Hyman and plenty of others. The network attempted to cover the story of singer Stephanie Mills recently but was totally rejected.
The singer came forward to talk about why she refused the gig.
“I don’t like that show,” the Grammy Award winner revealed in a recent interview with The Huffington Post. “They have approached me quite a few times, but I [won't] do that show.”
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“I’ve always been very private and at 55 I don’t want to open up my life to that,” she continued. “They’ve done Angela Winbush and they even wanted me to say something about her on that show, and I love Angela, we’re sisters. But I had to tell her, ‘I don’t want to do that.’ … I’m not that girl.”
She said her life is her own business and her career is what it was, a career.
“I feel like I’ve had a wonderful career. I’ve done wonderful things and met some many wonderful different people. So I don’t feel like I’m unsung at all.”
That’s just it…she doesn’t think she’s Unsung. I respect her right to privacy, but to her dismay…she is unsung. Stephanie Mills has been touring off her OLD songs. Nobody has heard anything new from her in YEARS.
Ms. Mills, you wear irrelevancy well.
Simply shut the phuck up…dumbass!
Well I can respect that. You won’t be missed from the show at all.
And she still has an audience and not bothered by HATERS!!!!! If she’s still touring…SHE NOT UNSUNG!!!!! DUH?
Duh?!?!?!….and what’s your point because no one is hating on Stephanie Mills. I happen to be a fan of hers. Have several seats Mister Chris!!
Okay Stephanie. Sounds like you want us, as well as the future generations to forget about you, never give you credit for your contribution to the music industry. Wonderful!!! I thought “Unsung” was a platform to educate us on artist(s) who never reached the pinnacle of success due to controversy and crisis. Some survived, some didn’t but those who survived flourished.
The thing is Stephanie did reach the pinnacle of success. Perhaps she has a problem with the word ‘unsung’ which usually means someone that’s little known and didn’t receive proper credit or acknowledgement when they should have. I’m glad she’s content with her life as it is now.
The show is excellent and allow fans to find out things about their favorite old school singer and she could consider it an honor that people want to hear her story plus its not like she’s selling out concerts. It has been rumored that she has a stank ass attitude so this shouldn’t surprise me. I love TV One and alot of their shows…
Stephanie, I have heard the same thing about Ms Mills. I would like to have heard her story but Oh Well!! Also I like TV One and the day the network starts with the reality shows like VH1 is the day they will lose me as a viewer.
Let me start off by saying I see what People are saying. Stephanie had a nice, long, and successful career on the RandB charts. Not every Artists wants to crossover to the Pop Charts. I have never read about Stephanie being in the Welfare line or homeless. If she chooses to remain private, so be it.
I agree with ALL the comments . .she’s one of those people that if you want to remember them, you HAVE to snap your all day to jog your memory. I know enough about her to not care what she’s doing now. Good luck to her and her oldies tour. Shhhhhhhh, she may not know it but, “Unsung” has boosted sales of forgotten artists.
Lol…. Sitting here eating lunch and reading all the venom posted here. Maybe Stephanie was smart enough to bank her cash. So she would not have to tour forever like the The Temptation’s.
Sorry soul…but Ms. Mills is still touring. She has a show coming up in SF on Jun. 14th if you in the area. Sounds like forever to me…
Melody…..Bravo.
I kinda agree with Melody! It would have been nice to hear her story but maybe she feels her career wasn’t Unsung. Stephanie had a long run, she didn’t fall off until the 90′s. She had hits on both the pop and r&b charts and did Broadway.
I believe she’ll step out if it’s the right venue for her.
I guess she does not want to be the “where are they now” star that we all kinda wonder about after a while but if she is still touring I assume she feels she is still relevent and therefore not “Unsung” So I like Stephanie and wish her well. I saw her on Briadway years ago in the Wiz and she has some pipes! Good Luck!
Uhm, it’s UNSUNG. Sure we black folk like the series, but it’s UNSUNG on TVONE. The black version of VH1-’s similarly themed series.
I saw Stephanie Mills last year in concert she looked good and sounded great. She was one of my favorites growing up in the eighties in fact the very first time I ever saw her, she was on Captain Kangaroo lol. I’m sure she’s not the first one to turn down Unsung. Good luck Stephanie on those oldies but goodie tours, I sure did enjoy myself.
Maybe she is healthy and enjoys singing. The bottom line is its her decision. So why trip if she does not want to go on UnSung. Never thought of her as poor and broke.
soul > > > I agree with all of your posts.
She doesn’t HAVE to go on unsung but don’t say you don’t like the show and frown on it like you are better than the people who have been on there. Her “good” friend Angela Winbush was on there and she’s far from broke or poor. Everyone that appears on unsung is forgotten but some of them their stardom has faded and they realize it and would just like to tell their story. I’m sorry Ms. Mills doesn’t see it that way. But to me…she’s not that relevant to frown her nose up at the show.
YAWN..She’s not ffrowning…Just does not want to be on it…period!
And who are you?? Her publicist??
And I meant everyone who appears on the show ISN’T forgotten…
If she doesn’t want to be on unsung and she wants to frown on it she can if she wants to! I don’t give a damn if she hasn’t had a hit in years! That’s everybodys problem. She got to follow what everybody says you should be doing and she don’t have to follow in a damn thing! Stephanie’s got more talent in her pinkie finger than some of the empty headed non singing bimbos that are out right now.
Amen to you Stephanie
@ princefan,
“Stephanie’s got more talent in her pinkie finger than some of the empty headed non singing bimbos that are out right now.”
Fa sho! All this talk about Stephanie makes me want to update my collection and check to see when she’s in my area.
If I didn’t have a baby shower on 6/23 I’d catch her at BB Kings. She’s also appearing at the Essence Festival…know she’s gonna turn it out! Stephanie seems to pace herself and it’s good she’s not overexposed which makes her fans yearn to see how even more.
Stephanie had 7 Top 10 R&B albums and 5 #1 R&B singles. Of the albums, at least 5 were certified at least Gold, and “Home” was certified platinum. That’s a pretty good track record.
However, the belated, loved Teena Marie had similar concerns about the show. She sat with the producers and crafted an episode that ended on a much more positive note.
Before we lost Vesta too, she had seen the “Unsung” episode as a great vehicle to raise her visibility which also resulted in more potential bookings.
I respect Stephanie’s decision though it seems a little short-sighted to completely write it off.
Almost every artist that has been featured on an episode, saw their catalog reactivated.
It’s her right not to dish out her personal life. Very few people can remember the SHORT marriage she had back in the 70′s. I’m sure that would have come up in the interview. I love Unsung but some artists would just as soon keep thier personal life private and she happens to be one.
Most of the artist on unsung died tragically or ended up strung out. That isn’t the case for Ms. Mills. However, I don’t see why she says she hates the show. That was uncalled for.