June Millington
Encyclopedia
June Millington is a Philippine-American guitarist, who along with her sister
bassist Jean Millington, drummer Alice de Buhr, and keyboardist Nickey Barclay founded Fanny
, which was signed with Warner Brothers' Reprise Records in 1969 and released five albums by 1974, including Fanny, Charity Ball, Fanny Hill (produced by Richard Perry
), and Mother's Pride, which was produced by Todd Rundgren
. Fanny toured worldwide, gaining widespread popularity in the U.K., and charted in the U.S. with the songs "Charity Ball" and "Butter Boy". In 1971 Fanny also served as session players and did arrangements for Barbra Streisand
's self-titled album. In 2002, Rhino records gave the group the box-set treatment, releasing First Time In A Long Time—The Reprise Recordings.
in Rolling Stone in Rolling Stone
magazine - 29 December 1999: "One of the most important female bands in American rock has been buried without a trace. And that is Fanny. They were one of the finest ... rock bands of their time, in about 1973. They were extraordinary ... They're as important as anybody else who's ever been, ever; it just wasn't their time. Revivify Fanny. And I will feel that my work is done."
, Earl Slick
. She continues to play bass both in the studio and in concert, and is also an herbalist and holographic-repatterning practitioner. Jean had also done studio work for many artists, including Keith Moon
, David Bowie
, and Roderick Taylor
.
June and Jean Millington continued to record and release albums together after Fanny disbanded, most recently in the group Slammin' Babes. June, whom Guitar Player magazine called "the hottest female guitar player in the industry", has a long career producing albums as well, with credits including those by Holly Near
, Mary Watkins, Cris Williamson
, Bitch and Animal
, John Simon
, Diane Lincoln, and Joel Zoss.
In 1986, June Millington together with her longtime partner
, Ann Hackler, formed the Institute for the Musical Arts (IMA). The Goshen, MA-based non-profit institute's mission is to support women and girls in music and music-related businesses. IMA's programs include the Rock 'n Roll Camp for Girls, and workshops on vocal and instrumental instruction, album production and recording techniques, lyric and music composition, and booking, promotion, and entertainment law.
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
bassist Jean Millington, drummer Alice de Buhr, and keyboardist Nickey Barclay founded Fanny
Fanny (band)
Fanny was an American girl band, led by June Millington. They were pioneers as one of the first rock bands to feature all women, and the third to sign to a major record label, after Goldie & the Gingerbreads and The Pleasure Seekers...
, which was signed with Warner Brothers' Reprise Records in 1969 and released five albums by 1974, including Fanny, Charity Ball, Fanny Hill (produced by Richard Perry
Richard Perry
Richard Perry is an American music producer. Perry began as a performer in his adolescence, but shifted gears after graduating college and rose through the late 1960s and early 1970s to become a highly successful and popular record producer with over a dozen gold records to his credit by 1982...
), and Mother's Pride, which was produced by Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
. Fanny toured worldwide, gaining widespread popularity in the U.K., and charted in the U.S. with the songs "Charity Ball" and "Butter Boy". In 1971 Fanny also served as session players and did arrangements for Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
's self-titled album. In 2002, Rhino records gave the group the box-set treatment, releasing First Time In A Long Time—The Reprise Recordings.
Fanny's musical legacy
While the Runaways and the Go Go's are remembered as the early all-female rock bands, Fanny pre-dates them by several years, and their existence and popularity was instrumental to the rise of the female bands that followed. Their influence also transcended gender lines. Said fan David BowieDavid Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
in Rolling Stone in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine - 29 December 1999: "One of the most important female bands in American rock has been buried without a trace. And that is Fanny. They were one of the finest ... rock bands of their time, in about 1973. They were extraordinary ... They're as important as anybody else who's ever been, ever; it just wasn't their time. Revivify Fanny. And I will feel that my work is done."
Later years
June Millington's sister Jean married David Bowie's then guitaristGuitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, Earl Slick
Earl Slick
Earl Slick is a guitarist best known for his collaborations with David Bowie, Jim Diamond and Robert Smith, although he has also worked with other artists , John Waite, and even released some solo recordings.In the early 1970s, Earl Slick gained his...
. She continues to play bass both in the studio and in concert, and is also an herbalist and holographic-repatterning practitioner. Jean had also done studio work for many artists, including Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, and Roderick Taylor
Roderick Taylor
Roderick Taylor, also known as Rod Taylor or Roderick Falconer, is an American poet, recording artist, screenwriter, television producer and television director. Taylor is the father of screenwriter and television/film producer Bruce A...
.
June and Jean Millington continued to record and release albums together after Fanny disbanded, most recently in the group Slammin' Babes. June, whom Guitar Player magazine called "the hottest female guitar player in the industry", has a long career producing albums as well, with credits including those by Holly Near
Holly Near
Holly Near is an American singer-songwriter, actress, teacher, and activist for social change.-Early years:...
, Mary Watkins, Cris Williamson
Cris Williamson
Cris Williamson is an American feminist singer-songwriter, who achieved fame as a recording artist, and who was a pioneer as a visible lesbian political activist, during a time when few who were not connected to the Lesbian community were aware of Gay and Lesbian issues...
, Bitch and Animal
Bitch and Animal
Bitch and Animal, a duo consisting of musicians Bitch and Animal Prufrock, were a queercore band that performed from 1995 to 2004. Bitch and Animal have kept their birth names out of publication for both political and artistic reasons...
, John Simon
John Simon (record producer)
John Simon is an American musician, record producer, and composer. He is best known for his work with The Band as producer and musician on Music from Big Pink and The Band.-Biography:...
, Diane Lincoln, and Joel Zoss.
In 1986, June Millington together with her longtime partner
Significant other
Significant other is colloquially used as a gender-blind term for a person's partner in an intimate relationship without disclosing or presuming anything about marital status, relationship status, or sexual orientation, as it is vague enough to avoid offense by using a term that an individual...
, Ann Hackler, formed the Institute for the Musical Arts (IMA). The Goshen, MA-based non-profit institute's mission is to support women and girls in music and music-related businesses. IMA's programs include the Rock 'n Roll Camp for Girls, and workshops on vocal and instrumental instruction, album production and recording techniques, lyric and music composition, and booking, promotion, and entertainment law.