The brothers, John, Jr. (1910-1936), Herbert (1912-1989), Harry (1913-1982), and Donald (1915-1999), began performing as a close harmony group at an early age, and were broadcasting over a Cincinnati radio station in the late 1920s. In the early 1930s, they had hits with "Tiger Rag" and "Dinah," a duet with Bing Crosby. When John, Jr. died, his father took his place in the group. More hits followed and, after a slump, the release of "Paper Doll" became one of the biggest hits of the 1940s. They began performing with orchestras in the 1950s. As members died or retired, the others continued performing. The last grouping was Donald with his son John. Donald Mills, the last surviving member of the group, received a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1998.