Michael Edward Mills was borne in December the 17th 1958 in Orange County, California. His family soon moved to the father's childhood home, Georgia, and settled in Macon. Mikes father was a church singer and his mother sang too, and played the guitar. Mike first met Bill Berry in the school orchestra and he soon became a victim of him. With short hair and glasses Bill hated him. They hated each other for some years but when they were about 16 years old Bill's band needed a Bass player and the asked Mike if he could play with them. After a lot of thought Mike said yes and joined the band. A big friendship between Mike and Bill started to grow and they spend the rest of their school years together. When they both graduated in 1976 they were tired of playing in small bar-bands and not making enough money for daily living. Instead they rented an apartment together in Macon and Mike started to work at the local Sears Roebuck store. Bill got another job and there he met Ian Coperland (from the Police) and they started a band called "Frustrations" together with Mike Mills. But the band soon split up again and Mike and Bill moved on to Athens, Georgia in 1979. There, Bill Berry started to play in a local band where he met Michael Stipe and Peter Buck. The three of them left the band and started their own band together with Mike Mills and the group took their first name; they called themselves "Twisted Kites". Nowadays Mike is the only one in R.E.M. still living in Athens. And he is not only living there he is also involved in the local politics and are giving money to community so that they can preserve buildings.

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