Rogelio Mills, also known as Roger Mills, a North Carolina native, is a Puerto Rican/Black Hispanic American[1] television personality,[2] author, and recording artist,[3] best known as the host of the celebrity entertainment show entitled "The Roger Mills Show" and author of the book "While Out of My Body I Saw God, Hell and the Living Dead."[4] Mills made national headlines when he launched a lawsuit against rapper Sean Combs, then known as Puff Daddy.[5] Combs had allegedly ordered an assault on Mills and his staff after they refused to turn over a taped interview in which Combs reacted angrily to a question regarding the death of fellow rapper, the Notorious B.I.G.[6]

Mills is the founder and president of Prophetic Outpour Church of Michigan. He is the host of a celebrity inspirational/entertainment program, entitled, The Roger Mills Show,[7] on which he has interviewed numerous celebrity guests.[8] Mills is the founder and president of a publishing company named Triunity Publishing. Mills has announced the November 2011 launch of The Godly Network, which according to its website will be "the World's first multi-channel internet television network, airing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in every nation!"[9]

The Roger Mills Show

Rogelio Mills first gained national notoriety as the host of The Roger Mills Show (formerly known as The Roger Mills Show in Video Strobe), a talk entertainment program syndicated across the United States and Canada.[10] The program is known for covering numerous Hollywood premiers and its celebrity guests which have included Michael Jackson, Jackie Chan and Usher.[11] The show was #1 in the Nielsen ratings, for the 2 am time slot, in Detroit, on February 2, 2003.[12] In 2008, Mills announced that his show would in the future be moving to his own internet based network.[13]

The Missing Children Project

Mills founded "The Roger Mills Show-Missing Children Project" in 1990. Originally the project was associated with the Missing Children's Awareness Foundation, which sponsored the song he wrote and recorded entitled, "Missing Children." Several Michigan public schools participated in the project as over 300 students sang backup vocals. The purpose of the song was to raise awareness about the plight of Missing and exploited Children in the United States.[14] Since that time, Mills has continued to use his celebrity to raise awareness about the plight of Missing Children, having received honorary proclamations from Detroit Mayors Dennis Archer,[15] Kwame Kilpatrick, Kenneth Cockrel and David Bing for his efforts.[16] In 2006, while being interviewed on his television program "The Roger Mills Show," the Honorable Governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm, as an endorsement, called Dr. Mills a "role model" as a show of support for these endeavors.[16]

Music

In December 2010, Mills released his first POP/R&B single on Phoenix Fire Records. The song was written, composed and produced by Mills, and it is named, "Christmas is not Christmas without you." The song was engineered by multiple Grammy winning record producer Michael J. Powell, who is best known for his work with Anita Baker and the legendary Aretha Franklin. Powell is a longtime friend of Mills and has appeared as a guest several times on his television program. Powell compared Mills' vocals to "the King of Pop" Michael Jackson, stating, "Anyone who loves Michael Jackson are going to love Rogelio Mills!" Mills is also the cousin of Grammy winning recording artist Stephanie Mills.[17] author, and recording artist[18]

Assault allegations against Sean Combs a.k.a. Diddy

During an August 10, 1999 interview with rapper Sean Combs at Radio station WCHQ (105.9) in Detroit, Michigan, Mills asked Combs a question about what was said to be rumors linking the mogul to the death of rapper the Notorious BIG, and Combs immediately ended the interview.[19] However, according to allegations, before being allowed to leave, Mills and his crew were assaulted, and a tape of the interview was taken from them and destroyed.[20] As the story began to circulate local and national news, Combs canceled his "Platinum 2000" party scheduled for the Royal Oak Music Theater (in suburban Detroit), which was to take place on Friday, January 14, 2000.[21] On March 22, 2001, Mills filed a lawsuit against Combs in Wayne County Circuit Court for assault, destruction of property, intentional infliction of emotional distress and a civil conspiracy. For Combs, this was only the latest of a string of legal troubles, immediately following a March 16 acquittal of gun possession and bribery charges stemming from a 1999 nightclub shooting at Club New York.[22] Combs appeared in a Detroit courtroom Wednesday, February 18, 2004, to testify that he did not instruct his handlers to rough up Mills during the 1999 interview. "I knew it was something just about, as far as if I had any role or any feeling about [B.I.G.'s] murder," Combs said. When Combs was asked by his attorney what happened next, he responded, "I just remember ending the interview."[23] The presiding Judge, Wendy Baxter, generated further controversy when she refused to admit a recording that was said to include a taped confession from Ron Gilyard, who was at the time the vice president of Diddy's 'Bad Boy' record label. According to Mills' website, Gilyard stated that Combs ordered him to "get that tape."[24] The Wayne County jury ruled in favor of Combs, citing insufficient evidence. However, Mills appealed. In 2005, the appeals court decided that the recorded telephone conversation between Gilyard and Mills should have been allowed as evidence. However, the court ruled the error was harmless, and that it would not have provided sufficient evidence for the jury that Combs authorized an assault.[25] Despite maintaining that he was a victim of judicial injustice, Mills says that he has moved on. "I have forgiven Mr. Combs." says Mills. "I am praying for him."[26]

Education

M.A. in communication, Spring Arbor University.[27]

References

  1. ^ "About the Founder". The Godly Network. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  2. ^ "Welcome to The Roger Mills Show". Archived from the original on 16 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  3. ^ "Press Release" (PDF). 2010-12-07. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  4. ^ "Insights of God". Archived from the original on 16 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  5. ^ "New Lawsuit Targets Puff Daddy". ABC News. 2000-03-26. Archived from the original on 2011-01-29. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  6. ^ Case, Wendy; David Shepardson (2000-01-12). "'Puff Daddy's' entourage investigated in Detroit". The Seattle Times. The Detroit News. Archived from the original on 2012-10-01. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  7. ^ "The Roger Mills Show," "Source 7", February 9, 2011
  8. ^ "The Roger Mills Show," "Source 8 Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine", February 12, 2011
  9. ^ "The Godly Network," "Source 8 Archived 2012-03-20 at the Wayback Machine", February 9, 2011
  10. ^ April Lehmbeck, "The Troy Times," June 11, 1997, "Source 21 Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine", March 17, 2011
  11. ^ "The Roger Mills Show," "Source 23 Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine", March 17, 2011
  12. ^ "Nielsen Ratings rates The Roger Mills Show #1," February 2, 2003, "Source 22 Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine", March 17, 2011
  13. ^ Tony Wichowski, "The Roger Mills Show," August 6, 2008, "Source 17 Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine", March 17, 2011
  14. ^ Ronald J Bemas, "Grosse Pointe News," June 20, 1991, "Source 17 Archived 2018-07-22 at the Wayback Machine", March 18, 2011
  15. ^ The Roger Mills Show, "Missing Children Project Proclamation from Mayor Dennis Archer," "Source 17 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine", March 18, 2011
  16. ^ a b The Godly Network, "About the Founder," "Source 17 Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine", March 18, 2011
  17. ^ "The Roger Mills Show," "Source 10 Archived 2011-02-13 at the Wayback Machine", February 9, 2011
  18. ^ "The Roger Mills Show," "Source 11 Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine", February 9, 2011
  19. ^ Wendy Case and David Shepardson, "The Seattle Times" c/o "The Detroit News," January 12, 2000, "Source 12 Archived 2012-10-01 at the Wayback Machine", February 8, 2011
  20. ^ Ronin Ro, "Bad Boy: The Influence of Sean "Puffy" Combs On the Music Industry," (Pages 157-158), October 30, 2001, "Source 13 Archived 2011-06-29 at the Wayback Machine", February 12, 2011
  21. ^ Wendy Case and David Shepardson, "The Seattle Times" c/o "The Detroit News," January 12, 2000, "Source 14 Archived 2012-10-01 at the Wayback Machine", February 8, 2011
  22. ^ Christina Saraceno, "Rolling Stone Magazine," March 26, 2001, "Source 15 Archived 2011-06-28 at the Wayback Machine", February 10, 2011
  23. ^ Joseph Patel, "MTV," February 18, 2004, "Source 16 Archived 2011-06-29 at the Wayback Machine", February 9, 2011
  24. ^ Tony Wichowski, "The Roger Mills Show," August 6, 2008, "Source 17 Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine", February 9, 2011
  25. ^ "ContactMusic.com," August 29, 2005, "Source 18 Archived 2022-07-21 at the Wayback Machine", February 11, 2011
  26. ^ Tony Wichowski, "The Roger Mills Show," August 6, 2008, "Source 19 Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine", February 9, 2011
  27. ^ "Spring Arbor University," May 17, 2007, "Source 20 Archived 2010-12-13 at the Wayback Machine", February 9, 2011

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