Former Shy and TNT singer Tony Mills dies from cancer aged 57
Tony Mills, the former frontman of Shy and TNT, has died aged 57 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Mills’ death was confirmed by his wife Linda in a post on his official Facebook page last night (18th September).
She wrote: "It is with a shattered heart that I announce the passing of my loving husband and best friend Tony Mills. He was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in April of this year and lived his life to the fullest until he exhaled for the last time in my arms. He wanted to live, but wasn't afraid of death.
"Most will know him through his incredible contribution to the music world as a singer in bands like SHY and TNT as well as a solo artist and session vocalist. He leaves behind him a legacy that will live on for many lifetimes.
"Those people closest to him will also know him as a gentle and kind soul, a dedicated husband with a love for the quiet life, his animals and his motorbikes. His sense of humour was always on point. His last summer was the happiest in his life, at the end of each day he exclaimed 'It's been another fantastic day!' He spent a lot of time in his workshop fixing up his dirtbike so he could ride it later this autumn. The evening before he passed, he managed to whisper: 'I've had a good life. I've had a GOOD life. I'm just a bit pissed about the bike.'"
Tony Mills co-founded Shy in the early eighties and released a series of popular albums them, including 1987’s ‘Excess All Areas’. As frontman with Shy, he toured the globe with acts including Gary Moore, Meatloaf, Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, Magnum and Manowar before his exit in 1991.
He rejoined Shy at the turn of Millennium and released two further studio albums with them - ‘Unfinished Business’ and ‘Sunset and Vine’.
In 2006 he joined Norwegian rockers TNT, and over a seven-year tenure he appeared on three albums - 2007's ‘The New Territory’, 2008's ‘Atlantis’ and 2010's ‘A Farewell To Arms’.
An esteemed solo artist in his own right, Mills released six solo albums over the past 17 years including ‘Beyond The Law’, which came out this summer.
TNT wrote on Facebook: "TNT band & crew deeply regret the passing of our good friend and 2006 - 2013 TNT singer Tony Mills. You gave us 3 great albums, many great concerts and many great moments together on the road and in the studio. We feel a terrible loss. F*** Cancer! Rest easy Tony."
Mills, who suffered a heart attack in August 2010, revealed his terminal cancer diagnosis in April.
He wrote at the time:Â "I have suffered since the end of last year, shortly after a car crash before Christmas, which halted my digestive system and left me with internal pain that was difficult to isolate or fully understand.
"Various hospital visits found nothing from tests until I took myself to a private clinic in Oslo, where the doctor decided I was too unwell for normal scopes and I was scanned the following day.
"A tumour too old and large to be removable had been growing inside me for a year or so and was the cause of all my problems. It seems to me that the car crash definitely accelerated the growth and/or effects of this entity, otherwise I may still not even be aware of it. So, that's that.
"Thanks for your support during my time as a singer/songwriter; I met and worked with many of my heroes and I lived the dreams from when I was a starstruck teenager, against all odds and the advice of parents and teachers, who were all wrong.
RIP Tony Mills.