The Groomer - Jan's Story

Competing in a Detroit-area Battle of the Bands, The Debutantes caught the attention of judge Don Mills, a local debt collector and night club/bar mitzvah circuit drummer. Thirty-six year old Mills also dabbled in several other business ventures such as managing teen bands and partnering in ownership of a teen night club. As is typical of mid-life crisis sufferers, he hoped the younger set would think he was "cool".  Instead of Corvettes, he drove Cadillacs.

Mills offered The Debs a management deal, and with consent of the girls' parents, drew up an agreement. He bagan attending their rehearsals, coaching, and booking them at teen night club gigs, with parents rotating driving duties. Don, married , and with a teen musician son, always wanted Jan to ride with him to gigs.

 "When I was 16, he began to seek more and more time with me. Driving to a gig, he confessed his obsession, saying, 'Maybe it's better that I just leave town', following up with intimations that The Debs would not book more appearances without his involvement and salesmanship skills." Thus began the grooming process.

"Two weeks after high school graduation, I married him at the JP. My whole family was opposed to the arrangement. My brothers were embarrassed. He made all the financial decisions, I did not know how to write a check and didn't have my own car. I couldn't make a move without him. His possessiveness, jealousy, and suspicion was smothering. After 3 years, I was disillusioned and wanted out."

"While in Vegas I expressed my desire to get divorced, but he refused. I suffered in silence, until 1975 when I met Brent Price. He became my music mentor and support system. Before Mills finally agreed to and signed divorce papers, he pulled one final scam in Vegas. He went to several casinos, gambled, and wrote bad 'markers'. Legally, gambling debts cannot be collected, one can only use force to do so. With Don's background in collection and skip-tracing, he left Vegas with the casino money, telliing me, 'If anyone calls or comes looking for me, tell them I'm dead.' I got divorced in 1974 at the age of 25."