Ranglin and his musicians adopted the newly-popular ska style, and his rearrangement of " My Boy Lollipop", a song originally released in the US by teenager Barbie Gaye in late 1956, became immediately successful. Her first recording in London, "Don't You Know", made little impact when released by Fontana Records in late 1963, but for her next recording Blackwell recruited guitarist and arranger Ernest Ranglin to oversee the session. Millie Small performing in Helsinki, Finland in December 1964 In late 1963 he took her to Forest Hill, London, where she was given intensive training in dancing and diction. Her popularity brought her to the attention of Anglo-Jamaican entrepreneur Chris Blackwell, who was convinced of her wider international potential, and became her manager and legal guardian. They had further successes working with Dodd, as well with producer Lindon Pottinger, including the local hit "Marie" in 1963 and then with Prince Buster. Working with producer Roy Robinson, the duo of Roy & Millie had a run of local hits, including "We'll Meet". When Gray resumed his solo career, Small began recording with another singer, Samuel Augustus "Roy" Panton. He paired her with singer Owen Gray, and they made several records together, including "Sugar Plum", which became a local hit. She auditioned for Studio One record producer Coxsone Dodd, who was struck by the similarity of her voice to that of Shirley Goodman of the American duo Shirley and Lee. Wishing to pursue a career as a singer, she moved to live with relatives in Love Lane in Kingston. Like many Jamaican singers of the era, her career began by winning the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour talent contest, which she won at the age of twelve. She was one of seven brothers and five sisters.
Small was born in Clarendon, Jamaica, the daughter of a sugar plantation overseer.
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