We are sorry to report that Charles “Mack” McMillan, a fixture in the Chicago music scene for a half century, has died. McMillan played a key role in the careers of such all-time greats as Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield, serving as manager of each. He was also a giant in the development of the soul music scene in the city.
McMillan worked with his artists in good times and helped keep them working in not-so-good times. As Jerry Butler wrote in his memoir, Only the Strong Survive, “By 1983 I was spending so much time attending to the affairs of the beer business that I literally let the entertainment side go. Consequently my bookings began to dip. Had it not been for my longtime manager, Charles ‘Mack’ McMillan, my singing career probably would have been over years ago. He kept me working and my name before the public.”
Like many in the soul music world who were quietly responsible for the growth of the genre in the 20th Century, Charles McMillan is not a household name, but his work has positively impacted millions.
