Tributes to Weymouth singer Lance Mills

Lance Mills, 34, died at Dorset County Hospital on Wednesday, January 20 with his sister, Leanne Mills, at his bedside.

Mr Mills, of Weymouth, was known locally as a performer, who regularly sang at karaoke nights and events at pubs, bars and hotels.

When the pandemic struck and forced the closure of hospitality venues, he continued to sing on Facebook and took requests from fans.

His mother, Tina Cockett, recalled how he was a different person at home to the person he was socially – but loved to entertain.

Lance was known as someone who loved to entertain and bring a smile to peoples' faces.

She said: “When Lance was at home, he was a caring son but when he was out and about, he was the life and soul of the party.

“Lance had learning difficulties and he got through life by memorising things like lyrics and he could do them at the drop of a hat. He also loved playing poker and played on a darts team.

“When lockdown first came in, all of that stopped, such as doing karaoke in the pubs.

"He instead sang to everyone on Facebook and wanted to entertain and used to sing songs that people requested. Some were good, some were bad, but he gave his best shot.”

Mrs Cockett recalled how her son returned from a Christmas Eve event in Yeovil after performing with his friend and fellow performer, Darren Presley.

Lance toured Weymouth's bars and pubs and across the country performing with Darren Presley. Picture:Darren Presley

But Mr Mills was left bed-bound with what was initially believed to be a chest infection. After some encouragement, he was admitted to DCH on Boxing Day.

Mrs Cockett said: “They did a coronavirus test and it took a few days to come through. By that time, I had coronavirus and from there he was on a ward for a week.

“He tested positive for Covid and was then taken into intensive care unit and by New Year he took a really bad turn for the worse and was put on a ventilator.”

Mrs Cockett said she, her husband and Mr Mills' stepfather, Ian, and her father, Tony, also contracted coronavirus. All have since recovered.

Mr Mills' condition continued to deteriorate, despite the ‘countless efforts’ from hospital staff. He was given a tracheostomy in order to get more oxygen to his lungs, but this proved unsuccessful.

His family then received the heartbreaking news that his condition was unlikely to improve.

Mrs Cockett said: “I cannot fault the efforts of the staff – they tried everything.

“They called us one evening so I could go and say goodbye. They gave him 24 hours. They called the following day to say they there was nothing more they could for him.

“I spoke to the consultant and he said he was one of the youngest (patients with Covid-19) they had.”

Due to his serious condition, Mrs Cockett noted that even if her son had survived, coronavirus would have had a life-changing impact on his long-term health.

She added: “Covid had destroyed his lungs. If he made it through, I think he would have really suffered. He wouldn’t have been able to sing anymore.”

Since news of his death was publicly announced, Mrs Cockett has received hundreds of messages from his friends, fellow poker players, fans and singers.

Darren Presley remembers Lance as a loyal friend who loved to entertain

Mr Mills was described as ‘a gorgeous soul taken from us far too young’ and one remarked ‘karaoke and things like the old times will never be the same.’

Mrs Cockett added: “All these people who I have never met but they have been so kind with their messages.”

His sister, Leanne Mills, described her ‘loving’ brother as a ‘gentle giant’ who loved entertaining people.

She said: “Lance was unique. He gave out so much kindness and love to all those who knew him.

“He enjoyed the simple things in life and never wanted anything more than to be entertaining everyone with his love for music and singing, wanting to make everyone smile and have a good time.

“In a way, he was a gentle giant always wanting to protect those he most cared about and I know first hand of this being his little sister, he always looked out for me, even through the difficult times of our relationship.

“Lance was and will always be my big brother and I want to thank him for being there for me even when it was in the shadows, praising me and being proud of me.

“He truly was a man that will never be forgotten and will be solely missed by his family and friends."

Lance took to singing on Facebook during the coronavirus lockdown. Picture: Lance Mill's family

Darren Presley, a singer from Poundbury, recalled how he met Mr Mills at Actors in Weymouth a few years ago.

A friendship blossomed and they toured the country together singing at various venues.

Mr Presley described their friendship as being like brothers, and said: “He always did his duets with me before singing solo with tributes to Meat Loaf and other artists. We used to laugh all the time. Everything was a joy to him. He had a big heart and he was so funny to be around.

“His family told me I was really a big influence on Lance, and I was really touched by that.”

Mr Presley profoundly remembers their times together, describing him as a 'loyal friend' and how they 'wouldn’t go a day without speaking'.

Mr Presley recalled his last performance with Mr Mills on Christmas Eve, commenting he really enjoyed their set together. He was left ‘shocked’ when he heard Mr Mills contacted Covid-19 and hoped his good friend would recover.

“There’s nothing negative you can say about him. He was so giving”, he said.

“What I admired about Lance was that he lived for the simple things and not for materialistic things.

“He loved to sing and to entertain.”

Arrangements for Mr Mills funeral are currently underway.

• An online fundraiser has been set up in his memory and to help pay for his funeral service. A link can be found here - https://bit.ly/3iHweOD