Mills Sisters

From Thursday night Island in the Torres Straits (between Australia and Papua New Guinea), this family singing group was formed by Rita Mills (b. 1935, d. 7 Dec 2004), Ina Mills and Cessa Mills, all created on the isle in the 20s. Playing ukulele (Cessa), acoustic guitar (Rita) and tambourine (Ina), and performing in pidgin British, Creole as well as the Irian Jaya tongue, the sisters started to harmonise while going to convent college, and chapel harmonies, alongside indigenous music, continuing to supply the central system for their tunes throughout their profession. They truly became the full-time musical appeal at Thursday Isle’s Grand Resort in the first 60s, in support of started to tour internationally in the past due 80s. Instead of writing original materials, the sisters indicated interested in keeping alive isle traditions, merging them with other styles of imported well-known music, notably gospel and blues (a cover edition of ‘Under The Boardwalk’ presented prominently within their repertoire). Producing their personal records with the help of Brett Tyrell, their maker and supervisor, in the 90s the Mills Sisters went to Australia, China, France and Britain (appearing in the Indigenous Individuals Event at London’s Albert Hall). Cessa and Ina retired from carrying out in 1996, and Rita continuing a solo profession until disease curtailed her actions in 2001. She passed on in Dec 2004, having battled Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease for quite some time.