The Miller Sisters were an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 singing duo of the 1950s.

Background

Elsie Jo Miller and Mildred Miller (Wages) were actually sisters-in-law; Elsie married Mildred's brother, guitarist Roy Miller, and the three of them worked as the Miller Trio and were on WTUP Radio in Tupelo, Mississippi

Tupelo, Mississippi

Tupelo is the largest city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is the seventh largest city in the state of Mississippi, smaller than Meridian, and larger than Greenville. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city's population was 34,211...

 for about a year before auditioning for Sun Records

Sun Records

Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...

http://www.sunrecords.com/ in 1954. Producer Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips

Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...

http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=166 believed that the Millers' vocal harmonies, complemented by the steel guitar solos of Stan Kesler and the percussive electric guitar of Quinton Claunch, would translate into significant record sales. However, the group did not score a hit. Elvis' first record was released a week after Jo & Milly recorded their first session. His release was his first hit, "That's Alright Mama". Around that time the music genre was shifting more away from country and toward the rockabilly

Rockabilly

Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...

 style. Phillips decided not to release their 1957 recording of the R&B song "Got You on My Mind", but The Miller Sisters still sang at various places and events before splitting up around 1960. Mildred moved to Indiana and Roy and Elsie Jo became active participants in the Oneness Pentecostal

Oneness Pentecostal

Oneness Pentecostalism refers to a grouping of denominations and believers within Pentecostal Christianity, all of whom subscribe to the nontrinitarian theological doctrine of Oneness...

 Church in 1976.

The CD "Sun's Singing Sweethearts", a collection of Miller Sister's songs, was released in 1996 by AVI Entertainment. The compilation rounds up at least one extant take of every song Milly and Jo recorded at Sun, their backup work behind Cast King and Glenn Honeycutt and as a special bonus, an early demo by the original Miller Trio.

"They were wonderful," Sam Phillips, the founder of Sun Records recalls. Of all the popular girl harmony acts of the day, like the Davis Sisters The Davis Sisters (country)

The Davis Sisters (country)

The Davis Sisters were an American country music duo consisting of two unrelated singers, Skeeter Davis and Betty Jack Davis. One of the original female country groups, they are best known for their 1953 No...

, The Miller Sisters were second to none.
In the right mood, Sam will wax poetic about The Millers' pure vocal harmony: Exhilarating one moment in its acrobatic loops, and soothing the next in its warmth. Only Patti Page

Patti Page

Clara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...

 and Mary Ford

Mary Ford

Mary Ford , born Iris Colleen Summers, was an American vocalist and guitarist, comprising half of the husband-and-wife musical team Les Paul and Mary Ford. Between 1950 and 1954, the couple had 16 top-ten hits...

 worked with equal precision, and no wonder. Both of those early '50s stars were harmonizing with themselves.

Discography

• 1955 Someday You Will Pay, You Didn't Think I Would (Sun Records, Flip Records)
• 1956 I Know I Can't Forget You But I'll Try, Ten Cats Down (alt) (Sun Records unreleased)
• 1956 There's No Right Way To Do Me Wrong, You Can Tell Me (Sun Records)
• 1957 Ten Cats Down, Finders Keepers (Sun Records)
• 1957 Chains Of Love,Got You On My Mind (Sun Records unreleased)

• 1996 Sun's Singing Sweethearts compilation of all Sun released and unreleased songs. (AVI Entertainment)

Collector-Oriented Compilation LPs and CDs Containing Tracks

• 1973 (LP) Sun Rockabillys: Put Your Cat Clothes On (Sun) (England)
• 1974 (LP) The Sun Story (Sun) (England)
• 1977 (LP) Sun - The Roots Of Rock, Vol. 4: Cotton City Country (Charly) (England)
• 1977 (LP) The Best Of Sun Rockabilly, Vol. 1 (Charly) (England)
• 1985 (LP) Rock Bop Boogie (Sun) (England)
• 1986 (LP) Rockin' Records (Sun) (United States)
• 1986 (LP) Rockabilly Rebels (Cambra Sound) (England)
• 1986 (CD) The Best Of Sun Rockabilly (Charly) (England)
• 199? (LP) Sun Rockabillies: Put Your Cat Clothes On (Bellaphon) (Germany)
• 19?? (CD) The Legendary Sun Records Story (Charly) (England)
• 1991 (CD) Those Rockin' Gals (Sun) (England)
• 1994 (CD) Best Of Sun Rockabilly, Vol. 1 (J!mco JICK) (Japan)
• 1994 (CD) The Sun Records Collection (DRC3- 1211) (Rhino) (United States)
• 1994 (CD) The Sun Records Collection (R2 71780) (Rhino) (United States)
• 1995 (CD) Complete Sun Singles, Vol. 2 (Bear Family) (England)
• 1995 (CD) Essential Sun Rockabillies, Vol. 1 (Charly) (England)
• 1996 (CD) Sun Hillbilly (Charly) (England)
• 1996 (CD) Hillbilly Fillies & Rockin' Chicks-Sun (Charly) (England)
• 1998 (CD) Get With It: Essential Recordings, 1954-69 / Charlie Feathers (Revenant) (United States)
• 1999 (CD) The Sun Gods (Dressed To Kill/BMG DTKBOX) (England)
• 2000 (CD) Rockabilly Dance Party (Pie)
• 2000 (CD) The Legendary Sun Records Story (Pulse PBX) (England)
• 2002 (CD) The Legendary Story of Sun Records V.2 (Metro Music) (England)
• 2004 (CD) Good Girls Gone Bad (Wild, Weird, And Wanted) (Ace) (England)
• 2006 (CD) From Boppin' Hillbilly To Red Hot Rockabilly (Proper PROPERBOX)

External links

• Sun Records
• Sam Phillips
• The Davis Sisters
  The Davis Sisters (country)
  The Davis Sisters were an American country music duo consisting of two unrelated singers, Skeeter Davis and Betty Jack Davis. One of the original female country groups, they are best known for their 1953 No...