Marlene’s impromptu post-concert speech at Finding Fillmore’s caught Frank Sultana and his band mid-packing and stopped the departing audience in their tracks. Photo: Karen Lateo.
As the 10 pm curfew struck at Kiama music den Finding Fillmore’s, the Frank Sultana blues band started packing their gear. Unannounced, a frail, brightly clad woman stepped up to the microphone and tapped it, asking, “Is this still on, Frank?”
Marlene Miller had been chair-dancing stage-side throughout the gig, holding hands with her husband, Tom. Swept up in the joy of the evening, Marlene decided to share her happiness and gratitude.
“Something came over me and I thought, ‘I don’t know how Tom’s going to react to me doing this,’” Marlene recalled.
“I just jumped up and started my little speech and I don’t even know where the words came from. I thought it was important for Frank and his band to know that their music meant a lot to us. I shared our joy of being married for 59 years – it was our anniversary that week – and I was turning 81 the next week!
“I also threw into the mix that I had been very ill in hospital with bacterial pneumonia, and the doctors told me I might not make it. It took every bit of courage to be there.
“To thank the band, I sang it: ‘Simply the best, better than all the rest, better than anyone, anyone we’ve ever met… .’”
Departing audience members stopped in their tracks, transfixed. Frank broke into a beaming grin. As Marlene stepped down, a little wobbly on her feet, total strangers swept the courageous woman into spontaneous hugs. Tom, 84, whispered, “Are you OK?” but her shining face soon reassured him.
It wasn’t the first time Marlene had braved a Kiama stage. In the 16 years since the Millers settled in the seaside town, local and visiting musicians alike have come to recognise her in the front row at gigs, always brightly and impeccably dressed.
“I suffer osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Music to me is everything. It is my best pain remedy,” she declared.
“Music transcends age barriers. It connects people. It’s magical.”
Surprisingly, the passionate mum and grandmother hasn’t always been so outgoing.
“For the first 40 years of my life, I worried terribly about what people thought about me,” she admitted.
“Being a tiny little person – I’m under five feet tall in the old style – I’d cover up and shy away.
“One day I just thought, ‘I’m going to stop worrying about what people think!’ I decided I couldn’t keep living that way. I did some adult education courses, took singing lessons, and became more involved with events and issues around me.
“So from age 40 till 81, I’d say that’s been the absolute best time of my life.”
If there’s a crusade to be fought, Marlene is there. In Sydney, the couple marched to save their beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs football club. Until recently, they sang in a Kiama choir and she has volunteered for Meals on Wheels and other groups.
For this year’s Kiama Jazz & Blues Festival (7-9 March), Marlene will be an informal ambassador.
“I wear the festival T-shirt and chat to people in cafes and pubs and on the street about it,” she said.
Festival director Becky Guggisberg treasures Marlene’s contribution.
“Our friendship with Marlene began when she joined us as an enthusiastic attendee of the festival, where her love for music and passion for connection became clear,” Becky explained.
“Since then, she’s become a regular visitor at Finding Fillmore’s, dropping in for a chat, dancing at events, and even gracing the stage with a song from time to time. Her confidence and joyful spirit inspire everyone around her.
“One of the most wonderful things about Marlene is how she bridges generations – her energy and personality draw younger people into conversations and onto the dance floor with her … we are lucky to have her within our Kiama community.”
Musicians agree.
“Marlene is an absolute sweetheart,” says Frank Sultana, Memphis International Blues Challenge winner and curator of the festival’s Blues With A View program.
“Her love for music is so contagious – when she sings, she lights up. We love Marlene and what she brings to the community.”
Steve Vassallo, of Kiama-based Latin music band Cha Cha Del Mar, agreed.
“I first met Marlene when performing at the festival. I was singing a Latin jazz tune and this feisty little lady barged up to my microphone and started singing along. It was fantastic. She’s a special lady.”
Beyond the Jazz & Blues Festival, Marlene is campaigning to keep Finding Fillmore’s open amid regulatory challenges and is also promoting Kiama’s bid for an entertainment precinct as part of the NSW Nighttime Economy Strategy.
“I have met with the mayor, Cameron MacDonald, and with local member Gareth Ward,” Marlene said. She also sent a 19-page submission to John Graham, the Minister for Music and the Nighttime Economy, pleading Kiama’s case.
“If we start to close venues it will set a precedent that would be devastating for Kiama,” she explained. “So I will keep fighting for live music. Music excites us and unites us.
“What do people think of me? I don’t give a stuff! I’m going to be who I am. There will be people saying, ‘Look at that woman – what’s she doing dancing and singing?’
“But life’s not a dress rehearsal. Up to the day I die I’ll try to do a little dance, maybe a little song, be optimistic and just keep living!”
The Kiama Jazz & Blues Festival 2025 runs from 7-9 March – see the site for the full gig guide. Day tickets and full weekend passes are on sale now.
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