Sisters Vika & Linda Bull Reach Hall of Fame After 40 Years

Vika and Linda Bull just became ARIA Hall of Famers, capping a 40-year journey from suburban Melbourne church choir to Australian music royalty.

The Tongan Australian sisters grew up standing out in 1970s Doncaster, finding strength in their Sunday church choir and their mother's coaching. She noticed Vika's higher voice paired perfectly with Linda's lower register and taught them to hold notes and harmonize to songs on the radio.

Their differences went beyond pitch. Vika was the wild, gutsy trailblazer who dropped out of school early to chase music. Linda was careful and studious, deep into a university degree when Vika convinced her to leave it all behind for singing.

"That was a bad day in the Bull household," Vika remembers with a smile. But they made their mother a promise: stick together, no tattoos, no drugs. They've kept that pact ever since, living by "Sisters first, singers second."

The late 1980s brought wider recognition when they joined The Black Sorrows, their soulful harmonies elevating hits like "Chained To The Wheel." They became Australia's most sought-after backing vocalists, singing on albums for John Farnham, Hunters and Collectors, and countless others.

But in 1994, they made a brave leap. "Being in the Sorrows, we would've remained backing singers," Vika explains. "We just thought, 'We want to start telling stories as well.'"

Paul Kelly gave them the push they needed. After meeting through Archie Roach's "Charcoal Lane," Kelly devoted a year of Thursday afternoons to coaxing songs out of them through conversation and patience. He had faith in them before they'd written a single song.

Why This Inspires

The Bull sisters prove that success doesn't require fitting a mold. Their mixed heritage made them stand out as kids, but their cultural roots and family values became their foundation. Their opposite personalities could have driven them apart, but instead created a dynamic that's carried them through platinum albums, an OAM honor, and now the Hall of Fame.

They're still collaborating in their later years, recently releasing their ninth album "Where Do You Come From?" with songs exploring childhood racism and identity. Age has given them confidence and clarity about their purpose.

Two sisters who harmonized in their childhood home never stopped singing together, and Australia's been listening ever since.