In 1951, the Schmitt Brothers won an international singing competition, besting the top 40 quartets in the U.S. and Canada. They blasted to fame in 18 short months and didn’t stop singing for 35 years—making them the first to win on their first try and the longest performing quartet to retain its original members. But there’s more to the story.

The Schmitt Brothers were really brothers—from a family of 17. They were devoted husbands and fathers—with 35 children among them. They were businessmen and civic leaders—who never missed an opportunity to serve and promote their community. They traveled more than 2 million miles and performed in 3,000 programs including the Ed Sullivan, Arthur Godfrey and Lawrence Welk shows as well as Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden and the top stages in the country. The Schmitt Brothers were capable of perfectly blending delicate tones, thundering crescendos, cascading decrescendos and chords that—if you didn’t know better—made you think there was an entire orchestra backing them up. For everyone who heard the Schmitt Brothers, the magic of their singing brought harmony and joy to all who knew them. Their amazing story is narrated by a son of quartet member Joe Schmitt and features 12 songs plus 2 live recordings from the famous champion quartet.