The group was founded as the Golden Gate Jubilee Singers in 1934, by four students at Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk, Virginia.

They developed a broad repertoire of styles – from Owens' mournful, understated approach in songs such as "Anyhow" or "Hush, Somebody's Calling My Name", to the group's highly syncopated arrangements in "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego".

Langford often sang lead, using his ability to range from baritone to falsetto, while Johnson narrated in a hip syncopated style that became the hallmark for the group.

In 1938, they were recruited by John Hammond to appear at the first From Spirituals To Swing concert held at Carnegie Hall in New York City, after which their popularity grew.

Johnson was called into the US Navy in 1943, followed by Wilson in 1944; they were temporarily replaced by Cliff Givens – who later left to join firstly The Ink Spots and then Billy Ward and His Dominoes – and Alton Bradley.

They continued in their old style, offering sharper political commentary in songs such as "God's Gonna Cut You Down", but losing much of their audience to quartets such as the Dixie Hummingbirds and the Soul Stirrers.

[2] The group made their first tour of Africa in 1962, and during the early 1960s gradually expanded their accompanying band to incorporate guitar, piano, bass and drums.

The position of bass singer has in recent years been filled by Thierry Fred François, Richard Phillips, and, since 2005, by Anthony Gordon.

[2] In his 1978 album Guigui [fr], musician Michel Jonasz used excerpts from their recording of "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" to mix into the song "Golden Gate".

In his 2011 album So Beautiful or So What, musician Paul Simon used excerpts from their 1938 recording of "Golden Gate Gospel Train" to mix into the song "Love & Blessings".