In the Four Fellows' recording career, they underwent multiple line-up changes with lead singer Jimmy McGowan remaining the sole consistent member of the group until it disbanded in 1956.

[1] The band members came from varying backgrounds and influences in the music industry: Beckum sang in the gospel group the Brooklyn Crusaders, and Jones and Banks spent time in barbershop acts.

[2][3] Thereafter, the group adopted a style inspired by the Mills Brothers, which emphasized collective vocalization rather than an identifiable frontman backed by harmony singers.

By 1954, their manager Jimmy Johnson renamed the Schemers to the Four Fellows, in the belief that the new moniker would sound more professional for their upcoming performance on Ralph Cooper's television program Spotlight on Harlem.

By the end of 1956, McGowan stood alone as the only original member, recruiting Gordon Payne and Alvin Scott to record an album with Josh White before disbanding in 1957.

At the eighth annual UGHA hall of fame event in 1998, McGowan represented the Four Fellows to perform "Soldier Boy" with the a cappella group the Sheps.