[3] Brothers Don and Ross Barbour grew up in a musical family in Columbus, Indiana, and had sung with their cousin Bob Flanigan as kids.

They would perform songs like "Sweet Adeline" at fairs and conventions while wearing armbands, exaggerated false mustaches, and waiters' aprons.

[5] At first, the group was influenced by Glenn Miller's quartet, The Modernaires, and Mel Tormé's Mel-Tones, but soon developed its own style of improvised vocal harmony.

Initially, they replaced him with Ross's girlfriend and future wife Nancy Sue Carson, but feeling that a fourth male voice would be more appropriate for the group's sound, the Barbour brothers contacted Flanigan, who was living in Greencastle, Indiana and had previously been part of a high school quintet singing songs inspired by the Modernaires, to become their new lead singer.

They made their debut at Fort Wayne's 113 Club on September 20, 1948, and nearly lost the job since the manager had never heard jazz chords, but his daughter had a crush on Kratzsch, allowing them to stay for a week.

He "had been told at his own show earlier that night about a quartet in town that sounded like his 43-piece ensemble",[6] and was sufficiently impressed that on April 14, he arranged for an audition with his label, Capitol Records, which signed them later that year.

[6] In 1950, they released a single, "Mr. B's Blues", and appeared in their first and only film, Rich, Young and Pretty, where they sang "How D'Ya Like Your Eggs In The Morning" with Jane Powell and Vic Damone.

Errair, a tool and die maker by day, and spent his nights playing "society music" with several bands in the area, had a booming, deep voice and a good ear for harmony.

[7][6] Errair would release an album on Capitol in 1957, Solo Session, before retiring from music to become a successful real estate developer in California.

Ray Brown, a fan of the Four Freshmen since 12 who offered himself as a replacement during a show in Florida, made his debut in March 1973, marking the first time keyboards are featured instead of the guitar.

Replacing them were Autie Goodman, who had spent 11 years with the Modernaires, and Dennis Grillo, a jazz composer and arranger who worked with numerous bands.

Despite returning briefly in 1987, he soon departed for a second time, and Seattle-based high school teacher Kirk Marcy was recruited as the group's bass singer in September that year.

[14] In August 1988, Marcy left to become the director of Edmonds College's vocal jazz ensemble Soundsation, and was replaced by Garry Lee Rosenberg.

In 1989, Mike Beisner was offered the role of musical director for talk show Everyday with Joan Lunden, resulting in his departure from the group.

Stegeman, who was working as music director and disc jockey at KRML, responded to a phone call from Flanigan, resulting in him becoming a fully-fledged member of the Four Freshmen.

With a few weeks left in the tour, Stegeman offered to take the top part, while Beisner temporarily returned following the commercial failure of Lunden's talk show.

[15] In April 1991, Garry Lee Rosenberg left, leaving a permanent opening for Mike Beisner to return, this time singing the bass part.

Greg Stegeman, who was then the most senior member, took on more of a leadership role, while Alan MacIntosh joined, singing the second part and playing bass, keyboards, and trumpet.

Two years later, MacIntosh discovered that the road did not suit him, so he resigned from the group,[15] with Brian Eichenberger, a 19-year-old guitarist and bassist who was studying jazz arranging and performance under Phil Mattson at the Southwestern Community College's School for Music Vocations in Creston, Iowa, recruited to fill his position.

Towards the end, both groups came together to perform a reprise of "It's A Blue World", as well as "Fools Rush In", "Candy" and "Poinciana", which were not featured in the original broadcast.

[17] Kevin Stout left the group in December 1999 after a seven-year stint, following which he would collaborate regularly with high school friend and saxophonist Brian Booth.

[11] Vince Johnson, who had spent 13 years with the Four Freshmen, decided to leave the group in fall 2013 to explore more opportunities in the field of music.

He contacted Phil Mattson, the director of the School for Music Vocations, who recommended Tommy Boynton, then an adjunct professor at his alma mater.

[28] Baldwin had previously studied alongside Boynton at the New England Conservatory of Music, and was recommended to Ferreira to replace the departing Gaines, who left to tend to his family.

Tommy Boynton moved to guitar and second part vocals, while bringing in Ryan Howe, a fellow faculty member and graduate of the School for Music Vocations, to sing lead and play bass.