The Harmonizing Four was an American black gospel quartet organized in 1927 and reaching peak popularity during the decades immediately following World War II.
Some sources include Thomas Johnson and Levi Hansly as founding members,[1][2] with others indicating they joined the group in the early 1930s after the departure of original first tenor Joe Curby and original bass Willie Peyton;[3] likewise, eventual leader Joseph Williams is identified as a founding member in some sources,[2] and others claiming he joined as much as six years later.
[3] Smith retired in 1962, and following a period in the late 1960s of recording for various labels in various membership configurations, the group was essentially semi-retired for the ensuing decades.
"[5] A rare video of a television appearance of The Harmonizing Four is them performing Amazing Grace on NBC's TV Gospel Time.
The group would undergo many changes in lineup over the years, with Joseph Williams, Thomas Johnson and Lonnie Smith remaining at the core.