From the archives...hope you get a laugh. These guys were around long before Southern Gospel arrived...
The Tunesmiths from West Croydon, England traveled throughout the British Isles on weekends singing the great old gospel hymns and songs.Although all four men had the same last name, Smith, these old tyme songsters were from three different families and were not related. Delbert Smith (in white in the center) played the organ and occasionally sang with the others. His brother Albert, in the back row, was an excellent baritone who also enjoyed a solo career and often performed at Albert Hall (what a coincidence?). Elmer on the left and Samuel on the right added incredible harmonies to the group.
The group was formed in 1892 and crossed over to France for an evangelistic campaign in 1899 where thousands came to know Christ.
I've been unable to find a CD of The Tunesmiths but their legacy lives on... in my mind at least...for, you see, I just concocted the story because I liked the old-fashioned picture.
Get out your old hymnbooks, friends!
P. S. Sorry, I couldn't resist doing this!
What you don't know is the man sitting down with his hair parted down the middle is my Great great great Uncle Jebidiah . The picture was taken right after the railroad was well into the rockies. They had celebrated a rather hard spot to dynamite the morning the picture was taken. You will notice his left hand is hidding behind the other man because the forefinger was recently blown off in an accident with the charges. He died shortly after in a bar room fight...trying to stop the fight but got in the way of a misplaced knife. Although your story sounds really nice...there was no CD made to verify mine.
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