Bailes Brothers

From the mid-'40s through the '50s the Bailes Brothers were among the most popular close-harmony duets. There were actually four brothers — Kyle, Johnnie, Walter and Homer — but they seldom worked together as an entire group, instead pairing off for performances. The Bailes were born and raised in West Virginia, near Charleston. Their father, a minister, died when they were young and their impoverished mother had to struggle to keep them together.