An audiobook about a Two Rivers quartet has been published.
The Schmitt Brothers rose to fame after winning the 1951 International championship of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America while also putting Two Rivers on the map.
Their story inspired the great-niece of the quartet, P.T. Rivers, to write the book called The Schmitt Brothers. Jim, Joe, Paul, and Fran—grew up in a family of 17 in Two Rivers, Wisconsin.
The first contest they won was not in front of a crowd of 8,000 at the international barbershop convention in Toledo but on WOMT Radio in Manitowoc when the youngest was just four years old.
They learned to sing in the St. Luke’s church choir and won the championship title after singing barbershop for only 18 months.
With performances routinely booked years in advance, the quartet sang together for 35 years, spreading harmony from all the major stages in the United States and Canada and the Ed Sullivan, Arthur Godfrey, and Lawrence Welk shows.
In the meantime, they raised 35 children, ran successful local businesses, and participated in and led civic organizations from the Elks and Lions Clubs to the local chamber of commerce and school and church boards.
In July 2023, the Schmitt Brothers Stage was dedicated in Two Rivers Central Park.
The new audiobook includes 12 songs and two live recordings, including Joe Schmitt recounting their victory at the championship and Jim Schmitt talking about the group’s 50th anniversary during the 2001 Barbershop Harmony Society convention.
Rivers says, “Everyone involved in this project is related to the quartet and grew up hearing them sing. This project is truly a labor of love from our family to the Schmitt Brothers’ many fans.”
The audiobook can be found at amazon.com and audible.com.
