The Fairfield Four

One of the best descriptions of the Fairfield Four is 'heritage music'. They're a bonafide gospel singing group, and for the record -- yes, there are five of them, and the original group was founded by the Rev. J.R. Carrethers of the Fairfield Baptist Church in Nashville in the 1920s.

The current lineup performed as a quartet beginning in 1942, and added James Hill in 1946; justifiably, they have appeared at the Smithsonian Institution's Festival of American Folklife.

Ranging in age from the mid-'60s to the mid-'80s, their a cappella harmonies still reach for the sky. The group has won too many awards, performed too many concerts, and recorded too many albums to mention. The five in the "Four"are James Hill, Isaac Freeman, Wilson Waters Jr, Robert Hamlett and Joseph Rice.