Founded in 1930, the
Spirit of Memphis Quartet are more a continual concept than a set band, changing membership over the years as musicians drop in and out of the lineup. In fact, it's not exactly a quartet; in the mid-1980s there were eight members, five of whom sang. The core of the group was usually lead Jethro Bledsoe, tenor Robert Reed, and bass singer Earl Malone, all of whom joined in the 1930s; Bledsoe retired in 1977, but
Reed and Malone were still active with the act into the 1980s. They recorded in the quartet style for
King in the early 1950s, then switched to
Peacock for much of the 1950s and 1960s. They rehearsed the song "If It Ain't One Thing, It's Another" with
Elvis Presley in Graceland and were scheduled to record it with him in 1976, but the session was canceled due to an
Elvis illness. The group recorded an album of soul-influenced gospel for
David Evans' indie High Water label in the mid-1980s. ~ Richie Unterberger