Although some radio listeners thought them to be African-American, the white group The Homeland Harmony Quartette formed in 1935. In 1947 group member Lee Roy Abernathy composed "Everybody's Gonna Have A Wonderful Time Up There" known later as "The Gospel Boogie". Lee Roy also wrote campaign tunes for Franklin D. Roosevelt and ran for the governorship of Georgia in 1958.

A decade later "A Wonderful Time Up There" was a top five hit for Pat Boone.