The Joranaires were a vocal quartet. Though they supplied back-up vocals for numerous performers, they are best known for having produced background harmonies for Elvis Presley.

Forming in 1948, the group would initially pursue an independent singing career until the mid 1950s, when they began lending their vocals for background usage. They would meet a then-teenage Elvis Presley in 1954, though never recorded a track with him until 1956, debuting with “I’ve Got A Woman,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” and “Money Honey.” This would land them their first number one hit of their career, with “Heartbreak” at number one on the charts by April of that year.

The Jordanaires wouldn’t remain tethered to Presley, with them supplying their vocals to American actor Tab Hunter’s debut track, “Young Love.” It would skyrocket on the charts, selling over 100,000 copies within four days. The song would go so far as to knock Presley’s “Too Much” from its number one spot, where it remained for six weeks. It would go on to become the fourth bestselling song of 1957.

In the 1960s, the quartet would also supply their voice to Patsy Cline’s Decca Records sessions for over three years. They would fade into the background throughout the rest of the decade and into the 1970s before singing a medley of Presley’s hits in 1978. They would experience tragedy in 2008 as one of the hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the Universal fire, with members slowly beginning to filter out. Their legacy, though, trails on even after the losses.