A Forbes Family Treasury, Vol. 1 [CD]

These recordings were made back in the 1980s, when this family group from Pennsylvania was just trying to make a go of it: the 2 brothers (Homer and Jay) and 2 sisters (Lisa and Lori) were barely out of their teens at the time. Heavily influenced by the Marshall Family, the Forbes achieved a small but dedicated audience for their music, both in their native Pennsylvania and in North Carolina. On this wonderful 18-song collection (which includes 3 previously unissued songs) every track is a gem of beautiful harmonies like the a cappella "Talk About Suffering," and a truly magnificent rendition of "Blessed Assurance." After a relatively short career, which included an appearance on A Prairie Home Companion and an offer to tour Europe, the members of the group quietly retired to start families. (There is a second volume of the collected works of the family.