Francis Schmitt

Barbershop bass vocalist. Born on January 21, 1916 in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, Fran was one of 17 children and went on to become big in the barbershop world. Fran began singing as a kid in the St. Luke’s Church Choir with his brothers. He would soon go on to start a barbershop quartet with three of his brothers. Fran along with his brothers: Joe, Jim, and Paul started the Schmitt Brothers quartet in late 1949 and quickly rose to the top. They won the 1951 SPEBSQSA International Championship in Toledo, Ohio and sparked a 35-year career with over 3,000 performances. Fran died on January 13, 1991 at the age of 74.