Cecil Blackwood sang in a quartet prior to joining the Blackwood Brothers. Jim Hamill was also in this group.

Another famous singer tried out for this group, but failed the audition.

What was the name of this famous singer and what was the name of their quartet?

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I believe that was The Songfellows and the famous singer that didn't make the cut was Elvis Presley.

Great job, Tim. Good to have you join us today!

The story I heard was that Elvis didn't make because he couldn't hear harmony. Can anyone confirm that??

As memory serves, that's what Bob Terrell's "Music Men" book states...that story coming from Hamill. The quartet based out of a Memphis church that Jim's dad pastored and the Presley family attended often.

I've heard different version, one being he coukd sing some harnony, but couldn't stay on a part, that he couldn't sing harmony and that he couldn't sing a lick (which Hamill denied.)

I just finished reading two volumes on Elvis's life from 1955 until his death. They are written by Peter Guralnick and go into great detail. He did tons of research to write these books. What he says is that Elvis tried out for the quartet and was told that the guy that was going to leave decided to stay but that he did not believe them and he said that he told his father that they said I couldn't sing and then he went on to say tha Jim told him Elvis why don't you give it up.

The first volume of this book is "Last Train to Memphis", the making of Elvis presley and the second volume is "Careless Love" the unmaking of Elvis Presley.
They were very informative and take a while to read but be warned if you're interested that there is quite a bit of very bad language included.

I miss those two fine men, Cecil put my brother(Larry) on the soloist contest(which he won), and had him to make the first album he ever made at Mark V,and suggested the title for it(Who Am I), then Big Jim was present at his second recording in Nashville.

After Jim died, the Singing News posted an interview they did with Jim after he retired from the Kingsmen and he talked about the Elvis thing. I can't find the article but as memory serves, Jim stated that he and Cecil liked Elvis' voice but couldn't use him because he couldn't sing harmony.