Joe and Eddie was an American gospel folk group. During their careers, the African-American duo composed of Joe Gilbert and Eddie Brown toured the United States and Canada, appeared on more than 20 major television shows, and recorded eight albums. Career Both born in 1941 and raised in the South, Joe Gilbert and Eddie Brown had much in common before they even met. Gilbert was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana while Brown grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. Around the same time, the two migrated to Berkeley, California, with their respective families, and met in the mid-1950s at Willard Middle School in the a cappella choir. Their first performance together was in the Berkeley High School Talent Show in 1956, where they sang a duet and won first place. With the help of their high-school choir professor, Dr. Earle Blakeslee, the two young men formed a partnership and strove to go professional. Their first gigs were at college fraternity and sorority parties, where they performed a variety of numbers. Blakeslee advised them to audition for the Don Sherwood television show in San Francisco. They earned their spot and were asked back to the show several times. This led to engagements at the Purple Onion and the Hungry i nightclubs in San Francisco. Through their television appearances, Joe and Eddie were introduced to Gene Norman, president of GNP Crescendo Records, and then co-owner of the Crescendo and Interlude nightclubs, who assisted in launching their career. It was through Norman that Joe and Eddie recorded their first single and, by 1962, their first album, Exciting Folk Duo: Joe & Eddie (re-released after Gilbert's death as Down to Earth). They began touring and for four years continued to record more albums with GNP/Crescendo Records. After the release of their first album, Joe and Eddie appeared on more television shows, including The Tonight Show, The Lively Ones, Hootenanny, and The Jackie Gleason Show. During this time, they recorded their second album, There's a Meetin' Here Tonite, which peaked at No. 119 on the Billboard 200 and No. 68 on the Cash Box's Top 100 Albums. The title song, which is an adaptation of a Negro spiritual, became their signature tune. They performed this song in the film Hootenanny Hoot (1963). Their third album, Coast to Coast, charted at No. 140 on the Billboard 200 in 1964. Along with recording their harmonies, the two took turns