The Shanklin Brothers were a foot-stomping, hand-clapping a cappella singing group founded around 1940 by Ray Shanklin and his four brothers in Elkton, Kentucky. When they later moved to Louisville, the group became The Golden Crowns as new members joined and others moved on, frequently to answer the call to ministry. When Ray Shanklin passed away, Virge Ryland Jr.,who had been singing with the group since the mid-1950s, became the group's manager, a role he held for thirty years before his passing in 2002. The role of manager was subsequently taken up by lead singer and lead guitarist Tony Thorn, who passed away in 2014. The New Golden Crowns are currently managed by Rev. Nathaniel “Peewee” Brown II.
