Terry Miller-Newcomb was born at Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her grandparents on both sides were Nevada residents, and her mother and father were born in Reno and McGill, respectively. Her younger sister was born at Sunrise Hospital shortly after it opened.

Beryl Deane Harrell was born on September 23, 1918 in Vancouver, Washington, the family eventually relocated to Los Angeles, California. Hawaiian music was very popular throughout the 1920s, 1930s, and the 1940s-Beryl was taught how to play the steel guitar by Sol Hoʻopiʻi, who was acknowledged to be one of the greatest steel guitarists in history. Hoʻopiʻi taught lessons in Los Angeles which is where he taught Beryl Harrell.

Gertrude Toston was born May 09, 1947 in Galveston, Texas, and grew up in Austin, Texas. Her parents moved to Seattle, Washington, to provide more opportunities for their children but ended up separating. Toston’s mother brought the children to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1960 to have the support of her sister while she divorced. Her sister's husband, Reverend Coleman, was the pastor of Second Baptist Church, and the family became very involved in church activities.

Porter Troutman was born and raised in Newellton, a small farming community in Louisiana. He went to school to Ruth Wood Elementary School and graduated from a high school in St. Joseph, Louisiana. He then attended Southern University from 1961 to 1965 and earned his Bachelor's Degree. His father held a multitude of jobs to support the family and was highly involved in the Civil Rights movement.

Born the son of German immigrants on February 7, 1855, Henry J. Bohn worked first on the family farm, then as a telegrapher and in a printing office before moving to Chicago in 1876. At age twenty-three, he became foreman in a newspaper office; this initial work in publishing led to a lifetime of work as owner and editor of Hotel World, which he purchased in 1879. For many years, Bohn worked alongside his brother, John J.