James Polk grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas. After he excelled in all music classes in elementary, junior and senior high school, he moved to Austin, Texas, to attend Huston-Tillotson College. He gratuated in 1962 with a B. A. Degree in music education. James left Austin to teach band in Egin, Texas, and later moved to Massachusetts before he returned to Austin to work as a buyer in Production Purchasing.  Along with his new job he founded "The Brothers". Besides Polk himself (leader & organ), he remembers the other members of the original group: Reginald "Wimp" Caldwell (sax), Donald "Duck" Jennings (trumpet), Timothy Pickard (guitar), John "Sonny" Taylor (drums) and Yvonne "Vonnie" Joseph (vocals).