"The Music Man" author, Meredith Willson, had heard the Buffalo Bills'
recordings, and asked them to audition for the stage musical. Joining the cast meant leaving their jobs and moving to New York for the run of the show.
After the movie The Music Man (1962), the quartet lasted another five years. They retired from performing in 1967, with their last show taking place
at the prestigious Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.
The group went through many personnel changes over the years. The quartet, featured in both the original Broadway stage run and the movie The Music Man (1962), consisted of Al Shea, Vern Reed, Wayne Ward (aka Wayne "Scotty" Ward) and Bill Spangenberg.
Over the years, the group (in its various incarnations) performed at military bases in France, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea.
In 1947, an unnamed foursome began singing for community groups in Buffalo, New York. At one such performance, they were introduced as the "Buffalo Bills", and the name stuck.
When Spangenburg became ill and was forced to retire, bass Dale Jones replaced him for a few months, before Jim Jones took his place for the duration of the group's run.