Mbaqanga developed vocal harmonies during the very early 1960s when groups like The Skylarks and the Manhattan Brothers began copying American vocal bands, mostly doo wop.

Keith is married to Sharon, and has several children (Melissa, Kimberly, Anthony, and Allison) who are actively involved in the work of The Acappella Company's vocal bands.

The Robins were a successful and influential American R&B group of the late 1940s and 1950s, one of the earliest such vocal bands who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound.

Between their vocal styles and the "crisp, gentle rockers" that the MCA albums contained, McBride & the Ride was compared to other rock-influenced country vocal bands such as Alabama and Southern Pacific.