Long before the Jackson Five were telling everyone they never could say goodbye, a set of singing siblings were making a name for themselves with their own unique style here in Bermuda.

Now, nearly 45 years after the Joe Melashenko Family bid farewell to the Island to spread their Gospel message to the rest of the world, they are set for an emotional reunion at Bermuda Institute.

Lonnie, Joedy, Dallas, Eugene and Rudy, aged 13, 12, 11, ten and nine respectively when they arrived in Bermuda in 1960, were the sons of Anne and Joe Melashenko, the first Seventh-day Adventist pastor ordained on the Island.

Soon after arriving in Bermuda, the family used to sing Christian songs on the radio and sometimes unrehearsed as a last-minute stand-in on television if bad weather stopped ZBM's films arriving by air from the mainland.

They became well-known for their singing talents and were often invited to perform at important functions at exclusive hotels, travelled overseas to camp meetings and recorded an album at the Voice of Prophecy Radio Broadcast studios in California.

Meanwhile Joe Melashenko recorded the bass solo 'Deep', with Bermuda's coral reef coves featured on the cover, which became a favourite album across North America.

Following a whirlwind three years, the family left the Island for Maryland in 1963, and while individually they have made many return visits, this month's shows at Bermuda Institute will be the brothers' first collective trip back for more than two decades.

Speaking to The Royal Gazette from Ohio yesterday, oldest brother Lonnie Melashenko said: "We had a great time in Bermuda. It's one of our happy memories of our life.

"Those were growing up years for all of us. We remember the colour of the water and the sweet smell of Easter lilies at Easter time; passion flowers in bloom. It was a garden island; a pearl; like a gem in the Atlantic Ocean.

"The last year I was there I was able to ride a moped to school. That was the coolest thing I had ever done.

"Once in a while Johnny Barnes was our bus driver. I would be honoured to now see him while we are there. Some things don't change."

The homecoming concerts will be at Bermuda Institute on Friday, November 28, and the following Saturday, with a grand finale on the Saturday evening.