They used to perform at Moe's Tavern, but then they started to perform at Springfield State Prison and The First Church of Springfield in 1985. This then caught the eyes of a man named Nigel. He suggested they should be a real band and should remove Chief Wiggum because he reminded them too much of the Village People. After a failed tryout, the Be Sharps heard Barney Gumble's good singing and decided to have him join the band. They then had a concert at the Statue of Liberty and won a Grammy Award. Afterwards, they became unpopular, with arguments being shown during a recording session and Barney dating a Japanese conceptual artist, and they split up. In their latest act, they sang "Baby on Board" on top of Moe's roof.[1]
During a series of attacks by a mutated Blinky fish, Principal Skinner was killed, and Chief Wiggum was among the crew of the Orca II when it hunted the fish. At one point, Wiggum heard ominous-sounding singing, went on deck to investigate, and found Apu, Barney, and Homer in a small boat wearing their barbershop quartet attire. Wiggum asked, "Can I rejoin now that Skinner's croaked?", referencing Skinner's death and Wiggum's having been previously kicked out of the group. Homer curtly replied, "We'll call you!"[2]
The Be Sharps also had various products. Including lunchboxes, coffee mugs, and foam squirter that got recalled because anyone who ate the foam would get poisoned and would die. Homer replied "Anyone who ate it deserved to die" at the same time which Bart was eating it. They also released two albums, one self-titled and the other titled Bigger Than Jesus. The self-titled was seen at the flea market in the beginning of the episode catching Bart's eye and igniting the plot for the episode.
The Be Sharps are a parody of The Beatles. One of their albums is titled "Bigger Than Jesus", a reference to a quote by Beatles member John Lennon, who described their band as "bigger than Jesus". Chief Wiggum being replaced with Barney is a reference to Pete Best's sacking, which Brian Epstein played a role in, and during the next concert, angry fans shouted "Pete for ever, Ringo never".
