Month: January 2011

Tenor: Al Rehkop
Lead: Drayton Justus
Bass: Bob Whitledge
Bari: Glenn Van Tassel

The Gentlemen’s Agreement, 1971 International champion, is one quartet that really was an “overnight success.” Almost, anyway.

Organized in December 1969, they qualified for the international contest in the spring, went to Atlantic City in July and came home with fourth-place medals. The following year, in New Orleans, the Detroit-area quartet won the whole ball of wax.

But why not? Two of its members (baritone Glenn Van Tassell and tenor Al Rehkop) claimed their second gold medals in New Orleans. They had been half of the Auto Towners, 1966 champions. And the other two, lead Drayton Justus and bass Bob Whitledge, were equally www.ismedicine.org talented, long-time barbershoppers, even though they didn’t have medals to show for it.

Glenn, Bob and Drayton had been directors or assistant directors of three different choruses. Al, an accomplished composer and arranger, was responsible for many of the quartet’s songs.

One week after winning the gold the G.A. accepted an invitation to make a 17-day tour of South Vietnam. From the decks of ships to forward-area bases to hospitals they entertained US servicemen, singing 41 shows in a little over two weeks. Greg Backwell, formerly of the Nighthawks, replaced Glenn in about 1973, and Drayton later joined the Suntones. The quartet retired, then reorganized two or three different times but finally shelved the pitch pipe in the mid-1980’s.

Tenor: Dave Panther
Lead: Tom Keehan
Bass: Gordie Lees
Bari: Bill Cockrell

“Experienced” – and proving it – might best describe the members of the 1962 International quartet champion, The Gala Lads from Alhambra, CA.

While a few gold medalists have been young and won while in their teens, the Gala Lads averaged 36 years of age when they won the championship. Tenor Dave Panther was 28, lead Tom Keehan 35, bari Gordie Lees 36, and bass Bill Cockrell 45.

What’s more, collectively they had sung in 16 quartets before getting together as the Gala Lads, and could count a total of 35 years of barbershopping experience.

One of Bill’s previous quartets was the West Coasters, 1957 viagra natural International silver medalists. For Dave, although the youngest of the group, the Gala Lads was his seventh quartet.

Although the foursome was organized in 1958, the winning combination did not get together until 1960. A year later, in its first International competition, it placed sixth, then jumped to the top of the heap the following year in Kansas City.

In 1964 Tom was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, and California barbershoppers staged a benefit to raise $1,200 to help with medical expenses. By 1968 the Gala Lads were back in business with all the original members except Dave, who had been replaced by Joe May.