The Ambassadors of Harmony

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 7, 2008

The Gas House Gang and Dr. David Wright Inducted into Barbershop Hall of Fame

The Gas House Gang

The Gas House Gang, consisting of Joe Fink (tenor), Rich Knight (lead), Rob Henry (baritone), and Jim Henry (bass), formed in 1987. Joe left the quartet in 1991 and Kipp Buckner became their new tenor. Jim and Rich remain extremely active in the Ambassadors of Harmony chorus, St. Charles Missouri Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS). Jim is the AOH director, and Rich serves as Lead Section Leader. Kipp now resides in Louisville, Kentucky, and all three are active in the BHS Association of International Champions (AIC).

Rob Henry passed away in 2003 after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer. The quartet completed their performance-booking schedule with the help of many good baritone friends through 2005, and then decided it was time to retire.

Jim Henry, Joe Fink, Sue Henry, Rich Knight, Kipp Bucker, receving
Hall of Fame Award
(Photo Courtesy of Jayne Morden)

Over the quartet's distinguished career, they performed for over 70,000 people as the quartet in "The Music Man" at the Muny in St. Louis, one of the world's largest outdoor theaters. They won the Society's Quartet Championship in 1993, performed in all 50 states and 15 foreign countries, accepted their role as ambassadors of barbershop to the world, and continually sought to entertain and perform at the highest possible level with great pride and dedication to excellence. In 1997, 2001 and 2004, they received awards from CASA (the Contemporary A Cappella Society) as a tribute to their exceptional gift of a cappella singing. They are now one of four quartets to be honored with BHS Hall of Fame induction.

During their 19 years as a quartet, they produced five recordings and were honored to share so many stages with renowned performers such as The Four Freshmen, The Swingle Singers, Rockapella, The Persuasions, The Chordettes, The King Singers, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Victor Borge, Porter Wagner, GLAD, Rebecca, Chanticleer and others.

David Wright

David Wright has become one of the most influential musicians in the history of the BHS. He has researched the origins of barbershop harmony and, since 1986, has been teaching a course on the history of the style at the BHS annual Harmony University. Also at that educational event, David's tag-singing class has become a "must" for barbershop enthusiasts.

As a composer, arranger and historian David has been featured in national radio and TV broadcasts at home and abroad, and has authored several articles on barbershop harmony and its role in the world of vocal harmony. His work often integrates the "close harmony" style with jazz, blues, gospel, country, doo-wop and contemporary a cappella. David has been on the leadership team of the St. Charles Missouri Ambassadors of Harmony since 1981, serving as Director from 1981 to 1990, and again from 1999 to 2001. He now serves as Associate Director.

David has served as arranger and musical consultant for numerous quartet and chorus champions and medalists, for both male and female barbershop organizations, including Dallas Vocal Majority, Masters of Harmony, Toronto

David Wright Receives Hall of Fame Award
(Photo Courtesy of Jayne Morden)

Northern Lights, Ambiance, Gas House Gang, Jokers Wild, Nightlife, Revival, Michigan Jake, Four Voices, Gotcha! and Vocal Spectrum. In the BHS Judging system he helped design the Music category and served as its first category specialist.

In the world of mathematics he is known as David Wright, PhD., a graduate of Columbia University, New York City. He is a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where he currently serves as Department Chair. A leading researcher in the fields of affine algebraic geometry and polynomial automorphisms, he has produced landmark publications in these areas and has been an invited speaker at numerous international mathematics conferences. He designed and teaches a university course in Mathematics and Music.

His wife, Sandi, a double gold medalist in Sweet Adelines International, sang baritone in the renowned Sweet Adelines champion quartet, Ambiance.

Previously selected Barbershop Harmony Hall of Fame members include

O. C. Cash - Barbershop Harmony Society Founder

Rupert I. Hall - Barbershop Harmony Society Co-Founder

Larry Ajer - coach

Fred H. King - music educator, coach, judge, chorus director, master of ceremonies, composer, arranger, and international champion baritone (Oriole Four, 1970)

Val Hicks - arranger, composer, coach, teacher, historian, writer and BHS judge.

Dean Atlee Snyder - founding father of the Heritage Hall Museum of Barbershop

The Buffalo Bills - 1950 International Quartet Champion
Vernon “Vern” W. Reed, tenor (d: January 25, 1992)
Albert “Al” E. Shea, lead (d: March 9, 1968)
Richard “Dick” E. Grapes, baritone
F. Wayne “Scotty” Ward, baritone (d: January 23, 1989)
William “Bill” J. Spangenberg, bass (d: March 20, 1963)

Carroll P. Adams - Co-founder of the Harmonizer - BHS magazine

CONFEDERATES quartet - 1950 International Quartet Champion
George Evans (tenor)
Dave LaBonte (lead)
Bill "Buzz" Busby (bari)
Wally Singleton (bass)

Harold W. “Bud” Arberg - Director, composer, arranger, teacher, pianist, and inventor of the term “Barbershop Craft"

Floyd Connett - master coach, judge, chorus director, educator, Editor of Just Plain Barbershop

Phil Embury - Judge, arranger and leader, BHS’s fifth President

WalterLatzko - music educator, choral director, arranger

C.T. “Deac” Martin - author, public relations man, arranger, judge, and historian.

Geoffrey O’Hara - Lecturer, author, raconteur, ethnomusicologist

Maurice “Molly” F. Reagan - arranger, administrator, BHS judge, author of The Mechanics of Barbershop Harmony

Lloyd Steinkamp - arranger

The Suntones - 1961 International Quartet Champions
Bill Cain - Bass
Harlan Wilson - Baritone
Bob Franklin, Drayton Justus - Lead
Gene Cokeroft - Tenor

Sigmund Spaeth - educator, lecturer, author, composer, arranger, stage and screen celebrity, and musicologist.

Wilbur D. Sparks - arranger, editor, coach, historian, administrator, quartet singer, and judge

Frank H. Thorne - championship quartet singer (Elastic Four, 1941), arranger, Society President, and judge

Ed Waesche - arranger & barbershop inovator