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Essentials in
Press Kit
Gordon Lightfoot to join ranks of honorary members
Updated: 4/17/2006 4:51:01 PM
GORDON LIGHTFOOT TO BE HONORED BY BARBERSHOP HARMONY SOCIETY APRIL 22
Legendary singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot will accept honorary membership in the Barbershop Harmony Society Saturday, April 22, in Toronto. Lightfoot is being honored by the Society for his support of barbershop harmony and the impact he’s had on the world of music.
A native Canadian, Lightfoot will receive his award during the Champions Show, immediately following an Ontario regional barbershop competition at 7:30 p.m. at the Sir John A. MacDonald Collegiate Institute.
Drayton Justus, president of the Society, will bestow the honor. “It is our great pleasure to honor Gordon Lightfoot in this way,” Justus said. “His music already has etched an indelible mark on modern culture. We like to think his early experience in barbershop harmony encouraged him in some way.”
Lightfoot was a member of the Orillia, Ontario, chapter of the Society. His first barbershop quartet, The Collegiate Four, was formed in late 1952 prior to Lightfoot entering high school. They won first prize on the CBC television talent contest “Pick the Stars” in the fall of 1953.
His second quartet, Teen-Timers, competed in regional barbershop contests and placed second in November of 1955. The group’s performance schedule is said to have rivaled that of groups performing more contemporary music. The quartet disbanded as its members pursued university education.
Lightfoot volunteered his time to perform during a barbershop chapter’s charity auction in 2001. As part of that event, he sang with the award-winning Toronto Northern Lights chorus.
The singer/songwriter has five Grammy nominations, 17 Juno awards and the Governor General’s Award, the highest official Canadian honor, among many other honors.
He joins artists such as Dick Van Dyke, Irving Berlin, Meredith Willson, Victor Borge, the Osmond Brothers, Sherrill Milnes and Gene Puerling in an elite group who also have been honored by the Barbershop Harmony Society.
Contest tickets will be available at the door based on seat availability.
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About barbershop-style a cappella music: Barbershop harmony is a uniquely American musical art form. It is known for its four-part harmony and the “expanded sound” created by its unique chord structure.
About the Barbershop Harmony Society: Founded in 1938 in Tulsa, Okla., the Barbershop Harmony Society is the largest all-male singing organization in the world. The first Canadian chapter was licensed in 1944 in Windsor. There are eight official foreign affiliates of the Society, but barbershop harmony is sung in more than 40 countries including Japan, Russia and China.
About BHS Honorary Membership: “Men of eminent distinction who express interest in the Society and who are active and well-known in public affairs, education, music or the allied arts are eligible for honorary membership. Honorary members are life members of the Frank H. Thorne chapter-at-large, and receive a subscription to the Harmonizer and other benefits normally provided to the members of that chapter.” (BHS Rules and Regulations)
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