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Essentials in
History
Misfits
Updated: 3/29/2004 5:42:00 PM
Three Men and A Train
On July 3, 1941, three men eagerly boarded a train bound for St. Louis, site of the third national barbershop convention. Like many in the crowd, they spent the trip singing in a series of pick-up quartets. But the three men found themselves singing together more and more.
Joe Murrin, a natural tenor, had been quartetting since his Navy days in the great war and was now in the Chicago Police Octette. Art Bielan, a former vaudevillian with a long string of quartets to his name, was enjoying his last day as a baritone. And Cy Perkins hadn't stopped harmonizing since high school.
By the time they got to St. Louis, they were on the look-out for a bass. They found one in Pete Buckley, veteran of the Variety Four and the P & O Quartet.
Bielan moved up to lead. After testing the waters in hotel lobbies and a Mississippi river boat, the newly-formed quartet decided to enter the contest. They retreated to a hotel room and quickly polished a couple songs for competition. But there were still a few nagging problems. What to do for costumes? And a name?
Inspiration struck Cy Perkins as he realized that he and Buckley each weighed about 100 lbs. less than either Bielan or the aptly-named "Moose" Murrin. With a quick change of jackets and not a little muttering, the Misfits were born.
They placed seventh that year, and took fifth the next. In 1943 Pete Buckley was posted to Mississippi and the Chicago-based quartet dropped out of competition. By the spring of '44, Buckley was back. The quartet placed second at international. In 1945, they captured the gold at Detroit with an "Indiana" medley and "My Little Grass Shack".
The Misfits' full-voiced, robust sound kept them in constant demand. In their championship year the quartet spent 46 weekends on the road. They were never quite able to make good on their oft repeated promises to cut back, and maintained a heavy travelling schedule that included countless chapter shows, business conventions and private functions, as well as appearances on radio and television.
No engagement was too large or too small. The Misfits twice performed at the Chicagoland Music Festival for an audience of 90,000. They also provided the entertainment at a special Christmas party given for the nine-man board of a Chicago firm.
In the fall of 1952, the Misfits' career came to an unexpected conclusion. With Joe Murrin about to retire and move to Arizona, the Misfits decided to retire as well. Friends and family were in the midst of planning the quartet's farewell dinner when Art Bielan suddenly passed away.
Throughout the Misfits' career, they had three ambitions: to be original; to sing to the best of their ability; and to always have fun. They met every one.
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