Free State Four takes its name from one of Maryland's nicknames, "The Free State". This nickname originated in an article written by Hamilton Owens, the editor of the Baltimore Sun. In 1923, a Georgia Congressman, William D. Upshaw, attacked Maryland as a traitor to the Union because it never passed a State enforcement act supporting Prohibition. Hamilton Owens' article, "The Maryland Free State" was a mocking response to Mr.Upshaw, suggesting that Maryland should secede from the Union before acting to prohibit the sale of liquor. This article was never published but Mr. Owens referred to Maryland as "The Free State" in later editorials.

 

TENOR  - Brian Owen - member of the Chorus of the Chesapeake, is a retired US Army Military Policeman who now works for the Maryland State Board of Law Examiners in Annapolis. You can always count on him to tell a good story to make you laugh. Brian, his wife Janet and their Greyhound, Lady, live in Millersville, MD.

 

LEAD  - Tim Buell - is a Software Engineer working as an independent consultant. Tim began singing barbershop after college in the Pioneer District, then moved to Maryland. After singing for a year with the Heart of Maryland chorus, he took a bit of a break, for 22 years. Tim rejoined the Heart of Maryland in 2005. He lives in Jessup with his wife Joyce, two poodles, and 3 of his 4 daughters.

 

BARITONE  - Charlie Schlagel - retired as a Commander after serving twenty-nine years in the Navy Medical Service Corps as a research microbiologist. He holds a doctoral degree in immunology from the University of Iowa. After "running a muck for a mucking company", he finally got a job as the Director of the Office of Technology Transfer at the Naval Medical Research Center in Silver Spring, MD. Charlie has been a member of the Bowie Knights of Harmony since 1982 and active in quartetting since 1984.

 

BASS  - Dave Bankard - also retired from the Army, Dave now works for the US Army Corps of Engineers. He's sung with choruses and quartets in four states and even a quartet in Germany. Dave is a member of the Sons of the Severn Barbershop Chorus. He and his wife Jeanne, and schnauzers Jackie and Nancy (trained to run off all non-barbershoppers), live in Severn, MD.