Golden Memories SWD Chapters
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HOT SPRINGS, AR
Fun City Barbershop Chorus by Chuck Hanna |
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Fun City Barbershop Chorus
| In the early 1950's, Dr. D. J. Van Patter, former baritone
with the well known "Hill Toppers" quartet from somewhere in Wisconsin,
came to Hot Springs, Arkansas, and, along with thirty-three other local
singers, applied for and received the charter for Arkansas' first Barbershop
chapter.
Dr. Van Patter served as the chapter's first president and in his spare time put together a quartet called "Four Knights of the Bath". (Hot Springs, Bathhouses; got it?) This quartet was very good and very active, winning the Lions International Convention for quartets in Chicago before a crowd of thirty-four thousand competing in district contests in Memphis, Jackson, and Birmingham. In Birmingham, 1958, according to John Rivas, lead, the "FKOTB" were winning the contest when "Doc" went blank, allowing some young guys called the "Suntones" to win. (A lot of this is true because Chuck Hanna, Hot Springs chapter history editor, was in Birmingham that night, at a very young age, and observed this happening). John Rivas served as third chapter President and sang in the chorus until It finally lost members and its charter in the early sixties. He still sings with the new Hot Springs chapter and is a strong voice in our lead section. |
The new Hot Springs Fun City Chapter SPEBSQSA, Inc.
was founded In October 1977. Wayne Steward, a barbershopper from Quincy,
Illinois, relocated to Hot Springs and found there wasn't a chapter here.
He wrote to the International office for licensing procedures, then with
the help of others, secured the 35 members necessary at that time to charter.
There were some ex-barbershoppers in the area from the 1950 chapter and they were eager to sing again. Dr. Tom Burrow, Jdhn Rivas, Bill Webb, Norman Lambert, Bernie Powell and Cecil Cupp pitched in with some retired men from the Chicago area, among them were Dominic Busa, Duff Nelson, Dave Clayton, and Ed Jouris. The Chapter chartered on September 17, 1977, with Don Hawkins, Vice President of the DIxie district, Steve Keis, Director of the Memphis "Cotton Boll Chorus", Terry Mercing, Area Counselor from Litfie Rock, Arkansas, being present. In our forming years, Dan Harris of Garland Community College furnished us a place to rehearse at Southwest Jr. High. We held our charter show there, not realizing their auditorium was not air conditioned. Fourteen hundred people suffered through a hot September |
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Contents |
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How It All Began Chapters Chapter Histories International Quartet Champions ChorusesAdministration
Contests and Conventions Registered Quartets Publications Recognitions In Conclusion