| Golden Memories | SWD International Quartet Champions |
| sing as well as they could. They really enjoyed
their greatest compliment when, singing in a small room, those listening
admitting they could tell who was singing what part. Their unique style
was copied by most of the quartets that followed. . . everyone wanted to
sing like the Chord Busters, but few could. They would go on to influence
the style in which all future quartets would sing.
They averaged approximately a show a week. It's also been said that if they ever turned down a "mashed potato and peas" freebie, they weren't aware of it. But they did have a fee. Locally, the Chord Busters sometimes charged between $35 to $50 (with $100 being the most ever). For out of town gigs, which were rare 'cause there weren't too many places to go and no way to get there, they waived their fee and got train fare, hotel, and some meals. Lem Childers was still very active with the quartet. He was, in fact, the fifth member. The guys took him to many of their bookings and even shared their quartet pay with him. One performance stands out. They dropped by a Tulsa hospital to sing for a friend. They soon found themselves entertaining the entire floor of patients and staff. The head nurse asked if they would consider singing for a special patient. They, of course, agreed and he was wheeled into the room. He was in an "extremely tense state". They
proceeded to sing Kathleen and by the second verse they noticed he began to relax. So much so that when they had finished, he was slumped over in the chair, completely |
relaxed. The head nurse informed them that the
patient had suffered an extreme nervous breakdown and had been in the hospital
for over a week. They had been unable to break through the tension. He
could now be treated successfully. This made a great impact on the quartet
and helped put performing into a new perspective.
The Chord Busters were asked to appear at the special dedication of the statue of Will Rogers at the Memorial near Claremore along with the Flat Foot Four and the Barflies, August 15, 1941. Less than a month later the Flat Foot Four's tenor, Johnny Whalen died, and the Chord Busters were honored to sing for their dear friend's Memorial Show in Oklahoma City. The show raised money to pay off the mortgage of the Whalen's home. They often found themselves booked on shows with the Flat Foot Four and the Barflies. Mterwards the Tulsa and Bartlesville champions would swap members for fun and call themselves the "Bar Busters" or the "Chord Flies". The Chord Busters believed the National Contest to be more than just "another annual competition". Despite pressure to compete again, in 1942 they began the tradition of past champions NOT entering future contests. Today, becoming once a champion, always a champion" is the ultimate goal. They felt the position of "gold medalist" held special responsibilities and by banding together, they could give something back to the Society. It was Doc who conceived and began the "World Champion's Club", predecessor to the current Association of International Champions In 1944, when gold medals were first presented, the previous winners were not included. Doc Enmeier saw the need for correcting that oversight and saw to it that ALL those who had won before 1944 received the gold medal each had earned. In July of 1943 the draft board stepped in to ruin all the fun. Masengale was the first to go - he selected the Army Air Corp. Holbrook soon followed going to the Marines. Doc and Greer were left home and the Chord Busters were inactive for over two years. By early 1946 all had made it back home safe and sound until Holbrook moved to Arkansas. The distance wasn't impossible until Greer decided to seek his fame and fortune in Hollywood. Years before, due to war rationing, The Chord Busters were unable to secure a recording contract. It was well into a farewell party for Greer they realized the next day would probably be the very last chance they would have to record "their" record. They met the next morning at a radio station |
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Contents |
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How It All Began Chapters Chapter Histories International Quartet Champions Choruses Administration
Contests and Conventions Registered Quartets Publications Recognitions In Conclusion