In 1975, Stage Door Four baritone Dennis Malone's company transferred him to California although he wanted to continue singing in a Dallas quartet . That left two other members of the disbanded Stage Door Four, tenor Keith Houts, and super lead, Jim Law looking for a bass. One night in late 1975, 6'5" Earl Hagn appeared at a Vocal Majority rehearsal. With very obvious 6'3' bass vocal chords, Earl was approached by many three man quartets. As luck would have it, Earl agreed to audition for a quartet whose bari was in California and might not return. Dennis Malone was from Chicago, IL and began his barbershop career in 1968 while in college. He went on to direct the Little Egypt chapter in Herrin, IL. Dennis is a piano technician/restorer and an accomplished piano player. Keith Houts had always been in a quartet. Before the Ramblers, he sang in the Playbills and the Stage Door Four. Originally from Tennessee, he worked as a machinist with Braniff Int'l. Jim was a long time barbershopperand quartetter. He joined

the Stage Door Four shortly after they won the Disrict championship due to the retirement of original lead, Phil Leslie. A singer since elementary school, Earl Hagn had performed wiffi many groups including an octet in college called the Bullfrogs. It's said that when he joined the quartet he originally thought International was a truck. Jim, Keith and Earl began rehearsing and sent tapes and music to Dennis. In August, just three short weeks before the divisional contest, Dennis moved back to Dallas and began rehearsing with the trio. The sound was unbelievable! At division they placed a close second and continued to work for District. On October 23rd, in San Antonio the Ramblers stole the convention and the contest with two excellent sets highlighted by the song Dennis brought from Illinois, "Gotta Be On My Way". Listening to the record of the 1976 SWD contest and hearing the thunderous applause is historical proof that the Ramblers won the contest and the

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