I have a note in my blog ideas file to do a post on Cathedral Quartet bass singer George Younce. Today I’ve been inundated with emails bearing the news that he passed away early this morning. The Singing News has a good biography and photo album on their site.

The Cats were probably the greatest southern gospel quartet ever. I grew up listening to their classic ’80’s albums “Oh Happy Day” (Go Jonah!) and “Something Special” (Let Freedom Ring). I went on of course to acquire tons more of their recordings. They were very influential in my musical development.

They used to come out to Oregon every year or so for awhile, and I went to hear them every time. When they hit the stage, the atmosphere was just electrified. One of the last times I saw them was up in Portland. They came out and opened with “Echoes from the Burning Bush.” They did a verse and at the end of the chorus, George walks his way down and just pounds a monster low one. The place went nuts, you couldn’t help it! I don’t know if there ever was a group that established a rapport with their crowd like the Cats did.

George was a master emcee, he always had the crowd in the palm of his hand, it was amazing. Everybody just loved him and Glen.

Monster bass that he was even throughout the nineties, George was in his prime in the eighties before his heart attack (in ’87 I believe). He was nothing short of a powerhouse. He had rock-bottom solid low ones, but yet his voice was still very melodic. He had a defining cut, and still his voice had warmth.

He was hard to beat in unbridled and genuine enthusiasm. As soon as they’d wrap up a trademark rip-snort Cathedral ending, you could count on George: “Yeah I tell you what I like that song right there!” Or like this from “Travelin’ Live,” “Yeah I tell you what boys I tell you what, now that’s the way to sing that song right there! His love is a boundless love! Do that trio part again, I love that trio!”

I’m not really sure about this, but the Cat’s may have been fairly innovative in their vocal harmony stacks. Starting at least with early Mark Trammel days (post ’79 or ’80), they’d often have Mark take the high harmony note/part above Glen (lead). This opened the door for some really cool turbo-charged pin-you-to-your-seat tags. I don’t know how many other groups were doing that kind of thing, but maybe they were. I do know the Blackwood Bros. in their prime (1960’s) did a lot of switcharoo stacking.

There probably will never be another group like the Cathedrals, or a man like George Younce.

This has been a fairly sappy and sentimental post, but I really don’t care.