The Gentlemen's Agreement
1971
(retired)
Winning Members:
Tenor: Al Rehkop
Lead: Drayton Justus
Bass: Bob Whitledge
Bari: Glenn Van Tassel
Replacement Members:
Bari: Greg Backwell
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The Gentlemen's Agreement, 1971 International champion, is one quartet that really was an "overnight success." Almost, anyway.
Organized in December 1969, it qualified for the international contest in the spring, went to Atlantic City in July and came home with fourth-place medals. The following year, in New Orleans, the Detroit-area quartet won the whole ball of wax.
But why not? Two of its members (baritone Glenn Van Tassell and tenor Al Rehkop) claimed their second gold medals in New Orleans; they had been half of the Auto Towners, 1966 champions. And the other two, lead Drayton Justus and bass Bob Whitledge, were equally talented, long-time barbershoppers, even though they didn't have medals to show for it.
Glenn, Bob and Drayton had been directors or assistant directors of three different choruses; Al, an accomplished composer and arranger, was responsible for many of the quartet's songs.
One week after winning the gold the G.A. accepted an invitation to make a 17-day tour of South Vietnam. From the decks of ships to forward-area bases to hospitals they entertained US servicemen, singing 41 shows in a little over two weeks. Greg Backwell, formerly of the Nighthawks, replaced Glenn in about 1973, and Drayton later joined the Suntones. The quartet retired, then reorganized two or three times but finally shelved the pitch pipe in the mid-80s.
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