History of the Big D Chorus

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  The Big D Chapter of SPEBSQSA was chartered on September 12, 1946, with 16 men. The first president was Walter Scheible, then the principal of Crozier Tech High School. First chorus director was "Pop" Myers, the program director of radio station WRR. "Pop" was also famous for his early TV commercial for Wolf Brand Chili. "How long has it been since you had a bowl of Wolf Brand Chili? Well, that's too long."

 

   The Big D Chorus has had many meeting sites in Dallas. The first meeting place was the downtown YMCA. The longest running and most notable was the Adolphus Hotel.  We now rehearse at the Preston Crest Church of Christ Annex.  By 1947, membership had swelled to 32 men. O.F, Jones, co-author of "Sweet Roses of Morn" was a Big D member. The song was copyrighted in 1949. Early chapter members tended to be lots of "good old-boys" from the Dallas business community.

 

  From day one, Big D was a chapter that promoted quartets. Some of the notable quartets with Big D ties are;

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Beau Jesters - 1949 SWD Quartet Champions

Dallasaires - 1951 SWD Quartet Champions

Dealers Choice - 1973 International Quartet Champions

Doo Dads - 1965 SWD Quartet Champions

Geri-atrix - 1994 SWD Senior Quartet Champions

Knights of Harmony - four time International quartet competitors

Mad Caps - top show quartet

Main Attraction - top show quartet

Playbills - top SWD quartet

Stage Door Four - 1970 SWD Quartet Champions

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   The Big D Chorus was noted for its super annual shows usually in the State Fair Music Hall, later in the Convention Center Auditorium. Always present was one highly ranked international guest quartet. Not unknown was the booking of two such groups for the same show. In the 1954 show,  both the Mid-States Four and Buffalo Bills were performers. Featured quartets in other years were the Schmitt Brothers, Four Hearsemen, Confederates (several times), Gentlemen's Agreement, Gaynotes, Gala Lads, Four Renegades, Friends in Harmony, Four Pitchhikers, and the Evans Quartet.   

 

  The Big D chapter was always a party chapter. Hardly a weekend went by without a party. Sites were scattered but Tom Helzer's digs was always in vogue. Other sites were the Piercy's, Solomon's, Parish's, Woodall's, Mitch and Edwina Jones' place, John Edwards, a party boat on White Rock Lake etc. Big D alumni were not strangers in the upper echelons of the Society. Joe Lewis was twice International President, Ex-Big D'er Ralph Ribble

was also international president. Longtime Harmony Accuracy judge Hank Lewis was from Big D. The nucleus of the Garland (later Town North) chapter and the Vocal Majority was mainly Big D members;

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  History written by Royce Parish, former Big D historian

   Adapted from "Golden Memories, a 50 Year History of the Southwestern District", by Grady Kerr

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Chorus Competition Highlights

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1950 Southwestern District Chorus Champions

1954 Southwestern District Chorus Champions

1955 BHS International 9th Place Finalists

1957 Southwestern District Chorus Champions

1958 BHS International 5th Place Medalists

1988 Southwestern District Small Chorus Champions

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Past Chorus Directors

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Pop Myers 

Aylett Fitzhugh 

Jim Massey 

John Piercy 

Bill Thornton 

Ray Anthony 

Todd Wilson 

Jim Devenport 

Terry Chapman 

Mark Holdeman 

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