Difference between revisions of "Illinois District"

A picture from the early 1900s shows the Variety Four, including Molly Reagan, Little Doc Nelson, Pete Buckley and Ralph Morehouse.  In 1912, Frank Thorne and Molly met at the University of Illinois where they had a mandolin/guitar duo and also ran a dance hall for students.  In Illinois, quartet singing was popular with men of all ages, sparked by the influence of the many quartets that were popular acts in traveling vaudeville shows.  Singing close harmony with friends on street corners, in barbershops or the local pool hall, became an important part of America at the turn of the century.  Many of those early “harmony men” were to play a part in the development and growth of what was to become the roots of barbershop in Illinois.

A picture from the early 1900s shows the Variety Four, including Molly Reagan, Little Doc Nelson, Pete Buckley and Ralph Morehouse.  In 1912, Frank Thorne and Molly met at the University of Illinois where they had a mandolin/guitar duo and also ran a dance hall for students.  In Illinois, quartet singing was popular with men of all ages, sparked by the influence of the many quartets that were popular acts in traveling vaudeville shows.  Singing close harmony with friends on street corners, in barbershops or the local pool hall, became an important part of America at the turn of the century.  Many of those early “harmony men” were to play a part in the development and growth of what was to become the roots of barbershop in Illinois.

== See Also ==

== See Also ==