George Younce
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
George Younce (born February 22, 1930 at Patterson, North Carolina; died April 11, 2005) was an American singer, known for performing with Southern Gospel quartets.
At the age of 15 in his hometown, George received his first taste of Southern Gospel music. One afternoon in 1946, George heard a radio program featuring the “Blue Ridge Quartet” and that day changed his life forever. When he was in sixth grade, he earned a prize for the highest voice in school. At age 16 he joined his first quartet, a group of teenage friends called the “Spiritualaires,” where he sang lead. When his voice changed, he dropped out for some time, and eventually discovered he had become a bass singer. Over the next decade he traveled with such groups as the Homeland Harmony Quartet, The Weatherfords, the Florida Boys, and the Blue Ridge Quartet before settling with the “Cathedral Quartet” in November of 1964. For 36 years the quartet, based in Stow, Ohio, traveled the world spreading the gospel in song.
As the group’s spokesman and “Master of Ceremonies,” George ministered and entertained in some of the country’s largest churches and arenas. He performed on the Gaither Homecoming Tour, at Radio City Music Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York City, and the Billy Graham Crusades in Cleveland, Ohio and Nashville, Tennessee. His television appearances include the “Bill Gaither Homecoming Hour,” NBC’s Today Show, The Nashville Network, “Prime Time Country,” and “The Statler Brothers Show.”
George is a 14-time recipient of the prestigious Singing News Fan Award for “Favorite Southern Gospel Bass” singer. He was Gospel Music’s “Living Legend” of the year in 1988, and was inducted into the “Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame” located in Dollywood in 1998. He was awarded the 2004 SGN Scoops Diamond “Lifetime Achievement Award”. He recorded well over 100 projects including the award-winning “Symphony of Praise” with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The Cathedrals have been nominated for 11 Grammy awards and their “Farewell Celebration” video was charted number one in sales in 1999 by Billboard Magazine.
With the passing of his long time friend and partner Glen Payne in October of 1999, and George’s failing kidneys, the Cathedrals retired in December of 1999. Late in his career, he sang with The Old Friends Quartet, which included Haase and Jake Hess. Although he had to stop officially touring, he did make occasional “special appearances” with his son-in-law, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, and with his friend Bill Gaither and the Homecoming Tour.
George suffered from heart trouble as well as kidney failure. He was on dialysis during the last years of his life, and he passed away in early spring, 2005.
George deserved fame as probably the greatest bass singer in history. But what really endeared him to his thousands of fans was his warm heart. When Ernie Haase attempted to write a memorial of him, his summary of George's character was, "He loved."
