George Younce

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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, especially The Cathedrals.^[1]

At the age of 15 in his hometown, George received his first taste of Southern Gospel music.^[2] As a teenager, Younce joined his first quartet, known as the Spiritualaires.^[3] When his voice changed, he switched to the bass part that he would sing for the rest of his life. ^[4] Over the next decade he traveled with such groups as the Homeland Harmony Quartet, The Weatherfords, the Florida Boys, and the Blue Ridge Quartet.^{[citation needed]} In November of 1964, George joined the "Cathedral Trio", the singing group at Rex Humbard's "Cathedral of Tomorrow" in Akron, Ohio.^{[citation needed]} There he joined forces with lead singer Glen Payne, Tenor Bobby Clark and Baritone/Piano Player Danny Koker to form the "Cathedral Quartet".^{[citation needed]} They toured the world for 36 years.^{[citation needed]}

Younce performed on the Gaither Homecoming Tour, at Radio City Music Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York City, and at the Billy Graham Crusades in Cleveland, Ohio and Nashville, Tennessee.^{[citation needed]} His television appearances include the "Rex Humbard Hour"^{[citation needed]}, the "Gospel Singing Jubilee"^{[citation needed]}, the “Bill Gaither Homecoming Hour”^{[citation needed]}, NBC’s Today Show^{[citation needed]}, The Nashville Network^{[citation needed]}, “Prime Time Country”^{[citation needed]}, and “The Statler Brothers Show”^{[citation needed]}.

Younce was a 14-time recipient of the Singing News Fan Award for “Favorite Southern Gospel Bass” singer.^{[citation needed]} He was Gospel Music’s "Living Legend" of the year in 1988^{[citation needed]}, and was inducted into the "Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame" located in Dollywood in 1998.^{[citation needed]} He was awarded the 2004 SGN Scoops Diamond “Lifetime Achievement Award”.^{[citation needed]} He recorded well over 100 projects including the award-winning “Symphony of Praise” with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.^{[citation needed]} George also wrote several Southern Gospel songs including the classic "He Loves Me".^{[citation needed]}

In 1998, George recorded the first of three solo projects.^{[citation needed]} Two were GMA nominees for Dove Awards in the Southern Gospel Album of the Year category.^{[citation needed]} The third presents a collection of some of Younce's favorite hymns.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]} In the fall of 2000 George appeared for the first time without the Cathedrals as a solo performer in Parkersburg, West Virginia on a show called "An Evening with George Younce and Ernie Hasse".^{[citation needed]} Late in his career, he sang with The Old Friends Quartet, which included his son-in-law, former Cathedral tenor Ernie Haase and Southern Gospel legend Jake Hess and baritone Wesley Pritchard.^{[citation needed]} George also provided the voice for some of the characters in several of the Bill Gaither produced "Gaither's Pond" children's videos.^{[citation needed]} Although he had to stop officially touring, he did make occasional "special appearances" with son-in-law Ernie's new quartet Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, and with his friend Bill Gaither and the Homecoming Tour.^{[citation needed]}