Barbershop quartets are something you don’t hear of too much these days. Which is a shame because I would love to hear a group of guys or gals harmonize a cappella to some nostalgic tunes once and a while.
That’s why the Barbershop Harmony Society keeps this beautiful tradition alive.
The Barbershop Harmony Society recently named executive producer and TV host Mike Rowe as an Honorary Lifetimes member at the 2016 International Quartet Champion Forefront.
Most people know Rowe from the show “Dirty Jobs,” but he actually credits his show business success to singing and his high school choir director, Fred King, who was a world champion barbershop quartet singer.
According to the society’s website, King encouraged Rowe to become a “Barbershopper,” to sing in the Baltimore Opera, and become a television star.
So, when the Barbershop Harmony Society presented his Rowe with his honor it was only fitting that they sang Rowe the very first song that King taught him, “Sweet and Lovely.”
The Harbershop Harmony Society elects Honorary Life Members who are “performers and leaders who make an impact on the world through their passion and include on close harmony and singing for everyone.”
They applauded Rowe for his work as the CEO of mikeroweWORKS Foundation which started the Profoundly Disconnected campaign which challenges the belief that a four-year degree is the only road to success and aims to close the “Skills Gap.”
The crowd at the award ceremony was probably a little confused when Rowe walked out on stage in the middle of the performance of “Sweet and Lovely.”
He looked as if he was about to join the performance but Rowe looked out of place dressed casually in jeans and a blue shirt instead of a suit that matched the other singers.
Nonetheless, to everyone’s surprise, he placed himself in the middle of the quartet and showed off his singing chops.
Which are quite impressive!
Rowe’s voice beautifully blended with the other Barbershoppers and sounded smooth and deep when he sang the bass parts. You could tell that singing is a deep passion of his by the look of sheer joy on his face.
“So I’m in Las Vegas, receiving an Honorary Lifetime Membership into The Barbershop Harmony Society,” Rowe explained on Twitter. “In other words, I’ve been up for three days straight, singing old songs with new friends in stairwells of various hotels up and down the Strip. Good fun.”
You can check out Rowe’s passion for song in the video below.
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