2024 Hall of Fame honors four legends
By recommendation of the Hall of Fame committee, the Barbershop Harmony Society Board of Directors has voted to induct four honorees as the class of 2024. The awards will be presented at the BHS 2024 International Convention in Cleveland.
Steve Armstrong
The BHS honors Steve Armstrong for his exemplary service as a director, arranger, teacher, performer, and leader. Few barbershoppers can understand the depth of impact Steve’s service has had on the Society and his servant’s quiet attitude are some of the reasons his leadership is so powerful.Steve has been a Barbershop since 1976 and a frontline director for most of this time. He founded the Toronto Northern Lights Chorus and served as its director or co-director from its inception, winning numerous medals and ultimately the International Championship in 2013. Many choruses emulated TNL, as they showed that a small chorus could achieve top honors and provide visionary and ground-breaking performances from the dramatic to the hilarious. He arranged much of the Northern Lights’ music, and his musicianship and vision was ever-present in their delivery.
Steve also has previously directed the East York Barbershoppers and Scarborough Dukes of Harmony at the International level. In 2019 he was awarded the Joe Liles Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in directing leadership.
Steve was certified as an Arrangement Judge in 1987 and has served continuously as a Music (now Musicality) judge since the category inception. He served on a number of Boards of Review and finally as Category Specialist. Since 2020, he has been the Chair of Contest and Judging. Steve’s leadership, patience, and vision was vital in navigating all of the issues the Society faced during the pandemic, coming out even stronger on the other side.
As C&J navigates using new software to more effectively manage contests, Steve’s leadership and vision as well as his technical and analytical skills have been crucial in ensuring the integrity of our contests. Steve’s ingenuity created the ability for competitors to have more options during their contest feedback sessions as well. Steve continues to serve tirelessly on behalf of all of us as he continues to positively shape our contest experience.
Aaron Dale
Rarely in the history of our Barbershop Harmony Society does someone completely alter how we think about the barbershop style. Aaron Dale is one of those few.Over the past two decades, quartets and choruses at the highest levels across the world have sought out his musical ideas and cleverness. His keen sense of rhythm— coupled with the expertise and flair to musically evoke the same—changed how several genres of music could be expressed in the barbershop style. Today, all barbershoppers sing backbeat and swing better because of Aaron’s ability to weave his creativity into the texture of an arrangement, positively impacting the musicality of all singers performing his arrangements. As a result of his impact and contribution, Aaron received recognition as part of the inaugural class of recipients of the BHS Lifetime Achievement Award for Arrangers in 2020.
Aaron also blazed a new trail for small choruses with his leadership as director of Kentucky Vocal Union, providing some of the most innovative performances ever witnessed in chorus competition.
In addition to teaching and coaching, Aaron also served as a Music judge and as a District Representative for Contest and Judging for the CAR district for a number of years. The Society will feel the impact of Aaron’s contribution for decades.
Tom Gentry
Tom’s two largest contributions to the Society are in the world of arranging and working with other barbershop organizations. Although Tom has arranged music for medalist-level groups, all of his arrangements are accessible to and singable by all levels of singers.In 2020, he was recognized as part of the inaugural class of recipients of the BHS Lifetime Achievement Award for Arrangers. He has been a long-time mentor to Harmony, Inc, as well as nearly every alliance organization throughout the barbershop world. Nearly every barbershopper in the past 50 years has been directly impacted by Tom.
A member of the BHS since 1969, Tom certified as an Arrangement judge in 1979 and he has the distinction of the most years of service, with 44 years as a certified judge, judging in both the Arrangement and Music (now Musicality) categories. As a judge, he served on Boards of Review and is a past Category Specialist.
Tom was a fixture as a faculty member at Harmony College/University for decades teaching dozens of different classes. He also worked at Harmony Hall as a Music Specialist for seven years. His hard work and favorable relationships with several publishing houses led to arrangers being able to publish more songs in the barbershop style. Last, Tom chaired the Music Publications Committee for many years and is a favorite director, quartet singer, and coach. Tom’s contributions over his lifetime are numerous and significant and the Hall of Fame award is fitting.
Clay Hine
Clay Hine has been a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society since 1978. He has sung baritone in multiple quartets, including the 1999 International Championship Quartet, FRED, and the finalist quartet Category Four and medalist quartet A Mighty Wind.Clay was one of the driving forces in helping redefine how comedy could be portrayed at the highest levels of both quartet and chorus competition, thus influencing future comedy quartets.
A successful chorus director, Clay has appeared in the BHS International Chorus Contest for over 30 years as a director or co-director with Big Chicken Chorus, Atlanta Vocal Project, and Heralds of Harmony, medaling with Big Chicken and AVP/Heralds.
Clay is the 2023 recipient of the Joe Liles Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in directing leadership. Clay has been involved in Contest and Judging since the early 1990s as an Arrangement and Music Judge and has served as a member of the Board of Review. Continuing his legacy of serving, he is the incoming Musicality Category Specialist. Clay is also a prolific arranger, having his charts sung by numerous quartets and choruses in all barbershop organizations.
In 2020, Clay received recognition as part of the inaugural class of recipients of the BHS Lifetime Achievement Award for Arrangers. He is a teacher and coach at the highest of levels and his insight is sought out by singers all over the world. Clay’s contributions and impact to BHS at his chapter, district, and international levels are significant and will be felt for generations.
Congratulations to the 2024 recipients of the Barbershop Harmony Society Hall of Fame!
About the Barbershop Harmony Society Hall of Fame
The Barbershop Harmony Society Hall of Fame was established as a means of bestowing Society recognition and honor to members and quartets — living or in memoriam — for exceptional contributions that have enhanced the barbershop experience for the Society.
Any living or deceased Society member, Society staff member, or quartet, with the exception of the current Society President or any current Hall of Fame committee member, is eligible for nomination.
Honorees are selected by a majority vote of the committee, and there is no maximum or minimum limit on the number of inductees in a given year.
The award criteria used by the committee fall into general categories of music and administration/leadership. In music, judging, arranging, composing, chorus directing, coaching and singing are important. In administration/leadership, service as an officer, advisor, and in planning, writing or editing are considered.