Singing News Fan Awards for Favorite Tenor

The Favorite Tenor award is awarded in the yearly Singing News Fan Awards ceremony to the fans' favorite tenor over the previous year.

History

The award was instituted in the second Singing News Fan Awards ballot cycle, for the 1971 Fan Awards. It was originally entitled "Favorite First Tenor." This was to differentiate it from "Favorite Second Tenor," the second highest part in male quartet harmony. Over time, as usage changed for the second tenor to be referred to as the group's lead singer, the group's first tenor came to be called the "tenor." This change was reflected in the 1991 Fan Awards, when the award was renamed "Favorite Tenor." Though the award has been called the "Favorite First Tenor" in several years since, it has generally been called the Favorite Tenor award since 1991.

Honorees

* 1971: Tommy Atwood (Florida Boys)
* 1972: Archie Watkins (The Inspirations)
* 1973: Archie Watkins (The Inspirations)
* 1974: Johnny Cook (The Happy Goodman Family)
* 1975: Johnny Cook (The Happy Goodman Family)
* 1976: Johnny Parrack (Kingsmen Quartet)
* 1977: Pat Hoffmaster (The Blackwood Brothers)
* 1978: Jerry Trammell (Florida Boys)
* 1979: Archie Watkins (The Inspirations)
* 1980: Ernie Phillips (Kingsmen Quartet)
* 1981: Ernie Phillips (Kingsmen Quartet)
* 1982: Archie Watkins (The Inspirations)
* 1983: Kirk Talley (Cathedral Quartet)
* 1984: Kirk Talley (Cathedral Quartet)
* 1985: Danny Funderburk (Cathedral Quartet)
* 1986: Danny Funderburk (Cathedral Quartet)
* 1987: Danny Funderburk (Cathedral Quartet)
* 1988: Brian Free (Gold City)
* 1989: Brian Free (Gold City)
* 1990: Brian Free (Gold City)
* 1991: Brian Free (Gold City)
* 1992: Brian Free (Gold City)
* 1993: Brian Free (Gold City)
* 1994: Ernie Haase (Cathedral Quartet)
* 1995: Ernie Haase (Cathedral Quartet)
* 1996: Ernie Haase (Cathedral Quartet)
* 1997: Ernie Haase (Cathedral Quartet)
* 1998: Brian Free (Brian Free and Assurance)
* 1999: Ernie Haase (Cathedral Quartet)
* 2000: Jay Parrack (Gold City)
* 2001: Jay Parrack (Gold City)
* 2002: Brian Free (Brian Free and Assurance)
* 2003: Ernie Haase (Ernie Haase & Signature Sound)
* 2004: Jason Waldroup (Greater Vision)
* 2005: Ernie Haase (Ernie Haase & Signature Sound)
* 2006: Ernie Haase (Ernie Haase & Signature Sound)
* 2007: Jason Waldroup (Greater Vision)
* 2008: Michael Booth (Booth Brothers)

Sources

* "Southern Gospel Sourcebook 2006" (Boone, NC: Singing News, 2006), pp. 208-217.