George Younce

George Younce (February 22, 1930 at Patterson, North Carolina – April 11, 2005) was an American singer, known for performing with Southern Gospel quartets, especially The Cathedrals. [cite web| url=http://www.thegospelgreats.com/remgy.htm| title=Remembering George Younce| publisher=The Gospel Greats Weekly Newsletter| accessdate=2008-03-23|month=May | year=2005]

At the age of 15 in his hometown, George received his first taste of Southern Gospel music. [cite web| url=http://www.georgeyounceonline.com/biography.htm| title=George Younce Biography| publisher=George Younce Online| accessdate=2008-03-23|year=2004] As a teenager, Younce joined his first quartet, known as the Spiritualaires. [cite web| url=http://newstopic.net/articles/2007/09/23/news/62younce.txt| title=Honoring a Gospel Legend| publisher=News-Topic| accessdate=2008-03-31|date=September 23, 2007] When his voice changed, he switched to the bass part that he would sing for the rest of his life. [cite web| url=http://singingnews.pointinspace.com/george_younce.html| title=George Younce Passes Away| publisher=Singing News| accessdate=2008-03-31|date=April 13, 2005] Over the next decade he traveled with such groups as the Homeland Harmony Quartet, The Weatherfords, the Florida Boys, and the Blue Ridge Quartet.Fact|date=February 2008 In November 1964, George joined the "Cathedral Trio", the singing group at Rex Humbard's "Cathedral of Tomorrow" in Akron, Ohio.Fact|date=February 2008 There he joined forces with lead singer Glen Payne, Tenor Bobby Clark and Baritone/Piano Player Danny Koker to form the "Cathedral Quartet".Fact|date=February 2008 They toured the world for 36 years.Fact|date=February 2008

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.Fact|date=February 2008 His television appearances include the "Rex Humbard Hour"Fact|date=February 2008, the "Gospel Singing Jubilee"Fact|date=February 2008, the “Bill Gaither Homecoming Hour”Fact|date=February 2008, NBC’s Today ShowFact|date=February 2008, The Nashville NetworkFact|date=February 2008, “Prime Time Country”Fact|date=February 2008, and “The Statler Brothers Show”Fact|date=February 2008.

Younce was a 14-time recipient of the Singing News Fan Award for “Favorite Southern Gospel Bass” singer.Fact|date=February 2008 He was Gospel Music’s "Living Legend" of the year in 1988Fact|date=February 2008, and was inducted into the "Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame" located in Dollywood in 1998.Fact|date=February 2008 He was awarded the 2004 SGN Scoops Diamond “Lifetime Achievement Award”.Fact|date=February 2008 He recorded well over 100 projects including the award-winning “Symphony of Praise” with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.Fact|date=February 2008 George also wrote several Southern Gospel songs including the classic "He Loves Me".Fact|date=February 2008

In 1998, George recorded the first of three solo projects.Fact|date=February 2008 Two were GMA nominees for Dove Awards in the Southern Gospel Album of the Year category.Fact|date=February 2008 The third presents a collection of some of Younce's favorite hymns.Fact|date=February 2008

With the passing of his long time friend and partner Glen Payne in October 1999, and George’s failing kidneys, the Cathedrals retired in December 1999.Fact|date=February 2008 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".Fact|date=February 2008 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.Fact|date=February 2008 George also provided the voice for some of the characters in several of the Bill Gaither produced "Gaither's Pond" children's videos.Fact|date=February 2008 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.Fact|date=February 2008

Younce suffered from heart trouble as well as kidney failure, and was on dialysis during the last years of his life.Fact|date=February 2008

External links

* [http://www.georgeyounceonline.com/ George Younce official site]

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