August, 2010 Volume 6, Issue 8

Historical Notes

By Edwin P. Dierdorff, Jr., Evergreen District Historian

Did you know?

THE DOCTORS OF HARMONY – 1947

Max “Junior” Cripe, lead; Elton “Butch” Hummel, baritone; Lee “Reverend” Kidder; and bass H.H. “Jumbo” Smith, tenor

‘Docs’ prescribed hard work to win 1947 gold

When the Elkhart, Indiana chapter of S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. was formed in September, 1943, Ron Younce, lead; Lee “Reverend” Kidder, bass and Elton “Butch” Hummel bari and were already looking for a tenor they could push around. They found H. “Jumbo” Smith standing five feet tall in his socks and weighing 125 pounds.

Kidder and Hummel had sung together in a high school quartet, Smith had sung as a baritone with two professional quartets and had been an acrobatic performer on the vaudeville stage. Youce went into the navy and was replaced by Max “Junior” Cripe in the spring of 1944. The Doctors of Harmony became the first Indiana state quartet champion at the contest held in January 1945. Fifteen quartets competed.

The quartet entered international competition in 1945 and placed fifth. The following year, they finished in third place and in 1947 they won the international championship.

According to the Doctors, a prescription of hard work earned them the gold medals. One of the songs they sang in competition was a new tune entitled Mississippi Moon, written by Jumbo Smith, ending a rumor that judges liked familiar songs.

The quartet disbanded in 1950. Kidder sang bass in the 1953 Cardinal District Champion Clef Chefs, a quartet that became an international semifinalist in 1953 and 54.

The Harmonizer; 1938 to 1988; November/December 1988, P. 34