GEORGE YOUNCE

Sing, sing, sing!

George Younce

February 22, 1930 – April 11, 2005

George Wilson Younce was born in North Carolina on George Washington’s birthday and his Dad named him after our first president. Little George was a natural on stage and at the age of 5 he would sing and dance on a local store’s porch. Passers by would toss pennies into the porch which George would then collect and use to buy candy at the store!

In later years, along with his close friend Glen Payne, George Younce was a founding member of the much loved ‘Cathedral Quartet’, which left a legacy of integrity and joy to the gospel music industry. With his gift of communication, ever-ready sense of humor, and melodic bass voice, George inspired audiences young and old for over 50 years. He had a real zest for life, and was always trying to find the positive side of every situation. For example, he once stepped off a curb and fell, breaking his arm. His first thought was that he now had a new joke to use at the concerts – and thereafter he couldn’t resist mentioning that he had broken his arm in three places and someone told him to stay out of those three places!

George greatly enjoyed his time as part of the Cathedral Quartet and often said he would not trade one moment of his time with them for anything the world could offer. As he grew older his walk with the Lord grew stronger. He often said: “I like to think of myself as still being the same as I started out. But of course I’m not. I thank the Lord I’ve been able to adapt myself to the different styles of music, but I guess the biggest change in me has been wrought by the Lord Jesus Christ because when I started singing, I loved to sing but I really didn’t know the One I was singing about. I loved gospel music, but I really wasn’t a Christian. Once I devoted my life to the Lord, the songs that I was singing took on a new meaning and I’ve never been the same.”

After the Cathedrals farewell concert in 1999, he enjoyed spending time with his family, appearing in the Gaither homecoming concerts, and making occasional special appearances with his son-in-law, Ernie Hasse and his quartet ‘Signature Sound’. As George puts it: “I am so blessed to have been able to live my dream of singing gospel music these past 50 plus years, and as long as there’s breath in my body I will sing, sing, sing!!”

-Alyssa W.

If you really wanted to make George happy, all you had to do was surround him with these people - his wife and children. George and his wife of 49 years, Clara, are surrounded by (L-R) Lisa Haase, Tara Aidala, George Lane, Gina Eroskey (seated) and Dana Willis.

This shot of Ernie Haase, George, Scott Fowler and Roger Bennett was taken on the Cathedrals' bus the night of their final concert. Not long after the shutter was snapped, George went to his closet, took out his favorite brown suit and got ready to walk out on stage one last time as an anchor of the quartet.

George Younce sings "Suppertime" with the Old Friends Quartet and the Gaither Vocal Band

~Alyssa