(adapted from the QCA archives)
Joseph Sullivan was born on May 28, 1935 in Chicago. His first connection to barbershop was in college and it could be said that Joe’s bladder got him into barbershop! He walked into the men’s room at Loyola University one summer day in 1954 and discovered four men singing barbershop harmony. Fascinated by the sound, he stopped to listen and when the tenor had to leave, Joe was invited to take his place. The four liked the sound of their voices together and soon entered the Loyola Talent Contest, taking first place and calling themselves The Privy Council.
In 1955, he and two of the members of the Council (Bill Brander and Jim Maher) teamed up with Bill Maher and formed a quartet called The Eristochords, placing 5th in the district that year. A rival quartet named the Up ‘N Atoms also had its sights on winning the district and was going through a personnel change. Jim and Joe joined forces with Thom Hine and Tom Felgen and the group formed the new Up ‘N Atoms quartet in 1956.
The next year, when Thom moved on from the group, Warren “Buzz” Haeger stepped in and the legendary Four Renegades was born! However, it was a coaching session with Lyle Pilcher (see FTV Spring ’22 issue) that ultimately created the recognizable sound – Lyle moved Buzz to tenor, Joe to lead, and Jim to baritone. The group competed in 1957 and won the district championship (see FTV Summer ’22 issue). For Buzz and Joe, the new voice parts suited them, but not so with Jim Maher. Business and personal obligations forced Jim to depart the group, however it wasn’t long before the others found the baritone they needed – Jim Foley. With the new personnel and new voice parts, the quartet began its climb, and took 2nd place in International at Kansas City in 1962. The next year, the quartet came in 4th at Toronto and despite a very busy performance schedule of chapter shows, Joe found it difficult to remain in the group and balance his personal life. Upon his departure, the Renegades chose Ben Williams and eventually took the gold in 1965.
Joe returned to the district stage with his second champion quartet, Avant Garde, in 1967 (See FTV Summer ’21 issue). Singing with Bob Meredith (later Doug Miller), Joe Warren, and Dick Reed, Joe earned 5th place medals in 1968 and 1969. After about a ten year gap, Joe was back at it again, this time with Don Bagley, Bob Briedert, and Doug Wehrwein. Known as the Tin Pan Allies, the group won the district in 1981 after qualifying to compete at International in Detroit earlier that year (See article in this issue’s QCA section). In the late 1990s, Joe filled in the baritone slot when the Chicago News quartet revived for a brief time. Joe was one of the very few people to have medaled at International in two different voice parts.
Joe was a long-time member of the Arlington Heights and Northbrook Chapters. He earned a gold medal when he performed with Northbrook at the 2001 International contest in Nashville.
Joe also found success in not only arranging, but directing. He was the assistant director of the Arlingtones chorus under Doug Miller as well as the primary director of several Sweet Adelines choruses based in Region #3 beginning with the Illinois Valley Chapter.
Joe became associated with Sweet Adelines (Region #3) in 1965. With no previous director experience, he soon launched the Illinois Valley Chapter into second place in his very first competition. He repeated that accomplishment the next year, and in 1967 took his chorus to the Region #3 championship. Over the course of the next decade, Joe could be found directing choruses to championships and medals with groups from Ottawa, Lake County, and Joliet.
On the administrative side, Joe served the district over the years as Area Counselor (1972), and Metropolitan Division VP (1993-94) before moving into the EVP position in 1995-96. From 1997-98, Joe served as District President. Without question, Joe’s biggest legacy to the district was his creation of the “Quartet Champions Association” (QCA) in 1960. He served as the group’s first president and returned to serve in that capacity over much of its history. In 1996, he was named the fifth recipient of the coveted QCA Music Man Award.
Upon his “retirement” as district president, Joe did not slow down. On the contrary, he served as an IDEA Trustee, joined the Historical Committee, and moved into the district’s Youth Outreach Committee as chairman, where he began planning high school quartet competitions around the state. In 1998, at the request of Rich Hansen and Mac McGlasson, Joe took part in the very first Young Men in Harmony (later called Youth in Harmony) festival held in Mt. Zion, IL. As an added bonus, his quartet at the time, The Chicago News, traveled to the school and performed for the students at no charge! In later years, he served as a judge in high school divisional contests as well as a coach at YIH festivals. Such was Joe’s devotion to encourage barbershop singing among young people.
Joe left us on May 20, 2024, just a few days shy of his 89th birthday. Few people have been so dedicated to the preservation of barbershop singing and the Illinois District itself.
For those who remain, Joe’s best advice is echoed in what he said to the QCA members in his final letter as that organization’s president:
“Keep singing…help the district quartets…and above all, have fun!”
Well said, Joe. You’ll be missed.
