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Jim
Ross- has
been singing gospel music for nearly 40 years. He was in high school
when he met a couple on his paper route by the names of Dobbie and Diana
Thrash. This meeting led him to sing in his first gospel quartet
called, "The Emeralds". The group consisted of Dobbie Thrash, Tom
Louden, and Jerry Villers. They sang for approximately two years
before Jim was called to serve in the Navy.
After 4 years in the Navy, a man by the name of Harold Board called Jim and asked him to sing in a quartet called, "The Gospelaires". The quartet was made up of Jim, Harold, Andy Anderson, and Ross Moore. When Ross Moore left the group to sing with his wife, Ann, and Sandy Richards in a group called The Songsters, The Gospelaires were in search for a bass singer. They found a man named Ron Kunze who had just the voice they were looking for...with that rich low-down quality. Jim sang with the quartet for about 8 years when his job forced him to leave the group.
Yet, he continued singing in choirs and got involved in other church related
activities. In 1992, Jim had a stroke that changed his life completely.
On the long road to recovery, Harold Board, who had also left The
Gospelaires, visited and called Jim almost everyday. It wasn't long
until his sons, Mark and Paul, suggested that they start a quartet with
Harold Board and they called the quartet, "The Proclaimers".
Paul
Ross- has been singing gospel music ever since he
was a young boy. He had a desire to follow in his father's footsteps singing
the only kind of music that made a difference...Gospel Quartet Music.
His love for four-part harmony came as he followed his Dad's singing career.
At an early age, he began listening to such quartets as The Florida Boys, The Statesman, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Blackwood Brothers and his favorite group, The Kingsmen. He particularly liked singing tenor and bass.
Paul feels fortunate to be able to sing in a quartet with his father whom
he has admired for so many years. Following his father's recovery from
a stroke, Paul helped organize The Proclaimers Quartet. His dad says
that his mother loves him the most, but if truth be known, Dad loves
him more! No one else can sing the tenor part quite like Paul.
Dave
DeBarr- has been interested in music for a long time.
He learned to play a variety of woodwind instruments early in his life.
The first instrument that he learned to play was a clarinet. He continued
his music interests playing in the Stage Band in junior high school.
He continued to play music in high school, winning several honors such
as All State Band and All State Orchestra.
In his desire to become a music educator, he went to West Virginia Tech where he studied music education taking voice training, as well as playing all kinds of woodwind instruments.
When he finished at West Virginia Tech, he came home and began working with his father's trucking company and became interested in the operations of the business. Dave is now part owner of DeBarr Trucking Company out of Parkersburg, WV with his brother Denny.
Meanwhile, Dave wanting to keep music a part of his life, became involved in several singing groups within his home church. With his knowledge and background in music, he became the choir director at his church and continues to be so to the present day.
Dave came to be a part of the quartet when Mark Ross left them to sing in a group at Mt. Vernon College. Dave and Paul met at a funeral where they sang together for the first time. When Paul heard his bass voice, he asked if he would like to be a part of the quartet. Dave responded and has been singing bass ever since their meeting.
Dave is one of the most natural basses you'll ever hear on any stage.
His smooth harmony blends all of the quartet into one. We count it
a privilege to be able to sing with him.
Mike
Douglas- Mike has been singing gospel music for about
30 years now. He became interested in gospel music when he first heard
The Oak Ridge Boys. Their energetic, power harmony style of presenting
the gospel has had a great influence in his life.
From that time on, being a Christian already, he decided his talent was to to sing for the Lord. His brother John, along with Mike, formed a trio with their sister, singing as John played the guitar. After singing with his brother and a few changes in personnel, they changed their name to The Harvest Trio, and sang over 160 dates a year.
In 1983, they recorded with the Eddie Crook Company in Nashville,TN on the Regency Record label. The song that he co-wrote with their piano player Randall B. Snodgrass, did very well all over the U.S., but did not chart with The Singing News. The song, "Jesus, You're A Comfort" did hit some local radio charts in the top 40 songs of the year. In 1987 and 1988, The Harvest Trio sang at the National Quartet Convention in Nashville, TN. After a couple of more changes in personnel and making an effort to go full-time, John and his wife were called into the full-time preaching ministry.
Mike began singing solo for a while and did some evangelistic speaking at some of the local area churches.
Soon after
a solo singing engagement, he met up with another local
area singer
by the name of Jim Ross at a local area restaurant. He was asked if he
was interested in singing with The Proclaimers Quartet based in Parkersburg,
WV. They had been looking for a replacement for former lead singer
Harold Board. Mike knew of Harold and realized that he had big shoes
to fill. Mike didn't want to sing with just anyone, he wanted to sing with
a high energy group, who had that same power harmony he had heard from
The Oak Ridge Boys years earlier. After their first time together,
he believed he had found that group, and they had found their replacement.
Mike has been singing with them for 6 years now. He has recorded with them on three projects with Harvest Gospel Studio in Huntington, WV. One of the first songs to go on a project was "Jesus, You're A Comfort".
Mike presently
works as a school teacher at Eastern Elementary School in
Reedsville,
Ohio. As a Title I Teacher, Mike has worked with children ranging from
1st to 7th grade.
His hobbies
include working on computer doing a web page for our quartet, golfing,
fishing, listening to The Oak Ridge Boys, and singing. He also earned
a private pilot license on November 7, 2000. Also, he has had about
18 years of vocal training with a talented lady who spent much of her time
in Broadway Musicals and radio shows named Mary Eberhardt.
