We have a rich and varied background in barbershop experience and in our personal lives.
In April of 1999, Over Time registered as an official Barbershop Harmony Society quartet. Shortly after that we entered our first Division contest and won the Seniors Division. The Evergreen District Seniors Championship in Spokane, Washington followed. Then, on January 29, 2000, in Tucson, Arizona, we were named the 2000 International Seniors Champions! See, Y2K was a good thing after all!
Our original tenor Jim Richards was the tenor in the popular comedy quartet, The Aliens, which retired after 30 years of entertaining barbershoppers throughout the Society. With the Jim’s move departure on August 8, 2000 we recruited a new tenor.
The new tenor, (the baby of the group, born in 1946), is Gary Raze, of Eugene. He is well known not only for his antics on the Les Schwab battery commercials, but in the very funny McKenzie Touring Company quartet. Gary joined the Society in 1978.
Although not a member of Over Time when we won the Senior Championship, he actually does have a medal from McKenzie Touring Company winning the 1995 Buckeye Comedy Quartet contest...like that counts! A veteran middle school teacher since 1970, Gary fit right in with Over Time. He likes to think we chose him for his good looks, but really it was because he "looks" funny. It's a bonus that he can sing, too. Married to LeAnne since 1970, they have a son and daughter and three grandchildren.
Lead Jerry Harrison was born in 1935 and joined the Society in 1961. He has two Evergreen District quartet championships under his belt: in 1966 with The Bay Shore Four, and the 1982 Cascade Connection. Jerry, a prolific songwriter, comes from a gospel music background, and has written many songs currently sung by Barbershop Harmony Society and SAI quartets and choruses. Jerry owns his own Group Insurance Company, Jerry Harrison, Inc. in Eugene, Oregon. He and his wife Paula have been married since 1954 and have two daughters and three grandchildren.
Bass "Bud" Roberts, born in 1941, has won the Evergreen District quartet championship three times: in 1974 with The Bright Side, in 1977 with Four Cheers, and in 1983 with Pacific Pride. Bud has had a lifelong love of music, performing in musical theater and numerous jingles on radio and TV in addition to his barbershop accomplishments. Quite newly married (1995), he and his bride Suzanne share eight children and nine grandchildren. Suzanne and Bud own the West Portland and Beaverton Home Instead Senior Care franchises. Bud is a reitred Civil Engineer. Bud joined the Society in 1958.
Mel Knight, baritone, was born in 1934 and has been a member of the Society since 1961. He won the Evergreen District quartet championship with The Cascade Connection in 1982 and directed the Eugene, Oregon chorus to district championships in 1982 and 1983. He is a Music Judge, arranger and coach and was the Society's Director of Music Education from 1988-1994. Mel is in the Evergreen District Hall of Fame. He and Pat have been married since 1956 and have three children and four grandchildren.
We are thrilled to have won the International Seniors Championship and look forward to singing together for many years in the future.