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Who were the Al Stewart singers?
Thanks to submissions by Craig and Cristine Muir, Bill McGauhey Kevin McGuire, I was able to digitize several albums of the Al Stewart singers.
I wasn’t quite sure what to make of these (or at least, how to categorize them). Were they Glee Club, general PMO, or semi-professional recordings? Some albums are attributed to “Al Stewart’s Collegiate Singers,” and some “The Al Stewart Singers.” Were they different groups?
Were this group’s performances similar to a normal Glee Club show, or did they cater to different audiences?
(I’m being coy because I know some of the story. Sharing an email snippet below.)
Hi Paul- I know what the Collegiate Singers was about. When I was in school (early 60s) the union in Chicago would not allow the Glee Club to perform in Chicago unless they were union members. The result was that Al Stewart would hand pick about 20 singers and make them union members.
Occasionally, a member of the Singers would not be able to go on a trip, so Al would select a substitute for that concert. I was selected to participate in a concert. I am not sure how it was handled since I was not a union member, but I guess that was the way the “game” was played. We were paid for the performance, but I don’t remember what the amount was.
In general, the CS were current students. However, there were a few CS that were graduates. I don’t think they were permanent signers. Just some singers that Al had invited for a one night gig. I don’t have detailed information about that.
-Jim Burich
This seems like a part of PMO history that would have some interesting stories. Please share additional memories (or music) if you have them! Below is our current collection of Al Stewart Singers albums.
-Paul
Commentary
I cannot wait to hear some of these albums… I and pretty sure my father sang with these groups while he was on staff… but maybe I am remembering incorrectly
Kevin McGuire Casey
on 11/8/2021
from Indy
This in from Jim Griffiths:
“Paul,
The Collegiate Singers were formed after I came to Purdue, probably in 1959 – 1960. The Glee Club was doing a large number of big shows and conventions around the country on which professional acts and orchestras also performed. AGVA (American Guild of Variety Artists) eventually told Al that their members would be pulled from any shows where if we were singing as non-union performers. Al went to Fred Hovde and proposed that the Glee Club become unionized, to which Hovde responded that Purdue was not going to unionize a student activity. So Al picked identified 24 singers (including a couple of non-students) he wanted to form a separate organization …. The Collegiate Singers ,,,, and we joined the union. From that point, the Glee Club sang concerts where no professional performers were on the bill and the Collegiate Singers appeared in the bigger shows. The Griffiths Brothers sang with both groups.
Some time after we entered the service (1961) the Collegiate Singers transitioned to the Al Stewart Singers.”
Paul L.
on 11/9/2021