Vocalist. He was a founding member of highly-influential singing group The Four Freshmen. While attending the Arthur Conservatory of Music in Indianapolis, he initiated his music career when he joined the ensemble of Hal's Harmonizers, which included his brother Don Barbour. During this period, they created their unique style which blended jazz and five-note chord vocal harmonies that would define them. The group which consisted of Ross and Don Barbour, Hal Kratzsch and Bob Flanigan came into contact with agent Dick Shelton in Chicago and would be renamed The Four Freshmen. Their first break happened in 1950, as they performed at the Esquire Lounge in Dayton, Ohio. They made a positive impression on bandleader Stan Kenton (who was in attendance) and he arranged for them to cut a demo with Capitol Records. They scored a hit with their first song "Mr. B's Blues" (1950), followed with "It's a Blue World" (1952) and "It Happened Once Before" (1953). They appeared in the motion picture musical "Young, Rich and Pretty" (1951). What is perhaps their most successful song "Graduation Day" placed at number 17 on the US Pop Charts in 1956. The Four Freshmen were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001. Barbour (who left the group in 1977) died from lung cancer.
Vocalist. He was a founding member of highly-influential singing group The Four Freshmen. While attending the Arthur Conservatory of Music in Indianapolis, he initiated his music career when he joined the ensemble of Hal's Harmonizers, which included his brother Don Barbour. During this period, they created their unique style which blended jazz and five-note chord vocal harmonies that would define them. The group which consisted of Ross and Don Barbour, Hal Kratzsch and Bob Flanigan came into contact with agent Dick Shelton in Chicago and would be renamed The Four Freshmen. Their first break happened in 1950, as they performed at the Esquire Lounge in Dayton, Ohio. They made a positive impression on bandleader Stan Kenton (who was in attendance) and he arranged for them to cut a demo with Capitol Records. They scored a hit with their first song "Mr. B's Blues" (1950), followed with "It's a Blue World" (1952) and "It Happened Once Before" (1953). They appeared in the motion picture musical "Young, Rich and Pretty" (1951). What is perhaps their most successful song "Graduation Day" placed at number 17 on the US Pop Charts in 1956. The Four Freshmen were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001. Barbour (who left the group in 1977) died from lung cancer.
Bio by: C.S.
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