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Special guest joins Glee Club at Seminar
The men of the Glee Club were joined by a special guest at Seminar on Wednesday, April 23.
George Johnson, of Cedar Falls, was a Glee Club member from 1965 to 1967, when Les Hale directed the group. His youngest son, Gordon, who currently sings bass in the Glee Club, invited his dad to stop by Neighbors Pub & Grill for the final Wednesday night Seminar of the Spring 2008 semester. He recounted some of his memories of what the group was like 43 years ago.

"Back then, the Glee Club started every performance by running through the audience, while singing "Brothers, Sing On!", said George. "We wore blazers with the UNI shield on the chest. We sang many popular songs, and it was a lot of fun. The crowd loved us!"

One of the stories George discussed was the "Captive Audience Tour". In the 1960s and early 1970s, the Glee Club traveled to prisons and other correctional facilities to perform for the inmates and staff, almost always to great acclaim. The Glee Club sang popular songs of the time, such as Johnny Cash's "Folsum Prison Blues". Our 'captive audience' loved it!", said George.

Only one audience was tougher than usual. "The women's correctional facility in Rockwell City, Iowa", laughed George. "That was a tough crowd. There was a group of women inmates who did not want us to be there. But we still put on a good show."

George also talked about "The Uncalled Four" a small group of four basses in the Glee Club that performed popular songs. George was a member of "The Uncalled Four" for a time as a student.

Singing along with his son Gordon, George joined the Glee Club in singing "Brothers, Sing On!", and other traditional songs, to the delight of the other Neighbor's Pub patrons.

The guys in the Glee Club invited George to come back to Seminar anytime.

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