Doo-Wop

and

Barbershop 

The Convertibles quartet performs a wide-ranging mixture of music throughout northeastern Illinois. The group has its roots in four-part barbershop harmony, but ever since the Convertibles formed in 1997 they've grown musical branches in new directions. Audiences are likely to hear a mixture of doo-wop music from the Fifties and pop music from the Sixties, plus a few jokes -- and a few surprises.

We perform a cappella (which basically means that none of us is talented enough to play an instrument!). We use our voices alone to generate that popular doo-wop sound.

Lead singer Lou Gonzalez is a retired union pipe-fitter with great pipes. Ron Welch, who sings the deep, dark, low-down notes in the bass clef, is the retired chief of a village fire department. Tenor Tom Weidenhoefer is a retired teacher who has a special talent for choreography and for telling some dreadful jokes. And baritone Glenn Kersten, retired reference librarian, is truly a legend in his own mind. All four Convertibles live in the south suburbs of Chicago.*

For a performance sample, please click here.