The First Girl Singer

There was this crusty booking agent in Chicago named Joe Musse. Joe would find a gig here and there for the Trio. What Joe did as well, was pair up a female vocalist in his stable with the Whitsuntide.

Now if memory serves, Barb was a soloist usually accompanied by a piano player. While folk music was not her genre of choice, she meshed well with the three lads. Barb was capable of either lead or harmony which helped mix up the total sound. This was a good thing.

Barb (and Denny) also counter balanced the banter and kidding around that Lenny and Tom brought to the stage. After all, she and Denny were serious musicians. Tom and Lenny liked to goof off.

There was a lot of enthusiasm when she joined the group, but she lived in Chicago and the boys rehearsed in Des Plaines. Lenny was the driving force behind the Whitsuntide Singers and demanded frequent rehearsals. When they became difficult this first experiment with a "lady singer" went by the wayside.