The Cathedrals

The southern gospel ensemble known as the Cathedrals, or alternatively the Cathedral Quartet, maintained an active presence spanning 1965 through 1999. Their 1960s performances stood out due to the humorous vocal exchanges between bass vocalist George Younce and alto Glen Payne, who passed away on 15 October 1999. Initially featured on Rex Humbard’s Cathedral Of Tomorrow radio broadcast, Payne and Younce had worked alongside Humbard before expanding into a quartet by adding Bobby Clark and Danny Koker. After that pair departed in 1979, the Cathedrals rotated supporting members around the core duo of Payne and Younce. They remained with Humbard’s program until 1969, then pursued an independent path. The group rose to prominence among southern gospel acts and secured their first Grammy Award in 1977 for Best Gospel Performance, repeating the win in 1978, 1979, and 1982 while collecting multiple Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association. They also appeared regularly at Bill Gaither’s Praise Gathering For Believers events. Retirement came in 1999 following Payne’s death from liver cancer. Younce completed the remaining contracted shows with Scott Fowler on baritone, Roger Bennett on piano, and Ernie Haase on tenor, later reflecting that ‘the hardest thing I ever had to do was walk on that stage without him.’ The final release, A Farewell Celebration, united the Cathedrals with the Oak Ridge Boys, Sandi Patty, and the Gaither Vocal Band for a concert recording at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.