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FLORIDA QUARTET WINS BARBERSHOP WORLD SERIES
Lead singer becomes first three-time champion
PLATINUM, a barbershop quartet
from Florida, won the "World Series of Barbershop Harmony" in Saturday
night's finals in Kansas City. Platinum bested 43 other quartets to win the gold
at the 62nd annual convention of the Society for the Preservation and
Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA).
The quartet's consummate artistry and showmanship won the crowd over, as they
sang favorites such as "It's Only A Paper Moon" and "What'll I
Do?", and easily mastered the vocal gymnastics of
"Bye Bye Blues."
PLATINUM comes by its name honestly-- its members are accomplished musicians
and Barbershoppers of experience:
 | Joe Connelly, the lead singer, became the first man ever to win the
championship in three different quartets: in 1987 with Interstate Rivals, in
1992 with Keepsake, and this year with Platinum. |
| Baritone Tony De Rosa
earned his second gold, having sung with Connelly in Keepsake as well. |
| Platinum
tenor Gary Lewis is a prior champion too, winning in the college division in 1994 as
tenor of The Real Deal. |
| And Platinum bass Kevin Miles has voice familiar
to millions: his is "The Voice of Epcot," where he sings with the
Voices of Liberty. |
The top ten quartets were as follows:
- PLATINUM, Tampa, Florida
- Michigan Jake -- Louisville, KY and Terre Haute, IN
- BSQ -- Dundalk, MD and Alexandria, VA
- Uptown Sound -- Columbus and Canton, OH
- Power Play -- Detroit, MI
- Riptide -- Marietta & Stone Mountain, GA
- Bank Street -- Albuquerque, NM
- Gotcha! -- San Jose and Santa Fe Springs (Los Angeles), CA
- Excalibur -- Minneapolis, MN
- Metropolis -- Santa Fe Springs (Los Angeles), CA
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