At the 2005 Illinois District Fall Convention and Contest, the Quartet Champions Association (QCA) of Illinois announced the recipient of their Music Man Award for 2006. That was icing on the cake for the awardee, who had sung in three different quartets that weekend. One became the 2005-06 Illinois District Champion and another took second place in the contest. On that same weekend, our awardee sang at the President’s Reception with his third quartet, FRIENDS, while celebrating their 25th anniversary of winning the Illinois District Contest in 1980. One could say it was a memorable weekend for Doug Smith, quartet man extraordinaire and the QCA’s 2006 Music Man.

Doug joined the Barbershop Harmony Society 40 years ago and is a second generation Barbershopper, with dad, Hobe, starting the trend. His mother was an elementary music teacher and also gave private piano lessons. Both had a significant musical influence on Doug, and it shows. As a quartet member, his first group was formed in high school. While in college, he was in five quartets. Doug’s résumé shows that there was very little time as a Barbershopper when he was not in a quartet. He has qualified to sing in International Quartet Competition 16 times. He was in the quarterfinals six times, singing with the CORKERS, CHICAGO EXPRESS, HEART OF CHICAGO, BENCHMARKS, and PIPER’S ALLEY. He made it into the semi-finals six times with FRIENDS and ECHO LANE. He was a top 10 finalist with the SUNDOWNERS and SATURDAY'S HEROES, and received one bronze and two silver medals with the SUNDOWNERS.

Doug also has Five Illinois District Championships to his credit: 1980 with FRIENDS, 1991 with PIPER’S ALLEY, 1993 with ECHO LANE, 2005 with SKYLINE and 2006 with STOLEN BASES

He has competed in 16 International Chorus Contests, earning one bronze and two silver medals with the Southern Gateway Chorus; three bronze medals with the Arlingtones Chorus; and one bronze, eight silver, and one gold with the New Tradition Chorus.

If that is not enough, Doug is also a director, a coach, an arranger, and “professional bass”. He directed the Elgin Chorus for 13 years and is currently back with them, and he also directed the Morris Sweet Adelines Chorus for three years. In addition, he has sung with the American Ballet Theater Co. as quartet bass for several performances of "The Barbershop Ballet", a medley of songs arranged by Joe Liles and used as an accompaniment for the ballet in place of an orchestra.

There isn’t much more we can say about Doug, except that he is a great guy and most deserving of the Music Man Award for 2006.