CONVENTION DEDICATION – Doug Maddox

The Far Western District Board of Directors and the district membership take great pride in dedicating this 2005 Spring District Convention to Doug Maddox – the “Cecil B. DeMille” of the Far Western District, the Masters of Harmony and the Santa Fe Springs Chapter!

All of us who attend FWD Conventions recognize Doug as the stagehand par excellence, hilariously manning the broom when the occasion warrants, and standing lanky and tall on both sides of the curtain for every aspect of show production. For the competitors, he’s the last one they see before making their entrance, and the last one to wish them good luck.

A native Californian, Doug was born in Redlands. He was attracted to music at an early age and, as a result, learned to play the French Horn and the cornet. We were unable to discover how his wife, Jan, and he met nor when and where they were married. Maybe they’ll share that with us later! Backstage…with a Little Theatre Group perhaps?

Doug became a member of the SPEBSQSA in 1973 when he joined the Pasadena chapter, serving several years as music director. In 1977, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and was music director of the Atlanta Peachtree Chorus for 2 years; then another move to Detroit in 1981, serving as the assistant music director. He transferred to Dallas, Texas, in 1984 and joined The Vocal Majority. Finally, in 1988, Doug returned to California and immediately transferred his membership and tenor voice to The Masters of Harmony. Holding a BSc from Cal Poly, Pomona, Doug has been a longtime staff engineer and project manager with Unisys Corporation.

He has served on the Far Western District as well as the Society Events Committees, taught classes in stagecraft, and demonstrated creative marketing and technical theater skills both in our district as well as Harmony College in St. Joseph, Missouri. He has been the Production Manager of the Masters Of Harmony since 1988 and the Production Director for all FWD contests for over ten years. Preparing for shows and contests are high-pressure, time-critical activities and Doug gets it all done with humor and style.

He began working with Glenn Glancy at the Society level in 1999 when the International Convention was held in Anaheim and hosted by the Masters of Harmony. As part of the Society Events Committee, he was one of the chief contributors to the study that produced a standardized district convention technical manual that includes extensive recommendations for sound and lighting standards. This has now become the official Society Handbook for all sixteen districts in the Society.

Numerous awards have been presented to Doug Maddox including five President’s Awards, Mr. Broadway Award (1977), Director’s Award (1992 & 2001), and the Barbershopper Of The Year (1990). He also has all five Gold Medals won by the Masters Of Harmony…plus one with the Vocal Majority.

Without the continued efforts and total involvement of members like Doug Maddox on all Society levels, there would be no Far Western District, nor even a Barbershop Harmony Society. So, step up to Doug sometime this weekend, shake his hand and say: “thanks”. He’s more than a Class Act…because he’s all class and no act!