Louisville Thoroughbred Chorus Archives: About

The Thoroughbreds are a group of men dedicated to excellence in singing, musical education and the preservation and enrichment of a cappella harmony. Also known as the Louisville No. 1 Chapter, the Thoroughbreds are a non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization, singing their style of a cappella harmony since 1945.  They have sung for dignitaries, civic functions, sporting events, as well as audiences of 4 to 13,000 in number and perform an annual show every December in downtown Louisville for their many friends, families and fans as well as delivering Singing Valentines every February.  The chapter has produced several award winning quartets including the Bluegrass Student Union, Interstate Rivals, Second Edition and The Barons.  The Thoroughbreds have hosted the International Barbershop Convention twice in the past 20 years, right here in Louisville, KY. The Louisville #1 Chapter had its beginning in 1945 after local businessman Fritz W. Drybrough invited a number of friends to his home on July 11 to listen to a once-popular style of music, barbershop harmony. The four-part close harmony, a cappella style of singing, had been in vogue from the turn of the century through the 1920s, but with the advancement of the electronic media, the "barbershop style", along with vaudeville, was steadily replaced by the crooners and big band of the swing era.