Barbershop quartet is a family affair
March 6, 2009 by Adriana Janovich
Filed under Stories
From left, Michael, Kelly, Bill Jr, and Bill McCay Sr, practice their singing, storytelling, and jokes at Church Of Christ for presentations later that week on Sunday, Feb 8th. The family barbershop quartet, who call themselves "My Three Sons," hire out to sing love songs on Valentines Day.
By HANNAH NAUGHTON
UNLEASHED STAFF
A melodious tune streams through the air. Cheeks flush a rosy pink.
Four men in black tuxedo jackets, red bow ties and glittering arm bands sing some of their favorite love songs: “Let Me Call You Sweetheart,” “I Love You Truly,” “Heart of My Heart.”
It’s the barbershop quartet that calls itself My Three Sons.
Kelly McCay, 51, Michael McCay, 57, and Bill Jr. McCay, 59, sing in the chorus together with their father, Bill Sr. McCay, 80.
Kelly is the lead singer. Michael sings tenor. Bill Jr. sings bass. And Bill Sr. sings baritone.
“This group is so unique because we are all part of the same family, which is not common. Because of that, our voices harmonize really well,” Michael says.
The group hires itself out to serenade people at businesses — such as restaurants or banks — and even schools.
Valentine’s Day is one of their busiest days.
They’ve gone to as many as 35 places in one day, with each visit lasting about 10 minutes. Calls start coming in two or three weeks in advance. But many appointments are booked at the last minute.
The quartet will travel to the destination, sing, give a gift, take a picture, and deliver a card, all for $40.
They’ve been doing this for eight years. And all of the money they earn on Valentine’s Day goes to the Valley of the Sun Chorus, a local chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
The price gets higher — $50 — if the group has to be somewhere else within a two-hour span. It jumps to $60 if the group has to perform at a specific time.
“About 40 percent of the time, tears start coming,” says Michael.
On one occasion, the group sang to a 93-year-old lady. As tears flowed down her face, she said she never had men sing to her before.
No need to wait until next Valentine’s Day, though. The group performs on other special occasions, such as birthdays and anniversaries.
“When we start singing, people line up and heads pop up out of cubicles,” Michael says. “It’s great, we love that.”
• Hannah Naughton is a member of the Yakima Herald-Republic’s Unleashed team. She attends Davis School.
