GQ
GQ
2011 District Champion
In late 2010, Keith Olson, Heath Walker, Brent Graham, and Steve McDonald sang their first chord as a quartet. These experienced singers quickly realized this combination was something special. GQ became the 2011 Land O’ Lakes quartet champion and went on to compete at the BHS International contest three times, finishing as high as 22nd. The quartet retired in 2014, but their friendship continued, overcoming distance, life changes, and even a pandemic!
Early in 2022, these guys realized their lives were just better when they got together to sing, so they decided to put the band back together. Their quartet name had been taken over by the fabulous women’s quartet - the BHS 2022 4th place Bronze Medalists - so a new name had to be chosen. Let's meet the members of "The Gentlemen"!
Tenor, Keith Olson. Keith has sung barbershop for over 30 years. After eight years of active membership in the Great Northern Union chorus, he sang with a number of quartets including two LOL District silver medalist quartets, Apex and Bandwagon, and the 2008 LOL District champion, X-Factor. In 2022, Keith began singing with a new men’s group called the Journeymen Chorus. The tallest member of the quartet, Keith recently retired to Alexandria, MN, where he lives with his wife, Shannon. They have two grown children, Seth and Kennedy.
Lead, Heath Walker. Heath has been singing barbershop since 2005 when he moved to Minneapolis from Montana. He started singing with the Great Northern Union chorus as tenor and lead, singing at three international competitions, earning a third-place medal in 2008 and a silver medal in 2011. The Gentlemen is Heath’s second quartet. Previously he sang for two years with Snap, who finished 5th at the 2008 LOL District. Heath, his wife Jamie, and son, Corbin, currently reside in their hometown of Great Falls, MT.
Baritone, Brent Graham. Brent started Barbershopping in Santa Barbara, CA in 1978. He has been the front-line director of 5 men’s and 4 women’s ensembles, and is currently directing A Cappella Syndicate (BHS), Westwind Harmony Chorus (SAI), and Vocal Moxie (HI). In addition to The Gentlemen, Brent was the baritone of perennial BHS Top Ten quartet Excalibur, 2004 LOL champ Quest, 2008 LOL champ X-factor, 2017 FWD champ Suit Up. Brent has arranged many songs for The Gentlemen and has arranged for championship groups in all three North American Barbershop organizations. Brent lives with his wife, Theresa Weatherbee, in Sun City West, AZ where he is a Business Analyst.
Bass, Steve McDonald. Steve lives in Prescott, WI, and has been singing barbershop since he graduated nursing school in 1990. His first exposure to barbershop was listening to his dad’s quartet, the Woodwinds. Steve previously sang in many successful quartets, most notably with LOL District champs Primetime in 1994 and After Midnight in 2005. Steve also had success singing with the Great Northern Union chorus. The emotional experience of sharing his music is what Steve enjoys best about singing barbershop harmony.
2011 District Championship
Current Members
