Hut Four
Hut Four
1958 District Champion
The Hut Four Quartet was organized at Fort Riley, Kansas, in early 1953. We spent almost two years at Fort Riley where our basic role was that of army recruiters. As such we sang many shows and made a number of appearances on national television including spots on the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts, the Ed Sullivan Show, and Arlene Francis' Soldier Parade. We also represented the army at the 1954 international SPEBSQSA convention in Washington, D.C.
Upon being discharged from the service the Hut Four reorganized in Minneapolis during the summer of 1955. We won the LOL quartet crown in 1958 and earned the right to sing in ten international contests, in seven of which we sang our way into the semi-final round. Our best finish was eleventh place in 1959. We also made two USO trips to the Far East in 1968 and 1970 on behalf of SPEBSQSA before retiring in 1972.
John Hansen and Bob Dykstra sang bass and lead, respectively, throughout the quartet's existence. Bob Moksnes and Herb Fane sang bari and lead in the original Fort Riley version of the Hut Four. Don Sundt joined the quartet as bari in 1955 and was replaced by Dan Howard in 1963. Johnnie Wheeler sang tenor for the first year of the quartet's re-emergence in the LOL district in 1955 and was replaced by Bob Spong in 1956 who sang tenor until the quartet's retirement.
1958 District Championship
Current Members
Bob Spong
Quartet Championships
| Name | Year | Contest | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hut Four | 1958 | LOL | Tenor |
| Happiness Emporium | 1973 | LOL | Baritone |
| Happiness Emporium | 1975 | International | Baritone |
