HISTORY
GMCLA'S STORY
It was a hot July evening in 1979. A small group of men opened the doors to a room at the Plummer Park Community Center in Los Angeles (now West Hollywood), waiting and wondering if anybody would show up. They had posted flyers around the neighborhood announcing the formation of a new gay chorus and this night was to be its first rehearsal. To their great surprise, 99 men appeared and a chorus was born. Within three months of that rehearsal, founding director Harold Kjellberg led the group through its first major event: the March on Washington, D.C. and the first national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) concert at the Washington Memorial.
While public understanding of gay life has evolved much since 1979, there is still fierce resistance to lasting change by opponents to LGBT equality. And the road to today has not always been easy. Through the height of the AIDS crisis, the Chorus lost over 150 members. Only a few original members remain. As a result, GMCLA has a deep history of service within the LGBT community, singing at countless memorials, making and commissioning music that helps the community to mourn, to celebrate, to dream, and to prepare for victory.
For over 40 years, the Chorus has built an international reputation for musical excellence while remaining deeply rooted in service to the Los Angeles community. Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “one of the last important links to a glorious tradition in music,” GMCLA has more than doubled in size to over 300 members, added professional and artistic staff, toured nationally and internationally, released fifteen CD’s, commissioned more than 300 new works and arrangements and appeared frequently on national television. The Chorus membership donates over 60,000 volunteer hours annually to make GMCLA’s mission of musical excellence and community partnership a reality.
This remarkable compilation by GMCLA Alumni Russ Bickers highlights the group’s participation at the first March on Washington on October 14, 1979. The National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights drew between 75,000 and 125,000 gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people, and straight allies to demand equal civil rights and urge the passage of protective civil rights legislation.
TIMELINE
1979
Ninety-nine gay men assemble in July at West Hollywood’s Plummer Park to form GMCLA.
1980
GMCLA incorporates with assistance from AT&T.
JULY 12
First performance at Hollywood High School, where the newly formed group made a cameo appearance as part of the Great American Freedom Band’s concert.
1979
SEPTEMBER 8
GMCLA participates in the first festival of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA), of which GMCLA is a founding member.
1982
1984
GMCLA litigates and successfully prevents attempts to quash the word ‘Gay’ from its title and promotional material with the American Choral Directors Association, and in its Whitepages telephone listing with Pacific Bell.
1989
GMCLA becomes the first business in West Hollywood with the word ‘Gay’ on its street sign.
-1986
GMCLA feels the devastating loss of the HIV/AIDS epidemic by losing its revered musical director, Jerry Carlson. Ultimately, over 150 members of the chorus succumbed to the disease. Dr. Jon Bailey becomes the third Artistic Director of GMCLA.
1987
GMCLA becomes the first gay men’s U.S. chorus to tour Central Europe. Concerts were performed in Copenhagen – Denmark, Berlin – Germany, Prague – Czechoslovakia (prior to the country separating into two), Vienna – Austria, and Budapest – Hungary. Featured in a documentary entitled “Out Loud” which aired on PBS.
1991
1994
GMCLA performs in New York City’s Carnegie Hall for the 25th Stonewall Anniversary.
1997
Vox Femina’s debut performance as a special guest at GMCLA’s “Naked Man” concert.
GMCLA releases two CDs: “Songs of Love” and its first holiday CD “Don We Now…”
1996
GMCLA becomes first gay men’s chorus ever to perform for a sitting President of the United States – Bill Clinton. GMCLA launches second international tour and is broadcast on Russian television. Concerts were performed in Moscow and St. Petersburg – Russia, Helsinki – Finland, Tallinn – Estonia, and Berlin.
1999
2002
Dr. Jon Bailey resigns as Artistic Director after 14 seasons and welcomes Dr. Bruce Mayhall as GMCLA’s fourth Artistic Director. GMCLA appears on NBC’s “Will & Grace.”
2005
GMCLA performs for Sir Elton John at Society of Singers event.
GMCLA appears on HBO’s “Six Feet Under.”
2003
GMCLA becomes the first openly gay chorus to tour South America, raising money for LGBT and HIV organizations. Concerts were performed in Santiago – Chile, Buenos Aires – Argentina, Montevideo – Uruguay, and Rio de Janeiro – Brazil. GMCLA helps begin first South American gay chorus in Rio de Janeiro.
2006
2007
GMCLA’s Alive Music Project gives debut performance at La Canada High School.
2011
GMCLA welcomes E. Jason Armstrong as the fifth Artistic Director. His first ‘gig’ is our performance for President Barack Obama at a West Hollywood fundraiser!
GMCLA records video as part of it gets better campaign in support of LGBT teens. Video goes viral, reaching over 800,000 views.
2010
Season 34 becomes GMCLA’s most successful season yet, with dazzling concerts; special guests Stephen Schwartz and Liz Callaway; launch of the It Gets Better national tour, Outside Voices Youth Chorus; and a performance on the 85th Annual Academy Awards.
2012
2013
GMCLA performs the national anthem with Amber Riley for Dodger Stadium’s first LGBT night.
2015
The it gets better Tour travels extensively with week long residencies in Ohio, Wisconsin, Hawaii, and Colorado.
Dr. Joe Nadeau is welcomed as GMCLA’s new Artistic Director.
2013
FALL
Members of GMCLA travel to Cuba to meet Mano a Mano and become familiar with Cuban culture – in preparation for June’s concert Oye Mi Canto, featuring the men of Mano a Mano.
2016
MARCH
2016
APRIL
The fifth annual Voice Awards is held at the Dolby Ballroom Hollywood, supporting GMCLA’s Alive Music Project, and it gets better Tour.
2017
JULY
I Rise: Performing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in ‘I Rise’, a groundbreaking concert that explores the intersection of Faith and the LGBTQ communities. A collaboration with 27 Los Angeles based faith groups, performers number more than 400 on the concert hall stage. Guest artists include Holly Near, and Breanna Sinclaire.
GMCLA begins a collaboration with Arts for Incarcerated Youth
2016
SPRING
2020
A GMCLA appearance at the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards gains more than 7 million online views.
LEGACY
IN MEMORIAM
Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles stands on the shoulders of its members who have passed on. Prior to 1995 the chorus witnessed the loss of over 150 members due to complications of HIV/AIDS. Sadly, at the peak of the plague the chorus was performing at a memorial service for one of our members about every three weeks. GMCLA honors and celebrates those men who contributed so much to our vocal community, and moved on.
We are very pleased to include First Nighter Russ Bicker’s archive. Russ was active in the Chorus from 1979 through 1996, and has curated a remarkable visual history of many of GMCLA’s past members. Access his In Memoriam archive below.
Vince Acosta
Elizabeth Ashe
Mark Ashland
David Backus
Alec Bao
Eric Barnes
Richard Barnes
Michael Benbrook
Doug Bender
Frank Bert
Bruce Berube
Milt Bienhoff
Richard Bobb
Scott Brahm
Andy Brewer
Rob Brossman
George Brown
Bob Brunelle
John Buck
Larry Burnside
Robert Burton
Max Butler
Rhonda Bye
Allen Byers
Bill Caldwell
Jeffery Carillon
Jerry Carlson
Paul Caruso
Carlton Chamberlain
Wayne Chiu
Kevin L. Christensen
Don Cizek
Marc Colburn
Douglas Collie
Dale Conrad
Peter Corrallo
John Cox
Jay Crawford
Bill Christer
Ed Cross
Robert Cross
Bob Daggett
Ken Dahlstrom
Michael Daniels
Justen Dardis
Dennis Dauth
Rick Delia
Larry Doran
Larry Drane
Richard Dupaix
Maurice Jay Durall
Ryan Ehrmantraut
Victor Eleftherakis
Richard Ellison
Jim Ensey
Mark Enos
Steve Erenberg
Jim Farmer
Brian Fitzpatrick
Michael Fitzroy
Tom Fleming
Donald Lee Fleeman
Ken Floryanowich
Shawn Foreman
James Foster
David Frandsen
Jack Frost
Marty Gabrelow
Ric Garretson
Timm Georgiades
Daniel Gonzalez
Daryn-Reid Goodall
John Goodpasture
Dominic Gregorio
Danny Grant
Richard Green
Tom Greenan
Chas Greene
Frank Javier Gutierrez
Gary Haber
Donald Ham
Lonnie Hamm
Preston Hampton, Jr.
Allen Hamsher
Dennis Haney
Bill Hanko
Mike Heald
Loren Henderson
James Herbig
Ron Herrera
David Hirsch
David Holden
Jim Holman
Dale Holland
Marty Holmes
Paul Holt
Tristan Hooper
Don Hufield
Darlene Icely
Pat Ide
David Johnson
Jay Jolley
Russell Joubert
Don Kebo
David Keith
Brett Kelly
Harold Kjellberg
Bruce Krueger
Wayne Kulie
Jeff Kurtzman
Hank Kuznkowski
Michael Langer
Don LaPane
Eric Lassiter
Carlos Leon
Larry Lewis
Scott Lewis
Wayne Love
Carl Mabs
John Mackintosh
Chris Maher
Jeff Manus
Keith Markin
Rod McCrory
Ken McDonald
Burley McElwain
Bruce McGregor
Warren Meek
Steven Menzies
Robert Michaelson
Gordon Miller
Larry Mills
Lynn Miner
Earl Montgomery
Tad Montgomery
Jeff Moore
Glen Morgan
John Morgan
Mark Munson
Jack Neddy
Trip Newcomer
Don Neumeyer
Lance J. Olson
Ray Opletz
Garry Osborne
Mark D. Owen
Kaipo Paakaula
Steve Palmer
Frank Parisen
David Parrish
Ralph Perez
Shane Pierce
David Pilger
Kevin Pobst
Ernie Potvin
John Poynter
Dexter Pounders
Jon Radulovich
Gerry Ramminger
Peter Reyes
Paul Rios
David Rivera
Arthur Robbins
Sam Roberts
Vince Romano
David Romero
James Rice Russell
Benjamin Sagan
Johnny Saltzstein
Marian Sarnowski
Steven Sawyer
Dean Schroeder
Matt Scott
Larry Shuffield
Herb Sisson
Don Slate
Stephen Smith
Steve Smith
Shayne Smyth
Dick Sommers
Lynn Speicher
Ronn St. Pierre
Michael Steffan
Scott Stewart
Jim Stenstrom
Randy Stewart
David Strahern
Rob Straube
Paul Sylvester
Jack Tamashunas
Danilo Tecson
Kirk Tellier
Dan Terrell
Jason Thomas
Eric Tiffany
Jack Torres
William E. Trusten
David Trutanich
Phil Tuggle
John Turechek
Richard Valenzuela
Lesesne Van Antwerp
Thomas Van Deusen
Richard A. Verdugo
Garrett Voorhees
Howard Wan
Thomas Warbeck
Al Wayne
Rob Webb
Keith Weber
Mark Weber
George Charles Weiss
Ben Westbrook
Walt Westman
Chuck White
Ken Wiederhold
Fred Wietersen
George Wilcox
Gary Wilson
Lewis Yagow
Randy Young