EASTERNAIRES Personnel by Year
There were 13 different members of the Easternaires who performed in shows and contest.
John Russo is considered an honorary Easternaire due to the many times he performed
socially with the quartet from 1963 to the present.
| Tenors: | Heyburn, Ryan, Dames, Evans |
| Leads: | Dames, Heyburn, Stone, Ryan |
| Bari: | Bohn, Mittlestadt |
| Bass: | Michalski, Richter, Annichiarico, Jones, Mallet, Bohn, Russo |
| Years | Tenor | Lead | Bari | Bass |
| 1954-1955 | Dan Heyburn | Tom Dames | Bob Bohn | Ray Michalski |
| 1955-1957 | Dan Heyburn | Tom Dames | Bob Bohn | Harry Richter |
| 5th place, Minneapolis 1957/56 |
| 1957-1961 | Dan Heyburn | Tom Dames | Bob Bohn | Bill Annichiarico |
| 4th Place, Chicago 1959 |
| 1961-1962 | Ed Ryan | Dan Heyburn | Bob Bohn | Bill Annichiarico |
| 1962-1963 | Ed Ryan | Ray Stone | Bob Bohn | Bill Annichiarico |
| 1963 | George Evans | Ray Stone | Bob Bohn | Bill Annichiarico |
| 1963-? | Ed Ryan | Dan Heyburn | Bob Bohn | Jim Jones |
| 1963-? | Ed Ryan | Dan Heyburn | Bob Bohn | Jim Mallett |
| 1968-1988 | Ed Ryan | Dan Heyburn | Dave Mittlestadt | Bob Bohn |
| 5th Place |
This truely amazing quartet impressed audiences for many years and with
many different members, thirteen in all.
Of course the cornerstone of three time Medalist Easternaires Quartet was Bob Bohn (bari & bass) and was the arranger of practically every song they performed from 1954 to 1985.
He formed the "Easternaires" quartet with Dan Heyburn, tenor, Tom Dames (lead & tenor) and, from his
original high school group, bass Ray Michalski.
In fact, Tom Dames sang tenor during the 1959 & 1960 contests (all contest songs including the 4th place medal in 1959).
He also sang tenor on half the RCA album.
The "Easternaires" were just ahead of their time and very popular with the general public.
They performed in The Music Man on Broadway
(replacing the Buffalo Bill’s when they left the show to make the movie),
and they also toured with the Music Man National Company.
They produced an album under RCA called “Once Over Lightly”.
They performed on the popular 1950's "Arthur Godfrey Talent Scout" TV show (which they won).
Ultimately, they stayed together in one configuration or another for thirty years.
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