Eugene 'Gene' Jackson died peacefully in his sleep (~November 16, 2018) at the age of 85. Gene was the silky smooth baritone in our 1974 Champs, the
Friends of Yesterday (w/ Dick Bentz, Paul Kline, Gene O'Dell), who were perennials at international competition placing
5 times in the Top-20 (1973-20th, 1974-20th, 1976-13th, 1981-15th, and 1982-17th) and
3 times in the Top-10 (1977-10th, 1978-9th, and 1980-9th).
1974 MAD Champs - Friends of Yesterday
(L-R) Paul Kline, Dick Bentz, Gene O'Dell, and Gene Jackson
They traveled the country as a highly sought after show quartet where they had the amazing ability to sing incredibly heartfelt ballads and then turn on a dime and have the audience in stitches with their very special brand of comedy where Gene served as the perfect straight man for the comic genius of tenor Gene O'Dell.
YouTube Links to songs from a Friends of Yesterday Show:
Gene joined SPEBSQSA and the M-AD in 1966 as a member of the
Salisbury, MD Peninsulaires Chorus where he served a variety of roles include VP Marketing/PR and Chapter President. Through his half a century in barbershopping Gene was also a member of the
Queens Anne's County (Milford, DE) Pride of DelMarVA Chorus and the
District of Columbia Singing Capital Chorus.
Gene had been a member of
DELASUSQUEHUDMAC Honor Chapter since 1991, and his brothers learned of his passing during their annual meeting that year in Ocean City. This came as a shock to all, particularly Joe Pollio who sang with Gene in the quartet
4 in a Row along with Tom Sterling and Ron Allen.
Gene's other quartets included
Dockers, A Shore Thing, and the Hale Town Four who were seen throughout the popular movie '
Runaway Bride' (1999) staring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere which was filmed in the fictitious Eastern Shore town of Hale, MD (it was actually Berlin, MD).
We send our condolences to Gene's family in Silver Spring, MD, his longtime barbershop friends across the Mid-Atlantic District, and his many quartet pals. Gene was one of the nicest men you could ever want to know ... kind, generous, and a true gentlemen. He will be greatly missed and long-remembered. May he rest in sweet harmony.
