Tommy (left) pictured here in 2011 with Dave Mittelstadt.
We mourn the loss of another barbershop icon, especially to the Mid-Atlantic District. Leslie Dames Johnson announced that her beloved dad Tom Dames passed away on Thursday, March 27, 2014 in Jacksonville, FL. He was days short of his 87th birthday. Tommy was the lead and tenor of the great Easternaires, our 1955 M-AD Quartet Champions, singing with them from 1954 through 1961. In 1956 he earned a 5th place international quartet medal singing lead and in 1959 he sang tenor to earn a 4th place medal. Tommy sang both voice parts on various songs featured on their popular RCA album “Once Over Lightly”. I am sure that many of you have some wonderful stories about Tommy and the Easternaires. While I had met him just a few years ago, he had written to me nearly every year since 1999 prior to the Fall Conventions to say hello and give best wishes to his MAD pals, and promising to one day attend the MADAQC annual reunion and performance. We were honored that he was able to do so over the last 3 years from 2011 – 2013.
Tommy was always a gentleman, always had a beautiful clarion voice, and will always be our memories as one of the greats. We collectively send our sympathies to his family and to the many quartetmen who were so very fortunate to have sung next to him over the years.
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