Officially known as the Dallas Metropolitan Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, The Vocal Majority was formed by 12 men who gathered on December 2, 1971. Their vision was to create a chapter that would become the finest singing group in the world. The Chorus was born and Ray Anthony became the first director in April of 1972. Three men are listed on our Articles of Incorporation as Incorporators: Robert L. Arnold, Larry C. Roseborough, and William B. Vandivort II. Our Articles of Incorporation also list ten men who constituted the original Board of Directors: Bob Arnold, Jim Clancy, Harrold Gorgan, Art Haynes, Burton Jones, Al Kvanli, Charles Lyman, Larry C. Roseborough, Bill Thornton, and Bill Vandivort. A copy of the original 1972 Charter, Board of Directors, and Charter Members can be viewed here.

With the burning desire to compete, Vocal Majority won its first Southwestern District Chorus Championship in the fall of 1973. During the summer of 1974, VM entered its first international competition with seventy-three men who brought home a third place finish. Director Ray Anthony persuaded VM member Jim Clancy to take over the role of director in August of 1974. In 1975, when Vocal Majority returned to international competition in Indianapolis, they brought home their first gold medal. Regrettably, the chorus was financially unable to attend the 1976 international swan song performance. In 1977 during the Houston Southwestern District Chorus competition, VM was awarded their third championship. In their quest to win in Cincinnati in the summer of 1978, the chorus endured a heart-breaking 10 point loss to the Louisville Thoroughbreds. As Clancy recalls...”That one loss was the best thing that ever happened to us, because learning to overcome that loss helped us develop heart and character. It (the loss) is when the real heart and soul of the Vocal Majority began.”

Vocal Majority has medaled in every international competition in which it has competed. The medal count includes thirteen gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal. The men of the VM are honored to have earned an unprecedented ten gold medals in a row from 1979 to 2006, with our most recent Gold Medal won in 2018. Society rules only allow choruses to win gold once every three years.