The Cathedral Quartet were one of the earliest gospel performing groups to be spawned and sustained by television exposure. Originally known as the Weatherford Quartet, they were organized by Earl Weatherford -- among the key early members was Glen Payne, who would join a little later. The group was closely associated with the ministry of Rex Humbard, the television evangelist, and was the resident performing group at his Cathedral of Tomorrow in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, from which he broadcast nationally (and later internationally) every Sunday for decades, starting in 1958. In 1963, Earl Weatherford relocated to California, leaving the group as a trio of Payne, Bobby Clark, and Danny Koker, who continued to perform at the Cathedral of Tomorrow and were soon hired as the Cathedral Trio. Bass singer George Younce came aboard in 1964 and the Cathedral Quartet came into being. They prospered in this setting for four years, until Bobby Clark and then Danny Koker, who was also a gifted pianist and did their arrangements, left the group. They were replaced by Mack Tauton and George Amon Webster, but amid all of these internal changes, the group also found the impetus to leave the Cathedral of Tomorrow. By 1970, they had a recording contract (with Canaan Records) and were one of the busiest gospel performing groups in the country. Other personnel changes followed, but the group continued to thrive into the 1980s. By 1999, however, Younce and Payne recognized the inevitable advance of the calendar and a farewell tour was organized, which Payne didn't survive -- he died of cancer on October 15 of that year, midway through the tour. ~ Bruce Eder