Elderly Barbershop Quartet Entertain During Flight Delay
Going away on a trip is normally an exciting event, regardless of the reason. It’s actually getting to your final destination that can be more stressful and problematic. That was the case for passengers on a flight from Indianapolis to New Orleans. They boarded the plane but were delayed for an excruciating five hours! I think we can all understand that a delay of that length would leave the most seasoned traveller stressed and angry.
Luckily, these passengers were on a plane with an extremely resourceful flight attendant. Kari Mann was trying to keep the passengers happy and calm, so she moved around the plane chatting to them. While making her rounds, she discovered an elderly barbershop quartet was on the plane. The four gentlemen perform under the name Port City Sound. The members are Walt Dowling, lead singer; Fred Moore, tenor; Jim Curtiss, baritone and Jim Simpson, Bass. They all hail from Maine and have a combined barbershop experience of over a century! It must have been fate that they all happened to be on that flight.
Spotting a chance to keep everybody entertained, Kari asked if they would consider performing for the plane to keep everyone’s spirits up during the delay. They agreed and put on a truly uplifting (get it?) performance.
Needless to say, in the age of YouTube, Kari recorded the performance and uploaded it for the rest of the world to enjoy. The video shows the quartet stranding the flight with The Drifters classic Under The Boardwalk. In a very short amount of time, stressed and grumpy expressions changed to smiles as everyone enjoyed the diversion.
It seems the internet is loving it too! Kari posted the video with the comment, “One of my favourite moments! Thank you to Port City Sound for creating a wonderful memory!” It has now been viewed more than 8.8 million times and received over a thousand comments.
Possibly the sweetest comment comes courtesy of lead singer Walt Dowling’s daughter, Kelly Emerson, who wrote: “Hello! Thank you so much for posting this video. My Dad, Walter Dowling, is front right. I’m so proud and always love to hear him sing. It was a treat for me to see this as I’m sure it helped to lighten the mood on a delayed flight. Thx for sharing with the world!” This is truly a heart-warming, feel-good story we all wish we could have witnessed first-hand.