SINGERS

 Michael Thornton has been involved with singing groups for all of his adult life including the A Cappella Chorus at Lipscomb, The Lipscomb University Community Chorus and others. He has recorded several CD's with Faith, Family, and Friends and also performed with The Thoroughbreds Barbershop Chorus out of Louisville, KY. He serves the chorus as a member of the President's Council, Assistant Music Librarian, and the Music Evaluation Committee. Michael was awarded with the Member of the Year Award in 2014 and 2016.    

 Andy Wells grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas singing along to John Denver and Lionel Richie records, teaching himself how to play piano on an old upright stored in a tool-shed and teaching himself guitar on his brother’s acoustic. During his middle and high school years, he learned to play tenor and baritone saxophone, marimba, and quad-toms, sang in a Madrigal choir, and played the lead in productions of West Side Story and Annie Get Your Gun. In high school, he was a three-time member of the Southwestern Arkansas All-Region Choir and two-time member of the Arkansas All-State Choir. He was also accepted into the Arkansas Governor’s School where he studied choral music for six weeks in 1992. He fell in love with barbershop quartet music when his father joined the local SPEBSQSA chapter and chorus, and soon afterward, he and his father sang beside one another in a community theater production of The Music Man. In 1993, he moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee where he attended Middle Tennessee State University and joined the Concert Choir. In 1997, he graduated MTSU with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and a year or so later, began a career in web and software development that continues today. Starting in 2000, he played acoustic guitar for the next 12 years sitting in with various local groups and artists. In 2012, he was asked by a friend to compose music for a short film. Since then, he has composed music for one feature-length film, nine short narrative films, and a handful of commercials. Andy serves the ensemble as a member of the President's Council, receiving the Rookie of the Year Award in 2017 and the Member of the Year awards for 2019 and 2022. 

Harlan Wilson is an entertainer, ensemble singer, soloist, choral director and vocal coach. He has vast experience in producing and directing live concert performances, as well as performing over two thousand a cappella singing concerts with the Suntones, the Barbershop Harmony Society's 1961 International Quartet Champion.  Harlan served for many years as a faculty member of various Harmony Education Programs all over North America, as well as seven years on the faculty at Harmony College. His choral directing resume includes 20 years as Musical Director of the Coastmen Chorus, based in Palm Beach County, Florida. Under his leadership, the group won the Florida State Championships six times. They also competed 10 times at the International level, earning Bronze Medal Award. Harlan is the member of a select group of men who have earned International Medals as a quartet singer and as a Chorus Director. He served as Director of Music for the Royal Palm Show Chorus, also of South Florida. This group also competed at the International level. Harlan founded and directed The Vocal Gentry Ensemble Singers in South Florida and was associated with the Music Men of Greater Asheville, North Carolina. He and his wife, Sandy relocated to Nashville in April of 2008. Harlan and his son, Todd, were the first father/son International Quartet Champions in the history of the Barbershop Harmony Society. In 1986, Harlan was inducted into the Sunshine District Hall Fame. In 2005, the Suntones were inducted into the Barbershop Harmony Society's Hall of Fame. Harlan was one of the four founding members of the chorus. He received the Executive Director Award from Nashville Singers in 2011 for his three years of service to the board of directors. Harlan retired from active participation in the Nashville Singers in 2017 and has the distinction of being the first Emeritus Member of the chorus. 

Taylor Wilson - It's no mistake that music has become such a big role in Taylor's life. Coming from a musical family, he began singing at the age of 11 with the 90-voice Houston Tidelanders chorus. Under the direction of his father (Todd Wilson) he was able to earn a Southwestern District Chorus Championship in 2003. A few years and almost 1,000 miles later, Taylor began singing with his father’s next chorus, the Brotherhood of Harmony chorus in Schaumburg, Illinois. In 2006 he made his first competition appearance with that group at the Barbershop Harmony Society's International Chorus Competition in Indianapolis. While excelling in choral singing, Taylor began honing his instrumental skills playing trumpet with the 24-time state champion McGavock High School Marching Band. In 2008, Taylor was one of the four founding members of the Nashville Singers. In 2013, those four guys started performing as a quartet, singing songs popularized by his grandfather’s famous foursome, The Suntones. Around that time, Taylor had his eyes on a career in emergency response. In 2012, he earned his certification as an Emergency Medical Technician from Tarrant County College in Texas. He taught music in local schools through FineArtsMatter and has trained over 300 students in Middle Tennessee since 2016. Taylor currently utilizes his EMT skills by providing living assistance as a caregiver for elderly clients in the Nashville area. In his free time, he enjoys, camping, kayaking, songwriting, and jamming with the locals. Over his many years with the Nashville Singers, Taylor served on the board of directors for a number of years and led the organization as President during our 10th anniversary season. Taylor  serves as our Visual Performance Coach, and as a member of the President's Council. He earned the Member of the Year award for 2017.

Todd Wilson has guided Nashville Singers from the beginning with his vision for attaining the highest standards of choral excellence on and off the stage. His enthusiasm for the impact of choral music on the lives of both singers and listeners is evident at any rehearsal or public performance, as well as through the music itself. Todd’s experience as a singer started at age six. He has provided musical leadership to six different mixed, male or female choral ensembles in Florida, Texas, Illinois, and Tennessee. Todd has earned six International Chorus Championships with the internationally-acclaimed Vocal Majority Chorus, and an International Quartet Championship with ACOUSTIX. That foursome has produced six CD projects since 1991 and has appeared on another 35 audio and video releases to date. Wilson got his college education from the University of North Texas, Strayer University, and Palm Beach Community College. Todd has worked for Amazon since 2016 in a variety of roles. He currently works as a Compliance Analyst and is based at BNA12, Amazon's  corporate office in Nashville. In 2000, he was inducted into the "Hall of Fame" of the Southwestern District of the Barbershop Harmony Society. Wilson is a 52-year member of that organization and is also  a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and the Association of International Champions., and the Center for Nonprofit Management. Todd and his oldest son Taylor are two of the four founders of this ensemble. When he's not musically engaged with the Nashville Singers, Todd and his youngest son Travis play in the trumpet section of the Nashville Community Concert Band. Todd is also an avid fisherman. He and his wife Jennifer have been married since 1989 and live in Celina, TN.. Todd received the Nashville Singers Member of the Year Award for 2009. 

Sloan Yarborough lives in the Nashville area and is involved in the arts as a conductor, chorus member, studio singer, professional actor, teacher, and guitarist. He is passionate about the arts and currently serves as the Musical Director at Act Too Players. In this role, Sloan provides musical direction and vocal instruction for the high school students working on musicals during each semester. Additionally, he has several private voice students. From 2002-2009, Sloan was very active in the Nashville theater community and appeared on stage in over 25 shows mostly at the Boiler Room Theater in Franklin.  Since September 2009, he’s enjoyed singing with Nashville Singers and currently serves as the Director of Music. From 2012-2015, Sloan served as the Associate Director of The Nashville Choir conducting rehearsals and performances at Nashville churches and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. From August 2018 - July 2019, he served as the Interim Chancel Choir Director at Covenant Presbyterian Church. He has also enjoyed singing with Nashville Chamber Singers. Sloan enjoys golf, watching college football (War Eagle!), practicing piano, reading, exercising and hanging out with his two nephews Dylan and Derek. He resides in Brentwood, Tennessee. Sloan was the President and Board Chair of Nashville Singers in 2012. He currently serves as the Director of Music, Bass Section Leader, Board Member At Large and on the Music Evaluation Committee. Sloan received the Nashville Singers Member of the Year Award in 2012 and 2015.

Dann Zehr sang his first solo as a two year-old at First Missionary Church, Ft. Wayne, Indiana where his Dad served for 17 years as Music Minister. He earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree with vocal concentration, from Fort Wayne Bible College (Taylor University, Ft. Wayne Campus) under the musical tutelage of Dr. Jay Platte, Shirley Platte, Dana Collins, Marlene Everson, Deb Shaw & Dr. Ira Gerig. After college, Dann joined The Penny Loafers Quartet out of Berea, Kentucky, recorded three CDs with them including some of his own original material and traveled 20 states singing 15-20 times per month for several years.  Most importantly, he also met his wife Ashley while traveling with the Penny Loafers and then moved to Nashville in 1994.  For 18 years. he served as a regular 'lead worshipper' on various praise bands at Lifepoint Church in Smyrna. Dann sang bass at The Grand Ole Opry with The Chapman Brothers & Loretta Lynn. He normally sang that group's baritone part, but the bass singer was out of town at a wedding & the show must go on!  In the past few years, Dann has sung lead in several tributes/ tribute bands including those of Chicago, Steely Dan, Earth, Wind & Fire, Michael McDonald & The BeeGees. He also played the part of barbershop quartet member Oliver Hix in the Springhouse Theatre Company's Production (formerly Lamplighters Theatre Company) of "The Music Man." Dann received the 2015 Rookie of the Year award.