Postcard Memories is a weekly series of historic postcard views and photos submitted by Marcel Rousseau.
Some were previously published by the Orillia Museum of Art and History and in the book Postcard Memories Orillia.
The Collegiate Four was formed late in 1952 to take part in a minor competition between a girls’ and boys’ quartet. The group featured Wayne Rankin (baritone), Gordon Lightfoot (tenor), Bob Croxall (lead) and Paul Lazier (bass). They enjoyed the competition so much that they decided to stick together.
Their first public appearance was made at the commencement exercises at Orillia Collegiate in December of 1952. For the next year they sang in school assemblies, at Teen-Town, church meetings, service clubs and other local gatherings. They sang in Midland, Toronto and Sarnia and also appeared twice on television.
In January of 1954 Gordie’s voice dropped a few octaves and he dropped out of the group. The group disbanded shortly after but by fall another group called The Teentimers was organized with Lightfoot, William Hughes, Terry Whalen and Bob Branch completing the new quartet.
NOTE: The above information and photo was taken from the Orillia District Collegiate Institute 1953-1954 yearbook, The Oricolle
