MIKE MCCOWEN - BASS |
For Immediate Release:The Chancellors officially announce the upcoming retirement of our long time patriarch and bass singer, Mike McCowen. The Chancellors made the official announcement at the Twin Cities Quartet Convention this past April. Mike McCowen first started singing Bass with the Chancellors Quartet in 1972. After 3 years of full time travel, Mike and Dawn’s first child was born in 1975. Mike left the ‘road life’ and became a dad. Mike rejoined the quartet in 1993 after the guys had regrouped and started singing for special occasions and on weekends. Now after 25 more amazing years of ministering the Gospel of Christ, he is sensing the Lord’s leading to retire from the quartet and spend more time with the 12 grandkids. Mike believes this has been an ongoing blessing of a lifetime. He thanks God for the opportunity to have served Him in this way. Our God is a Wonderful, Merciful Savior! To Him be all the Glory and Praise!
Words cannot express how grateful The Chancellors have been to have Mike at the center of the group that would span nearly four decades. When we think of Mike, one word comes to mind – Servant. Mike has served as the group’s MC, bus driver, sound technician, concert booker, mentor, and an extraordinary bass singer to name a few. It’s hard to think of The Chancellors without Mike, but we are happy for him in this next stage of life. Knowing Mike, he will always be a Chancellor at heart and continue to mentor the group for years to come. With Mike retiring sometime within the coming year, the group immediately will be looking for a new Bass singer. Mike will finish out the concerts that are scheduled for this year or sooner if a new bass singer is found. Fortunately, there’s still time to for you to see Mike live in concert before he officially retires, and to thank him in person. Check out our 2018 concert itinerary to see The Chancellors live. |
As The Chancellors look ahead to this next chapter, we are honored to continue the rich heritage and legacy that has been bestowed before us. We are so thankful for Mike and many others that have the paved the way, and established such a firm foundation for the group. We are confident that The Lord knows our every need, and will continue to bless many through the next generation of The Chancellors. Thanks Mike!
PERSONAL BIO
I was born and raised in Iowa. When I got married, my wife and I moved to Minnesota. My first gospel music tape was an 8-track of the Blackwood Brothers Quartet that I purchased right after I came to know the Lord in 1971. Even as a musician, I had never experienced music having such and encouraging effect on me before. It was as if I was receiving some supernatural nourishment for my heart somehow! I prayed that God would open up something for me in gospel music. I was working as a ‘pump jockey’ in a truck stop in St. Cloud, Minnesota when the Chancellors Quartet came through with their bus to pick up a repaired tire. I first tried out for the tenor spot! I said to myself, "If the Lord wants me to sing with the Chancellors, He'll either change my voice or change the opening!!" After the tryout, our founder, and then baritone, Harold just said, "Don't call us, we'll call you!! We already have a baritone!!!" Six months later the group had an opening for a bass singer and I joined them part time in the fall of 1972! Then in 1973 the Quartet went full-time and sang about 325 concerts a year from nursing homes to churches to parks to school auditoriums all over the Midwest and Canada.
My wife, Dawn, and I have been married since 1969, have 3 children and 11 grandchildren!! I worked as an elevator service technician for Schindler Elevator for 29 years and have been retired since the summer of 2013.
One of my favorite scripture passages is Ephesians Chapter 2. Paul points out that we were without hope and without God. Then he declares my two favorite words found over twenty times in the Bible, “But God…” where God takes a hopeless situation, does all the work, and gives us mercy & grace and changes our hearts and our lives through faith!!
God has been amazingly gracious to us as a family and as a ministry group. Singing for the glory of God and pointing to the Cross of Christ has been my calling and my joy for the last 45 years! I can only exclaim with joy and awe, “Great is Thy Faithfulness!”
My wife, Dawn, and I have been married since 1969, have 3 children and 11 grandchildren!! I worked as an elevator service technician for Schindler Elevator for 29 years and have been retired since the summer of 2013.
One of my favorite scripture passages is Ephesians Chapter 2. Paul points out that we were without hope and without God. Then he declares my two favorite words found over twenty times in the Bible, “But God…” where God takes a hopeless situation, does all the work, and gives us mercy & grace and changes our hearts and our lives through faith!!
God has been amazingly gracious to us as a family and as a ministry group. Singing for the glory of God and pointing to the Cross of Christ has been my calling and my joy for the last 45 years! I can only exclaim with joy and awe, “Great is Thy Faithfulness!”