Walter Turnbull, the founder of the famed Boys Choir of Harlem, died Friday afternoon. He was 62. Turnbull suffered a stroke months earlier.
The story of Walter Turnbull is one of triumph turned to tragedy. Turnbull, a former opera singer, founded the world renown Boys Choir of Harlem in 1968. The choir quickly lost their luster after allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of a staff member were brought to light. Turnbull and other choir officials were accused of turning a blind eye to the allegations. As a result, the organization was evicted from The Choir Academy site where they were based and relegated to rehearsing in a local church again.
No plans for funeral arrangements have been announced by the Turnbull family.
A wake is planned at Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church on Wednesday, with a funeral there on Thursday.
Source: AP
Related: Daily News
roy s.
November 3, 2007
I have long admired Dr Turnbull. He was a great man who in perhaps attempting to save a national treasure that was the Boys Choir acted with too little, too late. I think if we listen to the testimony of those who went through his program, we will understand how deeply this man was loved. Love prevails….let his memory soar.
Michelle Huart
April 30, 2007
I graduated from the choir in 2000. You know its funny it seems so easy to sit there and talk so badly about Dr. Turnbull and what happened with the whole Jones scandal. But, what is hard is trying to help the kids that still go to the school and want to sing. I have to admit what Jones did was wrong and I am forever hurt by knowing that a man that I not only repected but loved did something like that. Dr. T did what he thought was right and unfortunately it was not. But to be honest whats done is done and now there are children that are looking for the same education that we had being at the choir. I love the choir because I learned so much and I gained so many friendships that I still hold dear today. As my mother has always said if you cannot say anything nice then do not say anything at all. If any of you would like to help the Alumni Association please feel free to email me at mimijeera@yahoo.com. Thanks
Mr. Chenault
March 31, 2007
I am a former teacher at the Choir Academy of Harlem. I believe the world has lost one of its finest director if music and a jewel in the Harlem community. Turnbull changed the lives of so many of our youth and should be respected and honored. So many ask, how did the organization get 6 million in debt? .. because he didnt take no for an answer. He refused to not having money stop him from providing the youngsters of Harlem with the opportunity to tour the world, leave the country, and receive the best possible education experience money could provide. He loved those kids. Let not a few scandals tarnish the legacy of a man who tried to do so much for his community, for his people. Well done, Dr. Turnbull… Well done.
Pastor Jim
March 31, 2007
Greetings to all the friends of the Boys Choir, staff, and the gifted voices that sang “all black boy are born of HEROS. I met Walter when I was Director of Camp Wilbur Herrlich in Holmes, NY back in the 70s. He brought the young choir to camp for a couple of weeks in July. During that week I arranged from them to do a concert at Christ Church on Quaker Hill. It was the beginning of his dream. A few years later, when I became Protestant Chaplain at The Children’s Vilalge in Dobbs Ferry, we had the choir preform there. I saw Walter and the Choir on two ocassions after I left NYC to serve Presbyterian Churches in OH; once at a concert in Toledo, OH and later in Feb97 in Cincinnati. I’m sorry that the heritage of the Harlem Boys Choir was marred with abuse. Unfortunately, that song sings loud and adds a dischord that is unbearable to hear. I admire Walter and the friendship we shared in the early years. I trust that God will allow for a time of healing so that the music can be sung again with pride!
a child of god
March 30, 2007
As a mom of a former member of the Boys Choir of Harlem, I am forever grateful for the influence Dr. Turnbull had in my sons life. It takes a village to raise children and as one of the Villagers who helped my son, I am forever grateful. Too many of us are ready to judge others when we need to look internally and personally at our own lives first. Doc will be missed and his legacy will live on through the multitude of children who have learned life lessons through the programs discipline. The world is a better place and we have many decent members of society because of his mission. Nobody can take that away from him.
Michael Nooks
March 29, 2007
I am very sorry to hear about the passing off Walter Turnbull. He was someone who cared about the childern and did something to expose them to the world. He gave them something to look forward to. He also exposed them to many different cultures.
I am a fromer member off The Harlem Boys Choir. It was the experience of a life time. I learned a great deal about music and the art of singing. It was more than a choir it was more like an extended family to me.
Walter was not only concern about how well we sang, he was also concern about our education. He also meetings with our parents to inform them about our behaviour.
I must say that I am sorry that I heard about his death so late because I would have liked to have been there to say my good bye to as he would say “AN UN-SONG HERO”. He will truly be missed, he did touch the lives off so many young men and women.
REST IN PEACE WALTER TURNBULL
BCH1993-1997
March 28, 2007
I agree with G.C.H. I will say that I loved Doc and there are many life lessons that I learned from him. He was a special man… a genious and he should be honored for his merits, not his flaws!
G. C. H.
March 28, 2007
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE GIRLS CHOIR FOR6 YEARS AND I THINK EVERYONE THAT WAS PART OF THE CHOIR BOYS AND GIRLS WILL SAY THAT DOC WILL FOREVER BE IN OUR HEARTS.
WE LOVE YOU FOR YOUR LIFE LESSONS!
Mr. Jackson
March 26, 2007
As a member who was in the choir, it is a shame to see how everything has played out. Here we are talking about someone who tried to do something noble for young people and because of the activities that have transpired over the last several years, much of what gets publicized is negative. I traveled all over the world with the Boys Choir before the age of 15. My life was PERMANENTLY changed by me being able to leave the South Bronx (one of the worst neighborhoods in NY) and see life outside of NY as a child. For that, I have Dr. Turnbull and the Boys Choir of Harlem to thank. Now while I’m not condoning what Mr. Jones did and Dr. Turnbull’s non-action in response to Mr. Jones, I do not believe 3 days after the death of someone is the appropriate time to discuss what he “could” have done. He’s gone now and the fact of the matter is there is a wonderful opportunity to touch so many other lives of young people if everyone stops looking in the past. What we need to start discussing is where can we send money to get out of the 6 million dollars in debt? Who is going to assume leadership now? How can we rebuild the tarnished image of the choir so others will want to join and parents will not be afraid to send their kids?
And just as an aside – Everyone keeps talking about Dr. Turnbull and Mr. Jones. WHERE WAS THE BOY’S MOTHER DURING ALL OF THIS??? My mother checked me out EVERY time I came home from tour (and I went on ALL of them for 6 years STRAIGHT). I sat next to Mr. Jones on 15 hour trips and NEVER has he touched me. And if he ever tried to, I would have hollered SO loud and made such a big deal of it, that it would have been over before it started. It would not have taken 2 years for my mother to find out or for me to speak up about it. Jones was definitely out of line for what he admittedly did, but if we’re going to place blame, we need to hand it out even-handedly.
Anonygirl
March 25, 2007
Whoever you are Anonymous…you have told the true facts. I was a member of the girls choir for a minute…and there was shady goings on going on there.
It is just sad all around.
Denise
March 24, 2007
Again, where are the parents?
How in the world does an organizationa rack up six MILLION dollars in debt?
We got to do better, y’all!
Anonymous
March 24, 2007
Turnbull did everything he could to protect convicted child molestor and his chief counselor to the boys Frank Jones Jr who served a 2 year term. Jones molested this one boy for years (all well documented fact), Turnbull stonewalled every step of the fact finding, efforts to convict, etc.
Makes you wonder how many boys were molested by those men over there over the years. You wanna tell me it was that one boy? Sure, right…this is no different than thos Catholic Priest.
NYT- “Corporal punishment was a common part of the rehearsal process for the Boys Choir of Harlem, and the choir’s founder and director, Walter J. Turnbull, sometimes struck choir members who performed poorly, lawyers for a former student at the choir’s academy said yesterday”.
Sorry folks, Turnball was not good for boys. Kids are tape recorders and where do they first learn how to inflict physical abuse and violence? If not at home, guys like Turnbull do a great job of showing kids phsyical violence, abuse has it’s place. Yeah, right.
The place is $6M in debt to boot. Sorry, gotta tell it like it is..