With the tender tenor of Rob Lundquist, he can highlight any deeply emotional ballad. Lundquist, make up one-fifth of the acapella country music group, Home Free. He joined the group in 2008, and ever since then, they’ve been lighting up any theatre they’ve been with their killer harmonies that send fans into a frenzy at all times.
Let’s get to know more about Rob Lundquist below.
1. He is a Gemini
Robert Charles Lundquist was born on June 2, 1983. Geminis are known to be communicative, enthusiastic, friendly, and can make anyone laugh. These traits are very apparent when we see Rob on stage.
2. His Musical Background Is Extraordinary
Rob Lundquist has a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He credited his experience in the University for helping him survive the challenges that came along with NBC’s singing competition, “The Sing-Off.”
Lundquist said that performing on “The Sing-Off” required a marathoner’s endurance, but he was ready for the task because of the training that he received from the University.
“My music education at the University of Minnesota-Duluth played a vital role in helping me with The Sing-Off,” Lundquist said. Home Free had to learn at least three songs for every episode as well as choreography to go along with each song in a very short span of time.
Lundquist remembers his days with the University of Minnesota-Duluth’s vocal jazz ensemble, Lake Effect, and credits his Associate Professor Tina Thielen-Gaffey for where he is right now. “She had us learning a bunch of really difficult music and also focused on sight-reading new material all the time,” he said.
He is also grateful for his voice teacher, Rachel Inselman, who taught him all the essential skills in how to sing correctly. He used all the techniques Inselman taught him to make sure he won’t blow out his vocal cords, since all the activities in the competition were very taxing on one’s voice, singing from eight to 12 hours a day, every day. “Without those experiences, I think I really would have struggled on the show,” Lundquist said.
Though Rob Lundquist did not initially begin his love of music as a vocalist, “I played the saxophone all through high school,” Lundquist said. We’re glad he reconsidered.
3. He Joined Home Free in 2008
He joined Home Free after graduating from the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2008. He moved to Minneapolis, where he worked at the Guthrie Theater as a bartender, and he used to sing for a fellow Minnesota-based group called Four Shadow.
He introduced himself to the guys of Home Free after watching them perform. Luckily the group was looking for a tenor.
4. He’s a Huge Movie Buff
Rob Lundquist is one big movie buff and said to have watched over 2000 movies. This led him to team up with Eric Buegler, who is also a professional acapella singer who sings for The Sound Exchange. The two created “The Avid Indoorsmen” podcast.
“We have always loved movies, and we thought it would be fun to start our very own movie podcast,” they said. The duo will break down one particular movie in each episode. It could be something in the theater or a classic one.
5. He can whistle like a bird
We can see that he has mastered the art of whistling at their concerts. Check out a video below:
6. He is the ‘Bearded One’
Shawn Stockman from Boyz II Men, one of Rob Lundquist’s musical idol, commented that he could “never lose that beard,” and it changed his life forever. It made him the ‘bearded one’ in Home Free. What’s even crazy is that there is a Twitter profile out there dedicated for his beard, it’s called Rob’s Beard @BeardFree.
What most people don’t know is that Lundquist started growing a beard to survive Duluth’s ridiculously cold winters. Guess there’s no turning back.
7. He is a Father of Two
Rob Lundquist and his wife, Kelsey, have two kids. Their daughter, Lydia, is now three, and they welcomed their second child together in May 2018. The proud dad shared a photo of the two of them snuggling together in the hospital.
He also shared what they decided on for a name. Since their daughter is named Lydia, the couple decided to keep the classic theme going with their son’s name, Charles Warren Lundquist.
“We’ll be calling him Charlie,” Lundquist wrote in the caption.
Before Charlie was born, Lundquist and his family also took center stage in the music video for Home Free’s cover of Andy Grammer’s “Spaceship.” The three-minute music clip features special moments as they were waiting for Charlie’s arrival, from ultrasound to a growing baby bump and, finally, the birth.
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Home Free, Rob Lundquist