Oxford Hosts Straight No Chaser

 

Well-known and loved globally, nine dapper vocalists walk across the stage and immediately bring audiences to their feet. They do so with nothing more than microphones, blooming grins, pointedly witty banter, and an uncanny ability to belt out holiday staples, R&B jams, and stadium anthems – all carried by style, swagger, and spirit. Though Straight No Chaser’s story belongs to the nine guys on stage, it also belongs to a devoted community of millions worldwide affectionately dubbed as, “Chasers,” who cemented the a cappella collective’s status as an international phenomenon. At the same time, theirs may be the most unlikely and unexpected underdog story in all of music history. In 2006, original member Randy Stine uploaded the 1998 performance of The 12 Days of Christmas to YouTube, simply with the motivation to share a bit of the “glory days” with his college buddies. Atlantic Records Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman saw the video, and blown away by the talent and chemistry of this a cappella anomaly, immediately sought out the group and signed them.