Beelzebubs - History

History

The Beelzebubs were originally named "Jumbo's Disciples" after the Tufts University mascot, but quickly shed this name and adopted the name "Beelzebubs", a reference from the epic poem Paradise Lost by John Milton. They were first seen at the Tufts annual Winter Sing in December 1962, and by May 1964 they had already performed with the Boston Pops and recorded their first album.

As the Bubs' reputation grew, so did their repertoire. During the 1970s, they began adding popular music to the barbershop, doo-wop, gospel, and jazz standards so commonly associated with a cappella. The group flourished due to a successful and active alumni association, which helped them stay strong in a time when many other student organizations at Tufts suffered. Each year the Bubs' performance schedule has grown; at this point, the group has over 80 gigs per year. High demand for the group's talent has led to a substantial increase in the number of performances and subsequent increase in travel. The Bubs have toured in Europe (England, France, the Netherlands, Greece, and Turkey), Asia (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, and Singapore), South America (Argentina and Brazil), and North America (Mexico, Canada, and the United States including Hawaii and Alaska). They’ve performed for many high-profile personalities such as Presidents Clinton and Obama, Sen. Hillary Clinton, and Gov. Bill Richardson. In 1999, the group made an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman and performed at Fenway Park for the crowd at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

In the past 20 years the Bubs have been pioneers in contemporary collegiate a cappella introducing numerous musical and production advancements to the genre. The 1991 album Foster St. abandoned a more traditional methodology and introduced a new style of arranging to capture the driving force of contemporary popular music – especially with the addition of vocal percussion (all but unheard of in collegiate a cappella to that point). Over a decade later, the Bubs continue to innovate and their 2003 album Code Red wowed audiences with its sophisticated level of production and left listeners openly wondering if the recording truly consisted only of voices (which it did). Two years later, the Bubs' CD Shedding swept the CARA awards for collegiate male a cappella winning best album, best soloist, best arrangement, and best song. Currently, the Bubs have recorded 26 studio and 3 live albums, and have won numerous awards for performance and recording.