Alfred "Al" Homburg was raised in rural Kansas, where the small Lutheran church his family attended didn't want to heat the building for choir practice.
So the choir went to the Homburg home to review their scores. And the young Mr. Homburg was so impressed by the sounds he heard that it sparked in him a lifelong interest in music.
That interest, in turn, led him to become a folk singer, guitarist and dedicated music teacher in the Pittsburgh public schools.
He earned a bachelor's degree in music from Oklahoma City University and a master's degree in music from West Virginia University.
In the late 1950s, he toured with the Grand Ole Opry, singing with Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Lewis and others.
Mr. Homberg was requested by President Lyndon Johnson to sing for a personal occassion in the late 1960's in Washington D.C.
After teaching music in high schools in Oklahoma, Texas and Maryland, he arrived in Pittsburgh in the early 1970s. He taught music at Carrick High School, Brashear High School, Knoxville High School and other schools before retiring in 1992.
Though he specialized in the guitar, Mr. Homburg was versatile in his musical abilities, said his widow, Lucinda, of Tarentum.
"He could sing opera and country and everything in between," she said yesterday.
"And if you handed him an instrument, he could play it."
When ex-Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw approached guitarist Joe Negri about taking country guitar lessons, Negri suggested Bradshaw call Mr. Homburg instead.
Mr. Homburg ended up teaching Bradshaw.
"Al Homburg was a performer all the way, on stage and off," Negri said yesterday.
He also was known for singing the National Anthem at Three Rivers Stadium. Producer Robert McCully called Mr. Homburg "the king of the National Anthem in his time."
Mr. Homburg also taught guitar for music therapy students at Duquesne University and owned and operated Basement Music in Tarentum.
He was a soloist and the choir director at Grace United Methodist Church in Natrona Heights.
So the choir went to the Homburg home to review their scores. And the young Mr. Homburg was so impressed by the sounds he heard that it sparked in him a lifelong interest in music.
That interest, in turn, led him to become a folk singer, guitarist and dedicated music teacher in the Pittsburgh public schools.
He earned a bachelor's degree in music from Oklahoma City University and a master's degree in music from West Virginia University.
In the late 1950s, he toured with the Grand Ole Opry, singing with Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Lewis and others.
Mr. Homberg was requested by President Lyndon Johnson to sing for a personal occassion in the late 1960's in Washington D.C.
After teaching music in high schools in Oklahoma, Texas and Maryland, he arrived in Pittsburgh in the early 1970s. He taught music at Carrick High School, Brashear High School, Knoxville High School and other schools before retiring in 1992.
Though he specialized in the guitar, Mr. Homburg was versatile in his musical abilities, said his widow, Lucinda, of Tarentum.
"He could sing opera and country and everything in between," she said yesterday.
"And if you handed him an instrument, he could play it."
When ex-Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw approached guitarist Joe Negri about taking country guitar lessons, Negri suggested Bradshaw call Mr. Homburg instead.
Mr. Homburg ended up teaching Bradshaw.
"Al Homburg was a performer all the way, on stage and off," Negri said yesterday.
He also was known for singing the National Anthem at Three Rivers Stadium. Producer Robert McCully called Mr. Homburg "the king of the National Anthem in his time."
Mr. Homburg also taught guitar for music therapy students at Duquesne University and owned and operated Basement Music in Tarentum.
He was a soloist and the choir director at Grace United Methodist Church in Natrona Heights.
Alfred "Al" Homburg was raised in rural Kansas, where the small Lutheran church his family attended didn't want to heat the building for choir practice.
So the choir went to the Homburg home to review their scores. And the young Mr. Homburg was so impressed by the sounds he heard that it sparked in him a lifelong interest in music.
That interest, in turn, led him to become a folk singer, guitarist and dedicated music teacher in the Pittsburgh public schools.
He earned a bachelor's degree in music from Oklahoma City University and a master's degree in music from West Virginia University.
In the late 1950s, he toured with the Grand Ole Opry, singing with Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Lewis and others.
Mr. Homberg was requested by President Lyndon Johnson to sing for a personal occassion in the late 1960's in Washington D.C.
After teaching music in high schools in Oklahoma, Texas and Maryland, he arrived in Pittsburgh in the early 1970s. He taught music at Carrick High School, Brashear High School, Knoxville High School and other schools before retiring in 1992.
Though he specialized in the guitar, Mr. Homburg was versatile in his musical abilities, said his widow, Lucinda, of Tarentum.
"He could sing opera and country and everything in between," she said yesterday.
"And if you handed him an instrument, he could play it."
When ex-Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw approached guitarist Joe Negri about taking country guitar lessons, Negri suggested Bradshaw call Mr. Homburg instead.
Mr. Homburg ended up teaching Bradshaw.
"Al Homburg was a performer all the way, on stage and off," Negri said yesterday.
He also was known for singing the National Anthem at Three Rivers Stadium. Producer Robert McCully called Mr. Homburg "the king of the National Anthem in his time."
Mr. Homburg also taught guitar for music therapy students at Duquesne University and owned and operated Basement Music in Tarentum.
He was a soloist and the choir director at Grace United Methodist Church in Natrona Heights.
So the choir went to the Homburg home to review their scores. And the young Mr. Homburg was so impressed by the sounds he heard that it sparked in him a lifelong interest in music.
That interest, in turn, led him to become a folk singer, guitarist and dedicated music teacher in the Pittsburgh public schools.
He earned a bachelor's degree in music from Oklahoma City University and a master's degree in music from West Virginia University.
In the late 1950s, he toured with the Grand Ole Opry, singing with Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Lewis and others.
Mr. Homberg was requested by President Lyndon Johnson to sing for a personal occassion in the late 1960's in Washington D.C.
After teaching music in high schools in Oklahoma, Texas and Maryland, he arrived in Pittsburgh in the early 1970s. He taught music at Carrick High School, Brashear High School, Knoxville High School and other schools before retiring in 1992.
Though he specialized in the guitar, Mr. Homburg was versatile in his musical abilities, said his widow, Lucinda, of Tarentum.
"He could sing opera and country and everything in between," she said yesterday.
"And if you handed him an instrument, he could play it."
When ex-Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw approached guitarist Joe Negri about taking country guitar lessons, Negri suggested Bradshaw call Mr. Homburg instead.
Mr. Homburg ended up teaching Bradshaw.
"Al Homburg was a performer all the way, on stage and off," Negri said yesterday.
He also was known for singing the National Anthem at Three Rivers Stadium. Producer Robert McCully called Mr. Homburg "the king of the National Anthem in his time."
Mr. Homburg also taught guitar for music therapy students at Duquesne University and owned and operated Basement Music in Tarentum.
He was a soloist and the choir director at Grace United Methodist Church in Natrona Heights.
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