He was a bass-baritone singer from Atlanta who became interested in music as a child and was especially interested in conducting. He studied at the University of Alabama before taking further studies at Ann Arbor, Michigan, and also further graduate studies at the University of Michigan.
Although having been advised to follow the path of conducting, he decided that he wanted to pursue singing. He returned to Atlanta and became a member of Robert Shaw’s Festival Singers and Chamber Singers and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus and appeared with them in many performances and recordings, being nicknamed “Mr. Oratorio”.
He held the post of music director for the John’s Creek United Methodist Church for 12 years and then at St. Benedict’s Catholic Church for seven years, where he also represented St. Benedicts as a member of the Archdiocesan Festival Choir of Atlanta steering committee.
Other ensembles he sung with include the Michael O’Neal Singers and the DeKalb Choral Guild. Singing many solos, as well as part of a chorus, he features on the albums Best Loved Christmas Carols, Choral Masterpieces, Songs of Angels: Christmas Hymns & Carols and Walton: Belshazzars Feast.
In 2007 he became the founder of the John’s Creek Symphony Orchestra and held the position of their music director and conductor and in later years retired from liturgical music.
His wife was the late violist and violinist Lynn Marie Baughman and his youngest daughter, Katie, is a singer.
He died of cancer in November 2023 when he was 77 years old.
Robert Shaw Chamber Singers recordings
Angels We Have Heard on High (Traditional French/James Chadwick/Edward Shippen Barnes )
Telarc 80377 (CD: Songs of Angels: Christmas Hymns & Carols)
Conductor – Robert Shaw
Here he conducts the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra & Chorus in St. Benedict’s Catholic Church 2009 Christmas Gala…
Sources:
- https://www.billheadfuneralhome.com/obituaries/J-Wayne-Baughman?obId=29926384
- http://www.johnscreeksymphony.org/about/director/
- http://www.johnscreeksymphony.org/pdf/harmonic_convergence.pdf
- http://www.johnscreeksymphony.org/
- http://ergowizard.com/afca/who.html
- http://www.mosingers.com/concerts/programhistory_1989_1999.html
- http://www.northfulton.com/1editorialbody.lasso?-token.folder=2007-09-27&-token.story=163836.112113&-token.subpub=
- http://dcguild.home.mindspring.com/Programs/19970222.html
- http://www.stbenedict.net/music.htm
- http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=41:12060~T3
- http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=43:110532~T3