S9 06 Wally Bee & Steve Smith the Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus
Wally Bee and Steve Smith are two longtime members of the Oakland Gay Men's Chorus, the "Pride of the East Bay." Originally the Oakland-East Bay Gay Men's Chorus, its mission statement is "giving voice through song to a community where everyone matters." O.G.M.C., for short, has been an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit since 2006, and is a member of the Gay And Lesbian Association of Choruses.
Wally joined the Chorus in the fall of 2010, and has since held multiple roles within it — including Chair of Membership & Production, Vice President, and President of the Board of Directors as of 2024. An Oakland resident for 16 years, Wally has embraced the Bay Area as his adopted home, and regularly seeks local community partners to further the mission of the chorus. In addition, he has also composed several pieces of music inspired by the love and support of O.G.M.C.
Steve joined O.G.M.C. in 2006, and now serves as Governance Committee Chair, helping the Chorus craft a successful post-Pandemic revival. Outside of the Chorus, he has worked with other performing arts organizations since 1975, putting his Master's in Developmental Theater to good use. More recently, Steve served on the board of the Landmark Heritage Foundation, managing a $350K grant to improve and maintain the Berkeley City Club.
Today, the Oakland Gay Men's Chorus has expanded to include bi, female, trans, nonbinary, and even straight male singers. With the help of Wally and Steve — along with its many other members — the Chorus will no doubt continue to foster community and spread Pride in Oakland and the East Bay.
For more about the Oakland Gay Men's Chorus, visit www.OaklandGMC.org .
Meet Wally Bee and Steve Smith!
