With over 40 years of experience, Bob Baier serves as one of the nation’s finest square dance callers.  Bob’s introduction to square dance calling came at the early age of 15 after taking square dance lessons at the age of 11.  

He learned to call from Jim Hale and Red Dongue in 1970.  Since this time he has enjoyed being involved in square dancing and calling.  Since he no longer is a full time traveling professional caller Bob still calls in excess of 220 dance sessions a year all over America. 

Bob instructed his first square dance class in 1971 with 2 different teenage groups in Houston.  Since he left Texas A&M in 1976, he has been a featured caller for many festivals and dances in over 32 states and internationally in countries including Canada, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, and Germany.  Bob worked with the Winter Texas in Pharr South for 19 years before taking a full time job with the Harris County Toll Road now as Patrons Emergency Team Supervisor for 1^st responders. He has been with H.C.T.R.A. for 6 years.  On December 26 2009 he married his long time love, Dena.

In Houston he calls at various clubs around town and teaches two weekly mainstream/plus clubs (Frontier Squares and Hey Lollies) and an Advance group (Bob’s Best). 

Born and raised in Houston, Texas and has two wonderful children Michelle (25) and Young Bob (23).  Michelle is a graduate of Texas State and UT. Dallas with her master’s degree in Communications Disorders.  She and her husband Dustin live in Kingwood. Young Bob is a graduate of San Jacinto College and works for Robbins Chevrolet in Humble as an electrical technician.   

Bob records for Elite Records, which is owned by one of his best friends, Pat Barbour.  He is an accredited member of American Callers’ Association.  He is also BMI/ASCAP licensed. 

When asked what he does in his spare time, he smiles and responds, I enjoy water skiing, square dancing and "I look forward to seeing you in a square."

In 1969 at the age of 15, Pat was introduced to square dancing by his brother and sister in law in Houston, TX (which is where he was born and lived most of his life). It was the typical initial reaction that most people (especially males) have to square dancing when first invited to watch. Pat was so emphatic that he would not be interested, that his brother had to bribe him financially to come and try it. Once Pat took the floor of the local teen club (Texas Twirlers) and heard the music, he knew he was hooked. So much so that the following year (1970) he started calling lessons under the tutelage of Red Donaghee and Jim Hale. This is also when Pat would meet (what would turn out to be his lifelong best friend) Bob Baier. Square dancing soon consumed Pat’s life. The majority of his spare time when not in school or working was spent either dancing or calling square dances. In 1975 at a festival he was calling in Carmine, TX (The Bloomed Out Bluebonnet Festival), he would meet and fall in love with his future wife Kim. They married in 1980 at which time Pat decided that it was time for him to take the leap and become a full time square dance caller. At the time, he had a group of workshops called the Barbour Shoppers all over Texas. At the peak of the square dance boom (early 1980s), Pat had over 800 couples state wide in the Barbour Shoppers and he would make weekly trips to Lubbock, Midland, Hobbs, Big Spring and Ft. Worth. He was also traveling across the US and other countries calling Square Dance Festivals and Resorts. Pat has called in most all the 50 United States as well as Canada, Sweden and Japan. In 1985 Pat’s life would take another turn when his first son Patrick, Jr. was born. It was time for him to make a decision about remaining a full time caller or returning to the workforce and helping raise his family. He chose the latter. His family grew again in 1990 with the arrival of his son Austin. Today Pat works for The Planet, the world’s largest privately held web hosting company headquartered in Houston. Pat has recorded over 75 Square Dance Singing and Patter calls and started his own Square Dance record Company (Elite Records) in 1988. Pat is proud to have world class talented callers on the Elite staff which includes American, Canadian and Japanese callers. Pat has had the great fortune of forging a lifelong friendship with the Japanese Square dancers and has made over 20 trips to Japan to do festivals since 1983.

 Pat has been blessed over the years with many great friends in the square dance world and feels incredibly fortunate to have been introduced to this fabulous past time over 40 years ago. He also hopes that the dancers will enjoy the festival as much as he knows he will.

From 1957 until 1966, Wade attended and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis and served his time as an officer in the Navy. Upon discharge from the Navy, he began to pursue a civilian career while continuing his education at Georgia Tech University in Atlanta.

In 1975, after moving to Houston, Texas, Wade quit his regular job to pursue Square Dance calling as a full time profession. In December of 1975, he produced the first records on the "Rhythm" label.

Since 1975, Wade has made Rhythm Records one of the top Square Dance labels in the world. He personally has recorded such hits as "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend", "Boogie Grass Band", "Dream Lover", "New Attitude", and many others. The success of the label is due primarily to Wade's management and musical skills.

Wade and his wife, Helene, live in Spring, Texas. In addition to calling at home, he travels all over the world calling various Specials, State Conventions, Square Dance Resorts, and other Festivals. He has called in almost every state in the union as well as Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, England, Germany, Sweden, Austria and Canada.

In addition to his Calling career, Wade is a realtor with First Millennium Realty. This allows him the freedom to cut back on his traveling, but still call as often as he likes.  Helene is from Vasteras, Sweden and is a registered nurse specializing in orthopedics.

Wade has three children, two step children, and four grand children.

Wade has been a member of CALLERLAB since 1975 and is a past member of the Board of Governors and the Executive Committee. He is a  recipient of the CALLERLAB Milestone Award. 

Wade says, "Those of us who have made our living as Square Dance Callers owe it to the activity to put back into the activity as least as much as we have taken out. Square Dancing is a fun recreation. Callers should make sure that it always stays that way".