Home Free–A Brief History

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Home Free–A Brief History
March 30, 2019 (Updated Mid-October, 2024)
Researched and Written by Linda A. Wingfield

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First of all, here are the group members that you will see, beginning with the five who were in the earlier videos (including fan videos from live performances) on YouTube.

Chris Rupp–Baritone (range: G♯1 – G♯5)
(as of 2016–no changes found in 2024)

(Chris was the founder of the group, back in 2000, along with his brother Adam. He’s moved on, now…more about that below.)

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Adam Rupp–Beatboxer (range: B0 – G#6)
(as of 2020–no changes found in 2024)

Rob Lundquist–Lead Tenor (range: Bb1 – G#5)
(as of 2022–no changes found in 2024)

Austin Brown–High Tenor (range: Eb1 – C6)
(as of 2021–no changes found in 2024)
(Austin will be leaving Home Free in June 2024.)
(As of 04/23/24 his replacement has not been announced.)
(As of mid-June 2024, it’s now known that Adam Bastien, who has previously sung with Home Free, will be re-joining the group when Austin leaves, sometime in July 2024.)

Tim Foust–Bass (range: B0 – A5)
(as of 2020–no changes found in 2024)

Adam Chance–Baritone (range: F#1 – F5)
(as of 2020–no changes found in 2024)
(Commonly called just Chance, he replaced Chris as Baritone, in mid-2016.)

You can find an illustrated range chart that I put together, HERE (now updated to 2022).

Home Free is called a “vocal band,” rather than just an a cappella group. They basically have a country sound, but they (seriously) can sing just about any style well–including classical and opera.

Chris and Adam Rupp began Home Free in 2000, when Adam was a college freshman, and Chris had returned for his senior year after working at video game writing and testing for a while.

Adam is a pretty private person, and doesn’t do a whole lot online. There are lots of fan videos on YouTube, though, that showcase his fantastic beatboxing. Below, there’s a link to Adam Rupp’s mid-concert drum solo (from Kearney, MO, 06/16/2018), in which you’ll also get to hear some of his actual vocal range…not in the traditional way, perhaps, but…yeah. He studied drums as well his own instrument (trumpet), by the way, so that he could do this kind of stuff credibly.

Click here for a great example of what Adam Rupp does in the middle of a live Home Free concert.

Also, this next, excellent video by Home Free was arranged by Adam. Be sure to read the intro he wrote for the description, and just wait until you hear the sound effects!

“Do You Hear What I Hear” (by Noël Regney & Gloria Shayne Baker–Cover by Home Free)

Additionally, Adam usually sings in their Christmas songs/hymns, rather than beatboxing. He can fill in just about anywhere, in any song. This next video was released just before the end of 2018, to celebrate the upcoming new year.

“Auld Lang Syne” (old Irish folksong–sung by Home Free)

Their sister Tristin was part of Chris’ 7th Ave Band (which is one of the endeavors he began in 2016 and is currently disbanded, as of 2022).

Chris now has an “a capella” group named “Cypress Fyre,” as of 2023.

Click here to read a little bit about Tristin and 7th Ave Band.
(That article also talks about Tristin’s other endeavors, which are many.)

The next link will take you to Chris and Tristin singing a “one-take duet” of a very special song.

“The Prayer” (as sung by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli–Cover by Tristin Rupp and Chris Rupp–accompanied by a piano track made by Cindy Rupp)

Chris and his siblings describe their mother Cindy, as a “musical savant.” Here are two videos with her playing Chris’ state-of-the-art piano, in his private studio (those are his guitars, too, and yes, he does play them…and the piano…VERY well).

“The Lord’s Prayer” (by Albert Hay Malotte–sung by Chris Rupp–accompanied by Cindy Rupp)

“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (by Kim Gannon & Walter Kent–sung by Chris Rupp–accompanied by Cindy Rupp)

Click here to read a WIKI article about about Home Free, and how it’s developed since 2000, that’s pretty well-written, though it’s not always up-to-date.

As you can see by the above article, it was in December 2013 (after three previous auditions) that Home Free was accepted into the Sing Off’s Season 4, and ultimately won it. Also, you’ll find information there about what the guys majored in at college, and how they switched members around a few times until they are at the current mix.

On March 18, 2016, Home Free announced that Chris would be “Movin’ On.”

Click here to watch that announcement video.

On May 20, 2016, Home Free released the following video of the original song “Movin’ On” that Chris wrote, I believe, about a friend who passed away. It was released fairly concurrently with the announcement video above, with the point being that Chris would soon be “movin’ on” to some different musical settings than the Home Free group, and that that’s OK for all involved in the change.

“Movin’ On” (written by Chris Rupp, sung by Home Free)

Click here to watch the piano/vocal version of “Movin’ On” that Chris had already released (that he more specifically advertises as being of good use for funerals, perhaps) on January 8, 2016.

Here’s a fan video of the speech Tim gave at the concert that was Chris’ last appearance with Home Free. Be prepared for emotions, but also their typical senses of humor.

Here’s the first official music video presenting Adam Chance (usually called Chance, to differentiate from Adam Rupp).

“Try Everything” (by Shakira–Cover by Home Free)

In this next video, you will see Chris Rupp as the baritone…

“Colder Weather” (by Zac Brown Band–Cover by Home Free–Sing Off Version)

Then, in this one, you’ll see Chance as the baritone…

“Colder Weather” (by Zac Brown Band–Cover by Home Free–Official Music Video)

That Christmas (in 2016), Chris released this one last Home Free video on his own YouTube Channel. It was arranged and mixed by Darren Rust (of The Blenders), who owns the studio where they cut their albums. All six of the guys are in this video.

“What Child is This” (Hymn by Andrew Gant, Paul O’Neill, Robert Kinkel, Thomas Hewitt Jones, and William Chatterton Dix–sung by Chris Rupp and Home Free)

Chance has added his own style to the band, and has directed several of the newer videos, including these next two, in which he has the lead. He’s officially the baritone, now, but he can fill in quite credibly as a bass, when Tim heads into his upper range. 😉 I believe Chance has a background in playing guitar, as well as singing.

“I Can’t Outrun You” (by Trace Adkins–Cover by Home Free)
(This was directed by Chance, who also has the main acting role–no…the lady isn’t his wife or even girlfriend. She is the wife of one of Chance’s good friends.)

“Helplessly Hoping” (by Crosby, Stills and Nash–Cover by Home Free)

Next, Chance “gets down” with the bass (near the end), after Tim “scales things up” into the tenor range (at the beginning). 😉

“Mayday” (by Cam–Cover by Home Free)

Here’s the “more about that” from above, when I was talking about the styles of music they can sing.

Austin Brown soloing on “Bring Him Home” from Les Misérables

As for their all-around flexibility, check out this stupendous beatboxing battle near the end of a song, when Chris was still in the band)…

“9 to 5” (Home Free–Recorded by a fan, at a performance at St.Andrews in Scotland January 2016)
(tagged at the beatboxing battle near the end of the song)

Austin also plays guitar and piano. Chance plays guitar, too. Tim was playing piano and singing for quite some time, before he joined the group, as well. I’m not sure about Rob, but I think he plays at least a bit of guitar. He was bartending before he joined Home Free, and sang in at least a couple of other groups before joining Home Free (as did Chance).

Finally, here are links to three newer releases. There are way more than this, but I’ll leave you to find those by yourself.

“End of the Road” (by Boyz II Men–Cover by Home Free)

“It’s a Great Day to Be Alive” (by Travis Tritt–Cover by Home Free)

“Why Does It Have to Be (Wrong or Right)” (by Restless Heart–Cover by Home Free)

NOTE: I’ve tried very hard to be accurate in this account. If you have read it through and found any errors, please comment, and I’ll fix them. Thank you.

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BIG CHANGE COMING…

Austin Brown is leaving Home Free. He released the following video on February 16, 2024. There are also some subsequent videos that have been posted since then, with answers to questions that he and Amberly have answered. We’ll be hearing more from Home Free about what’s happening with the group, when it gets closer to the end of June.

Why I am leaving Home Free…

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