Al Melgard
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Al Melgard (October 4, 1890 in Denmark – June 18, 1977) was the best-known organist for the Chicago Stadium, from 1930 until retirement in 1974,[1] at age 84.
Career
Melgard, who lost his left
He was arguably the first sports arena organist to match songs to events during games and his favorite target was the referee. When National Hockey League Hall of Fame defenceman and later referee Francis "King" Clancy called a penalty, Melgard would play "Clancy Lowered the Boom". Sometime in the late 1950s, he decided to greet the referee and linesmen when they came onto the ice before the start of the game with "Three Blind Mice". This practice ended quickly after a tersely worded order from NHL president Clarence Campbell.
Melgard's most notable performance came during a boxing match at Chicago Stadium during the 1940s. As the story (fact mixed with some fiction) goes, the fight ended with an extremely unpopular decision. The capacity crowd became unruly and a riot on the floor broke out with folding chairs flying. Melgard supposedly tried to calm the uproar with a religious song and then "The Star-Spangled Banner". When that didn't work, Melgard opened up most of the 800-plus stops on the huge Barton organ, floored the volume pedal and laid his hands flat on the middle keyboards. The resulting sound blew out many of the lights over the arena floor. Stunned, the fans stopped fighting, picked up their hats and coats, and exited the building.
Albums
Melgard made four
Personal life
Melgard was born in
After retiring, Melgard moved to Las Vegas and died in 1977 at the age of 86.[2]
References
- ISBN 978-0-7627-5984-2.
Audiences at Chicago Stadium between 1930 and 1974 enjoyed performances by Al Melgard, who played the gigantic stadium organ.
- ^ Bowman, Jim (January 27, 1985). "The 9-fingered Organist Who Kept Stadium Crowds On Their Toes". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 20 March 2012.