The Jazz Organ Scene

USA

Eddie Layton Eddie (*1925 in Philadelphia, PA) graduated from West Chester State Teachers College, now West Chester University, where he majored in meteorology with a minor in music. He began playing the organ when he was 12 years old.   While serving in the United States Navy during World War II, he learned to play the Hammond organ. After World War II, he began a career as a professional organist writing scores for soap operas on CBS. He recorded 27 albums of organ music, and travelled the world as a spokesperson and artist for Hammond Organ company.   Layton joined the New York Yankees franchise in 1967 when CBS purchased the Yankees from Dan Topping. Because of pressure from the success of the New York Mets, their new Shea Stadium facility and the popularity of their organist, Jane Jarvis, Topping had installed an organ in Yankee Stadium at the beginning of the 1965 season. Lowrey organ demonstrator Toby Wright was the first Yankee organist and did the 1965 and 1966 seasons. Team president E. Michael Burke brought Layton in to play organ music at the stadium in 1967.   At the time, he had never been to the stadium and knew nothing about baseball, he went on to play the organ for the Yankees for over three decades, taking a break from 1971 to 1977 to pursue other musical commitments. In addition to playing for the Yankees, Layton was the organist for the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers from 1967 to 1985. He also played for several seasons of New York Islanders games in the 1990s and served one stint as organist for the indoor New York Cosmos soccer team at Madison Square Garden.   Layton also performed concerts in more than 200 cities for the Hammond Organ Company and released 27 albums. In addition, Layton played the organ at Radio City Music Hall for thirty years of Pace University commencements held there. The student union at Pace University's New York City campus was named in his honor.   Eddie passed away in 2004.   from Wikipedia

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