Famous People Who Played the Organ

This is a list of people who play(ed) the organ and are famous for other things. This list does not include people who are famous mainly for playing the organ.
NameBorn/DiedFamous forNotes
Albert, Prince 1840-1861 Prince Consort to Queen Victoria Reputed to be quite a good amateur organist. Contemporary accounts attest to the sensitivity of his playing when accompanying visiting singers and musicians to the royal households.
Beethoven, Ludwig van
Berkey, Jackson member of Mannheim Steamroller
Braun, Wernher von rocket scientist When asked what he considered a "highlight" of his life, his response was when Alexander Schreiner let him play the Tabernacle organ during a visit to Salt Lake City
Bruckner, Anton 1824-1896
David, Andrew conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra organ scholar at Kings, Cambridge
Debussy, Claude
Dvorak, Antonin
Edison, Thomas 1847-1931 Edison's lab contained a pipe organ which Edison would play for relaxation or for the entertainment of his associates.
Edwards, Huw BBC News presenter
Elgar, Edward
Faure, Gabriel composer
Fiedler, Arthur
Gleason, Jackie actor, comedian
Griffin, Merv 1925-2007 TV personality Played a Christmas organ performance from the Church of the Nativity, Jerusalem. Organist at St. Matthew's Catholic Church in San Mateo CA as a teenager.
Halley, Paul member of the Paul Winter Consort
Jarrett, Keith 1945- jazz pianist
Joel, Billy 1949- rock star
Ketelbey, Albert composer
Liliuokalani, Lydia 1838-1917 Queen of the Hawaiian islands organist of Kawaiaha'o Church
Mahler, Gustav composer
Marsh, John BBC radio personality made a record at Norwich Cathedral
Moore, Dudley 1935-2002 actor Played weddings from age 14. Organ scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford U.
Heath, Edward Prime Minister of Great Britain 1970-74 Organ scholar at Balliol College, Oxford. Retained a life long interest in the instrument. Herbert Howells's Partita for organ was dedicated to him in 1971. Received an honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists.
May, Karl German writer
McLain, Denny baseball pitcher
Nixon, Richard
Pierce, David Hyde actor Tells the story of playing the organ at his sister's wedding and being so overly moved that he was unable to begin the recessional...
Planck, Max physicist, Nobel laureate
Pope Benedict
Preussen, Anna Amalie von princess
Rogers, Fred children's TV host
Rove, Carl destroyer of constitutional rights
Scarlatti, Domenico composer
Schmidt, Helmut German chancellor
Schweitzer, Albert
Sergant, Sir Malcolm organist of St. Mary's Church, Melton Mowbray in the 1920's
Smith, Jeff The Frugal Gourmet
Steves, Rick European travel show host
Stokowski, Leopold
Wakeman, Rick rock star Plays the pipe organ whenever he gets the chance and has multiple postings on youTube - even from a concert at Radio City Music Hall. He has used pipe organ on several albums.
Waller, Fats
Wilson, Woodrow
Wonder, Stevie ???
Wood, Sir Henry E.H.Lemare dedicated his Scherzo Fugue to him

 
Copyright © 2008 Edward L. Stauff, all rights reserved.
FamousPeople.html - Last updated 3 March 2008.
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