Stan Kann
Stan Kann is an American entertainment icon! Literally hundreds of appearances with Johnny Carson, Mike Douglas and Merv Griffin made him a TV personality, but to organ buffs he is the Little King of the console! For 22 years, he entertained audiences at the magnificent St. Louis Fox Theater 4/36 Wurlitzer. For a number of years, he raced between the theatre and Ruggeri's, featuring Stan and the 3/11 Wurlitzer on the NBC network. Stan is that rare musician who makes his living as a theatre organist. His weekly playing schedule includes weekends at L.A.'s only Silent Movie theatre accompanying films, Wednesday evening concerts on the Founder's Church Wurlitzer, and very theatrical Sunday mornings at the Hollywood Church of Religious Science. Stan continues to book concert engagements as his schedule permits. In case you're wondering, his vacuum cleaner collection remains intact, occupying an entire room in his lively Hancock Park home!
The 22 years as the house organist at the Fox Theater in St. Louis singles out Stan Kann as the longest running entertainment musician/organist in North America. Stan started playing on the "window sill" at the age of four while listening to the radio and was immediately encouraged by his parents at the piano and was at the organ console by age fourteen. While majoring in organ at Washinton University in St. Louis, Stan dicovered the entertaiment side of the organ. It was during this time that Stan was invloved in the first restaurant with a pipe organ where he nationally broadcast every Saturday night on the NBC Radio Network.
It was Phillis diller who discovered Stan Kann as a comedic collector vacuum cleaners as well as as an organist. Because of his 77 guest appearances on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, 89 shows with Mike Douglas and over 30 with Merv Griffin, Stan Kann is probably the most famous (living) theater organist in the country today. Mr. Kann is equally at home as a concert artist on the the theater organ as well as an an accompanist to silent movies.
Ralph Wolf
Ralph Wolf was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Several years (and several thousand miles later) Ralph found his way to the entertainment capital of the world, HOLLYWOOD! It was there that he formed a musical trio called the Bachelors, which performed across the U.S. and Canada, made musical shorts for Universal, and recorded for the MGM label and Standard Transcription Library. After several years the trio disbanded, and Ralph went on to collaborate with many fabulous performers including Margaret Whiting, Mel Torme, Helen O'Connell, Connie Haines, Terri Moore, the late Marilyn Maxwell, and the sensational HI-LO's. He was the rehearsal pianist for Disney's original Mickey Mouse Club! For ten years Ralph was Product Specialist, concert artist and supervisor of music education for the Thomas Organ company. He has recorded several albums on piano and electronic organ, as well as a fondly remembered theatre organ album on the "Old Town Music Hall" Mighty Wurlitzer. Ralph resides in Sherman Oaks, California, with his frisky poodle named "Tassie."
Last Update: April 4, 1999
