Al Melgard
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Al Melgard (October 4, 1890 in Denmark – June 18, 1977) was an organist for the Chicago Stadium, from 1930 until he retired in 1974.{{cite book | last1 = Cohn | first1 = Scotti | title = Chicago Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff | publisher = Globe Pequot | year = 2011 | pages = 94 | isbn = 978-0-7627-5984-2 | quote = Audiences at Chicago Stadium between 1930 and 1974 enjoyed performances by Al Melgard, who played the gigantic stadium organ.}}
Career
Melgard, who lost his left index finger in an accident as a child, played the Stadium's Barton theater organ masterfully. He played at nearly two thousand Chicago Blackhawks hockey games and over four hundred Chicago Bulls basketball games, and hundreds of professional boxing matches.{{cn|date=June 2025}}
Personal life
Melgard was born in Denmark. Hs family moved to Chicago when he was six months of age. He grew up in the city and attended Hyde Park High School there.
After retiring, Melgard moved to Las Vegas and died in 1977 at the age of 86.{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/01/27/the-9-fingered-organist-who-kept-stadium-crowds-on-their-toes/|title=The 9-fingered Organist Who Kept Stadium Crowds On Their Toes|last=Bowman|first=Jim|date=January 27, 1985|publisher=Chicago Tribune|access-date=20 March 2012}}
References
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Category:American male organists
Category:20th-century organists
Category:20th-century American male musicians{{Stadium_organists}}