Artist Info: Al Melgard

Al Melgard was the third and best-known organist for the Chicago Stadium, from the early 1930s until retirement in 1974, at age 85.

Melgard, who lost his left index finger in an accident as a youngster, was nonetheless a highly acclaimed musician and played the Stadium's world-famous Barton theater organ masterfully. He played at nearly two thousand Chicago Blackhawks hockey games and over four hundred Chicago Bulls basketball games, as well as hundreds of professional boxing matches and countless other Chicago Stadium events. [read more...]