Have heard the same stories. One thing to point out, I was told that many of the pipes were ties into the structure of CS. Also, the "Organ Room" above the catwalk was huge. Not sure if moving that would have increased the cost of the UC construction. Fortunately, the Organ is used a bit more than it was a few years ago during games Hawks games
@GodivaGirl1 .....if you believe that, sure. The fact of the matter is that the organ in the stadium had 51 sets of pipes...I know a theatre organ in Michigan that's 31 sets that only cost $250,000. No...it would NOT have cost $11,000,000 to restore AND install in the new building. The organist who is still the organist for the UC has been an electronic organist for years, and simply wanted to do away with the pipe organ.
@RonRizzy It sickens me to think that they actually LET this happen. Who in their right mind would want to do away with something that is as much a piece of art as a historic painting? Something that has such deep roots in America's history. I can't even imagine how you could put a price on a theatre organ as such.
@RonRizzy You are 100% right. He talked Wirtz out of it. Even though the fake barton at the uc is still the best in the NHL too bad they don't use it much anymore.
Death of another musical monster The Theatre Organ Rocks Always will Electric blower and reed and string pipes and the Tibia stops ( flutes to infidels)
wow thats amazing, i always wanted to see the stadium, always wanted to hear the organ play or hear the sound of waynne messmer's voice in person. thats too bad that i was born a blackhawks fan in 94. =[
This was great to see this and all of the hard work put in to pack the organ up. I will always wonder how Bob got that 6 manual console up on the second story balcony of his restaurant. He had another playing Barton organ at his restaurant with an X66 Hammond just below it on the main floor. The 19th Hole was famous for its music and great ballroom style dance floor, the building still may be there on Ogden Ave in Lyons IL.
The organ parts were stored in those semi trailers shown in the video, they were in a parking lot next to a large warehouse, when it caught fire the intense heat destroyed the semi trailers with the parts inside. My friend Bob Rapollo bought the organ and was going to install it in a new place in las Vegas, Bob is seen being in charge of the removal and demonstrating some items in this video like the blower and tremulant.
No. Unfortunately a good chunk of the organ was "lost" in a fire. Most seem to think that the gentleman who had it in storage might have had somethign to do with this for a tax write-off. There were several parts that did survive though. The console now plays a completely different organ in Phil Maloof's home in Las Vegas, some pipework and regulators are in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin ready to be installed in a another gentleman's home installation.
There is absolutely no reason this could not have been installed in Chicago's 'United Center'. The organist Frank Pellico told Bill Wirtz the entire project would've cost "millions of dollars" as he so put it. When Tom Hazleton informed Bill this was DEFINITELY not the case, Wirtz's face just sank I guess.
Dollar Bill was so full of .....! Moving this organ across the street would've cost next to nothing, but he would make sure to have the whole city believe otherwise!
@RandyS1982 It was not Wirtz that told people this from his own mouth. It was the organist of the CS/UC that told Wirtz it would cost that much. Wirtz, not knowing any better, believed him. When a well-known, respected theatre organist came in to voice the organ for the room, that organist told Wirtz that it would NOT have cost millions and would've only cost "X" number dollars (in the thousands) and story has it that Wirtz's face just completely sank...the damage had been done already.
@RonRizzy I bet Al Melgard is turning in his grave, apparently Frank was a student of his and he tought him everything there was to know about the organ and in a way he betrayed him by doing this and loosing it, i suppose the could buy it off the owner get some more pipes to replace the electric bit and have it installed on a platform in the UC
facts, and figures are interesting, especially when they are right, BUT,,glad the organ was saved! great job guys!
bfs1888 2 months ago
Have heard the same stories. One thing to point out, I was told that many of the pipes were ties into the structure of CS. Also, the "Organ Room" above the catwalk was huge. Not sure if moving that would have increased the cost of the UC construction. Fortunately, the Organ is used a bit more than it was a few years ago during games Hawks games
jbunzo 5 months ago
It was said that it would have cost $11,000,000 dollars to move the entire organ across
the street to the new United Centre. So they put a small one in the corner and made it
sound like the old one.
GodivaGirl1 1 year ago
@GodivaGirl1 .....if you believe that, sure. The fact of the matter is that the organ in the stadium had 51 sets of pipes...I know a theatre organ in Michigan that's 31 sets that only cost $250,000. No...it would NOT have cost $11,000,000 to restore AND install in the new building. The organist who is still the organist for the UC has been an electronic organist for years, and simply wanted to do away with the pipe organ.
RonRizzy 1 year ago
@RonRizzy It sickens me to think that they actually LET this happen. Who in their right mind would want to do away with something that is as much a piece of art as a historic painting? Something that has such deep roots in America's history. I can't even imagine how you could put a price on a theatre organ as such.
furrypeanut1 11 months ago
@RonRizzy You are 100% right. He talked Wirtz out of it. Even though the fake barton at the uc is still the best in the NHL too bad they don't use it much anymore.
snowman5676 10 months ago
@snowman5676
TouchMeKnott 6 months ago
@GodivaGirl1 I meant $250,000 to completely restore and install in its new home.
RonRizzy 1 year ago
Where is the organ now?
103Uke 2 years ago
@103Uke the console is in private possetion of someone, dont know who, and the rest of the organ was destroyed in a fire
alexcubs25 1 year ago
Death of another musical monster The Theatre Organ Rocks Always will Electric blower and reed and string pipes and the Tibia stops ( flutes to infidels)
Theatre Organ was the synthesizer of it's day
Gillyyorkie 2 years ago
This organ was huge!! I never knew how big it was until I watched this 3 part video.
RandyS1982 2 years ago
wow thats amazing, i always wanted to see the stadium, always wanted to hear the organ play or hear the sound of waynne messmer's voice in person. thats too bad that i was born a blackhawks fan in 94. =[
Blackhawksrule18 3 years ago 10
@Blackhawksrule18 The old building was a dump, but it had character and I loved going there as a kid (b.1980)
SuperBlackhawksfan88 7 months ago
This was great to see this and all of the hard work put in to pack the organ up. I will always wonder how Bob got that 6 manual console up on the second story balcony of his restaurant. He had another playing Barton organ at his restaurant with an X66 Hammond just below it on the main floor. The 19th Hole was famous for its music and great ballroom style dance floor, the building still may be there on Ogden Ave in Lyons IL.
packerlandtos 3 years ago
The organ parts were stored in those semi trailers shown in the video, they were in a parking lot next to a large warehouse, when it caught fire the intense heat destroyed the semi trailers with the parts inside. My friend Bob Rapollo bought the organ and was going to install it in a new place in las Vegas, Bob is seen being in charge of the removal and demonstrating some items in this video like the blower and tremulant.
packerlandtos 3 years ago
It is poor to see that this beautiful organ is removed from that stadion with a good acoustic. Is the organ being rebuild in another place
Orgelduedler 3 years ago
No. Unfortunately a good chunk of the organ was "lost" in a fire. Most seem to think that the gentleman who had it in storage might have had somethign to do with this for a tax write-off. There were several parts that did survive though. The console now plays a completely different organ in Phil Maloof's home in Las Vegas, some pipework and regulators are in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin ready to be installed in a another gentleman's home installation.
RonRizzy 3 years ago
There is absolutely no reason this could not have been installed in Chicago's 'United Center'. The organist Frank Pellico told Bill Wirtz the entire project would've cost "millions of dollars" as he so put it. When Tom Hazleton informed Bill this was DEFINITELY not the case, Wirtz's face just sank I guess.
Another gone....
RonRizzy 3 years ago
Time to start a "Booooo Frank Pellico" facebook group...
Dojora4 3 years ago
@Dojora4
Yes it is.
snowman5676 10 months ago
Dollar Bill was so full of .....! Moving this organ across the street would've cost next to nothing, but he would make sure to have the whole city believe otherwise!
RandyS1982 2 years ago
@RandyS1982 It was not Wirtz that told people this from his own mouth. It was the organist of the CS/UC that told Wirtz it would cost that much. Wirtz, not knowing any better, believed him. When a well-known, respected theatre organist came in to voice the organ for the room, that organist told Wirtz that it would NOT have cost millions and would've only cost "X" number dollars (in the thousands) and story has it that Wirtz's face just completely sank...the damage had been done already.
RonRizzy 1 year ago
@RonRizzy I bet Al Melgard is turning in his grave, apparently Frank was a student of his and he tought him everything there was to know about the organ and in a way he betrayed him by doing this and loosing it, i suppose the could buy it off the owner get some more pipes to replace the electric bit and have it installed on a platform in the UC
Thedoctorsbiggestfan 1 year ago