George Wright

Reflections by Dennis Hedberg
Excerpted from Theatre Organ, July/August 1998

Many organists will say how much George Wright's musical style influenced their own. Listeners will say how much they loved his music. Those who heard him in live performance will say how audience-friendly and how relaxed at the console he was. To all of the above I would like to take note of his knowledge of pipe organ technology and especially his absolutely wicked (not politically-correct) sense of humor.

At the home of the late Bob and Ruth Carson, during a Los Angeles ATOS convention, I had the audacity to try my hand at the console in the company of George and a who's-who of theatre organ luminaries. After thoroughly murdering The Impossible Dream, George announced that I should stick to building theatre organs and forget playing them. It was a light-hearted moment, but I did heed his advice.


George Wright during the building
of the Pasadena studio organ
Local theatre organ people used to call me "high pressure Hedberg" because I raised wind pressures on the Oriental Theatre's 3/13 Wurlitzer. In particular, elevated its 10" English Post Horn to 25"! I wanted it to blast out like the San Francisco Fox. How dare I change what Wurlitzer ordained! For the most part, George publicly endorsed what I did because it made musical sense. To George, if the sound was right, he could make music. Ultimately it was the music that mattered most. George's ear for tonal balance was just as keen as his perfect pitch.

One error that he did point out to me was that I would never achieve a sexy, breathy Tibia by raising its wind pressure. The secret was to lower its pressure and then ream the hell out of the toe holes. He was right. He was always right. George was equally at home in the chamber as he was at the console.

For all his keyboard prowess, George was a generous man. After the Oriental Theatre closed and before the Organ Grinder was built, a friend and I reopened a local neighborhood theatre. That was where I had hoped to install the Oriental's Wurlitzer.

Rodgers Organ Company built a twin to Bob Powers famous Style 260 copy, and before Rodgers delivered that organ, I installed it in my theatre. George played a beautiful concert on it just before Christmas in 1971. After the performance, he announced, "This concert is my Christmas present to you. I waive my fee. Reimburse me for my air fare and you keep the rest. I hope it will help you install the Oriental here."

We knew George Wright as perhaps the greatest theatre organist of all time. I feel blessed that I knew him as a wonderful human being.