Gaylord Carter 
1905 - 2000

Gaylord Carter is among the best-known of the theatre organists on the concert circuit. Born in Weisbaden, Germany in 1905, he spent his boyhood in Wichita, KS. His family had come to this country to open a conservatory of music in Wichita, and his father took a post as church organist. 

When Gaylord was sixteen, the family moved to Los Angeles. He soon obtained an after-school job playing the organ for silent pictures.  He was playing at the Seville Theater in suburban Inglewood, accompanying the comedy "The Kid," when the star himself, Harold Lloyd, paid a visit to see how the film was doing. Lloyd hired him as his personal organist and helped Carter get a job as the accompanist for the prestigious Grauman's Million Dollar Theater in downtown Los Angeles in 1926.

Carter played other theater engagements at the downtown Paramount, United Artists, Warner's Hollywood, and Egyptian theaters. He also played the Seattle Paramount Theatre. By 1935 he was becoming deeply involved in radio broadcasting. He played for such radio shows as, "California Melodies", "Hollywood Hotel", "The Packard Show", "The Second Mrs. Burton", and "Breakfast In Hollywood". He will always be associated in the public mind with the, "Amos & Andy Show". For seven years he introduced the show by playing its theme, "The Perfect Song".

Carter was on active duty in the Navy during W.W.II. After that, he was busy with radio and television work, associated with CBS, NBC, and ABC in programs such as, "Bride & Groom", "The Hal Sawyer Show", "The Big Payoff", and "Glamour Girl". The very popular, " Pinky Lee" TV show also featured his artistry. 

Additionally, he found some time to do church organ work and perform for young school students.  It was here that I was first introduced to the magic of film music, and for many of my school years I attended silent films, sitting as close as possible to this magical performer, watching his feet fly around the bells and whistles and other sound effects buttons surrounding the pedals, continually changing stops and never missing a dramatic moment or scene change for the entire film.  Talent or wit -- it is hard to say which was more wonderful to observe!

Throughout subsequent years Gaylord has toured with concerts, accompanied silent film series and recorded numerous albums of his wonderful theatre organ work.  During his career as a movie organist, Carter composed much of what he played, and was hired by Paramount in the 1980s to score a dozen film classics for home video release. Disney fans should also delight that he is the organist for Disney's Haunted Mansion! 

In more recent years before falling ill, Carter returned to the movie house, playing for the Los Angeles Conservancy's annual "Last Remaining Seats on Broadway" series of silent film screenings.