ArtistInfo

Lew White

org,
Musician of Pop
A.k.a. Rastus (3)

Lew White was born in Philadelphia and studied violin with his father, Herman White, a prominent Philadelphia music teacher. Mr. White graduated from the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music and also studied composition with Ernest Schelling. He served as accompanist to Hans Kindler, the cellist, and came to New York in that capacity. Later he turned to the pipe organ, studying with H. Alexander Matthews at the University of Pennsylvania. As an organist, he played on the Stanley Theatre circuit and appeared as guest organist in theatres throughout the country. White was hired by Samuel Rothafel to play the Kimball organ in the lobby of the new Roxy Theatre in New York. "The Cathedral of Motion Pcitures," as the Roxy was known, had a large Kimball organ in the main theatre, controlled by three consoles in the orchestra pit. White, as chief organist, played the five-manual console in the center, flanked by two three-manual consoles played by Emil Velazco and Dr. C.A.J. Parmentier. When Mr. White was not playing at the Roxy Theatre, he was busy with other musical endeavors. On Saturday mornings at 8:30, he broadcast an organ program from his studio, played another program on NBC every Sunday morning, and on Sunday evenings played the Paramount Studio Wurlitzer on CBS. He made recordings for RCA-Victor and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, provided background music for Columbia film shorts, and composed popular and semi-classical music. For the Aeolian Company, Lew White produced ten organ rolls of popular music with jazz. After the decline of the organ in theatres, he was active in radio and television, providing mood music for such programs as "Inner Sanctum," "The Web," "Grand Central Station," and "Portia Faces Life." Throughout his career, Mr. White taught organ and established the Lew White Institute for Organ for theatre organists. He later operated the School of Hammond Organ at 3 East 43rd Street in New York. Lew White died after an illness of several months on March 3, 1955, at the age of 52.

Genres

• Pop
• Jazz
• Classical
• World
• Soundtrack

Plays With