uncommons

Stan Kann memorial, St. Louis, Missouri.

There was an interesting sight to behold the moment audience members stepped into the lavish Fox Theatre hall on Sunday. Spotlit like a stage performer was a beautifully adorned Wurlitzer organ set on red velvet surrounded by plush carpet. At first sight, organist Stan Kann greeted you. At second sight, Stan was a life size cutout. It was a rather peculiar touch for a man known for his eccentric sense of humor.

Stan Kann died last monday from complications during surgery. His last performance was last Saturday for an open house. Born in 1924, Kann made a life of entertainment, vacuum collecting, and organ playing in Los Angeles and St. Louis. He was best known for his years of playing the organ during movies at the Fox. He and his organ would rise to the stage on a lifting platform before the show.

As Stan’s cutout patiently waited for the memorial’s end, one of the managing members flipped a switch. Silently, the man remembered as “a mestro of music, a guru of gadgets, a viceroy of vacuums and a master of mayhem”  began his final descent below the stage one last time.