George Wright – Reflections Of His Life

This follow-up book to "The Genius of George Wright" contains transcripts of 29 interviews of individuals close to GW, edited lightly for clarity. In addition, the book includes a comprehensive annotated tune list, displaying every song that George Wright recorded for commercial release, listing the album(s) on which a tune appeared, a valuable reference tool for fans of GW's music.

This follow-up book to "The Genius of George Wright" contains transcripts of 29 interviews of individuals close to GW, edited lightly for clarity. In addition, the book includes a comprehensive annotated tune list, displaying every song that George Wright recorded for commercial release, listing the album(s) on which a tune appeared, a valuable reference tool for fans of GW's music. The individuals interviewed: Interview 1: Richard (Dick) Balsano (St. Louis musician friend of GW) Interview 2: Carol & Keith Baugher (GW's cousin and her husband) Interview 3: Dwight Beacham (Allen Organ Company engineer and performing theatre organist) Interview 4: Msgr. William Biebel (Long-time correspondent with GW, and spiritual advisor) Interview 5: Joyce Clifford (Student of GW's) Interview 6: Peter Crotty (Organ technician for the Rialto and Crown organs, and friend of GW's) Interview 7: Terry & Marie Cutshall (Audio engineer, one-time owner of BANDA, GW's label) Interview 8: John Ferguson (Indianapolis-based theatre organ instructor and GW friend) Interview 9: Bill Field (organ technician for the Pasadena Leslie Studio organ, and longtime GW friend) Interview 10: Dennis Hedberg (Portland-based organ technician, concert sponsor, and GW friend) Interview 11: Bob Kates (Fellow Grant Union High School graduate and GW acquaintance) Interview 12: Timothy Kopaceski (Close friend of GW's during his later years) Interview 13: Ken Kukuk (Organ technician for the Hollywood Philharmonic Organ in GW's home) Interview 14: Carolyn Leslie (Widow of organ speaker inventor Don Leslie, and GW friend) Interview 15: Bill Lightner (Recording engineer and GW friend) Interview 16: John Clark McCall (Budding theatre organist who tells of his meeting GW in Atlanta) Interview 17: Ron Mitchell (Organ technician for the South Pasadena Leslie Studio organ) Interview 18: John Nelson (Long-time manager for GW, and close friend) Interview 19: Jonas Nordwall (Theatre organist and Rodgers Organ Company official) Interview 20: Donna Parker (Theatre organist and GW friend) Interview 21: Len Rawle, MBE (Hosted GW during a concert trip to the UK) Interview 22: Richard Rogers (GW associate and performing artist for the Conn Organ Company) Interview 23: Bill Schuler (Second cousin of Richard Vaughn, founder of HIFI Records) Interview 24: Elizabeth (Liz) Steele (Purported daughter of GW) Interview 25: Dick Stewart (Singer and radio/TV personality who recorded an album with GW) Interview 26: Ed Stout (Organ technician and GW concert sponsor and friend) Interview 27: Robert Trousdale (Designed and installed the relay for the Hollywood Philharmonic Organ) Interview 28: Lew Williams (GW historian and organist at Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa, AZ; principal editor of "The Genius of George Wright" Interview 29: Bob & Carol Zadel (Bob was GW's boss at Conn Organ Company, where Carol was a performing artist) The interviews convey detailed, sometimes bawdy accounts of George Wright's life, revealing the inner working of an incredibly complex and gifted musician, who rubbed shoulders with the likes of Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington. After reading the initial biography "The Genius of George Wright," you get to discover "the rest of the story" within the pages of "George Wright–Reflections Of His Life." Enjoy!

William L. Coale, Ph.D. has a lifelong love affair with the theatre organ, its music, and its performers. He holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music (with a concentration in conducting), as well as a Ph.D. in educational leadership. Bill had a long career in education, starting out as an elected school board member just days after his high school graduation; decades as a public school band/choir director; professional musician, playing in concert bands, wind ensembles, and orchestras; musical theatre pit musician and conductor; school principal; school technology director; school superintendent; and university professor. Bill also works as an educational consultant and leadership/personal coach. He also enjoys voice-over work and public announcing. He both plays and restores theatre pipe organs. George Wright became his idol after seeing GW in performance at the Ohio Theatre in Columbus. Little did Bill know that decades later he would spend four years researching the life of this incredible musician, resulting in his definitive biography, "The Genius of George Wright.' That book is full of memorabilia and artifacts of George's life, thanks to the acquisition of a great deal of George's personal artifacts. It provides a fascinating view of this musician's life in its many facets. His latest publication, "George Wright–Reflections Of His Life" is a collection of 29 interviews conducted by the author, as well as a cross-referenced tune list of every song that George Wright recorded commercially. The two volumes provide an expansive picture of George Wright, the man and the musician.