Eddie Layton Passes Away
(Corrections are bolded! -Thank you to Paul Doherty for the corrections)

NEW YORK -- Eddie Layton, the long-time Yankee Stadium organist who retired after the 2003 season, passed away on Sunday at his home in Forest Hills, N.Y., after a brief illness.

"Eddie Layton was a treasured member of the Yankee family and, as a gifted musician, he made Yankee Stadium a happier place," said Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. "Eddie was a dear friend who will be missed by all who come to Yankee Stadium."

Layton joined the Yankees' family in 1967 when team president Mike Burke inaugurated organ music at Yankee Stadium. When the announcement of Layton's retirement was announced during the seventh-inning stretch of a game in September 2003, the fans chanted, "Eddie! Eddie" as he played "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." The mistake here is that Burke did not inaugurate organ music at Yankee Stadium. Eddie, a CBS soap opera organist, joined the Yankees in 1967 when CBS took full control of the Yankees (during the winter of ’67 they painted the ballpark white and blue [it had been green since 1946 and brown prior to that] and refurbished the acoustical system), however organ music was inaugurated at the Stadium in 1965 by Dan Topping when he made a deal w/Lowrey organ to install one of their instruments in the loge and hire a local pianist and Lowrey demonstrator, Toby Wright, to play it. Wright played the Lowrey at the Stadium in 1965 and 1966.

"After 38 years of playing the organ at Yankee Stadium, there just comes a time to retire," Layton said last September. "They were wonderful years. I treasure my five World Series rings, though I can only wear one at time and still play the organ. I think I'm the only organist in the world with five world championship rings." This doesn’t make sense. If Eddie was really there for 38 seasons, he’d have six championship rings (’77,’78,’96,’98’,’99,’00). Eddie was with the Yankees twice, from 1967-1970 and 1978-2003. Toby Wright was with the Yankees for two terms as well, 1965-66 and 1971-1977 (Wright was best known for playing “Pomp and Circumstance” upon Sparky Lyle’s entrance into games in 1972 and 1973 and his last game was the big Reggie three homer game vs. LA).

Layton has performed concerts for the Hammond Organ Company in more than 200 cities around the world, and has played the "Mighty Wurlitzer" at Radio City Music Hall, performing at the Music Hall's gala reopening in October 1999. He is also a distinguished member of the New York Sports Hall of Fame.

Layton released 26 albums, including "Ya Gotta Have Heart" in 1997, selling more than three million copies. Prior to coming to the Yankees, Layton wrote musical scores for soap operas, including Secret Storm, and was the organist for the New York Knicks and Rangers for 18 years.

Even after his retirement, Layton said that his time with the Yankees were the most important days of his long life.

Eddie Layton

Eddie Layton has been the organist for the New York Yankees for over 30 years and has released 24 albums. His latest being "Ya Gotta Have Heart" which is a collection of songs that he has played for the Yankees. Eddie took some time to sit down with us and tell us some history. Real Video

Here are some tracks from his latest CD "Ya Gotta Have Heart"

Bring On The Yankees Real Audio MP3

Take Me Out To The Ballgame Real Audio MP3

You've Gotta Have Heart Real Audio MP3

Music man fine-tunes spirits of Yankees, fans

By CATHEY O'DONNELL
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: October 19, 2003)

(Corrections are bolded! -Thank you to Paul Doherty for the corrections)

NEW YORK — With the strength of 50,000 watts of power, "New York, New York" reverberated last night inside Yankee Stadium as Eddie Layton tapped on the Hammond organ, a perfect opening to the 100th World Series in the nation's most historic ballpark.

He sat above it all, in his familiar cramped booth, with the joy of a performer who once again had a world stage and a throng of 56,000 screaming fans to hear his music. Spectators responded, leaping to their feet in a chorus of cheers.

For nearly four decades, Layton has been the Yankees' official cheerleader, rallying the crowd when the team was behind and energizing the players when they needed it most. He hasn't missed a day in 37 years, being there for rain delays and cold April nights and extra innings that stretched well beyond midnight.

Last night, at Game 1 of the World Series, Layton watched his beloved Yankees play the Florida Marlins. The Series continues tonight before moving to Florida on Tuesday, possibly for three games. If necessary, the Series will return to Yankee Stadium on Saturday and next Sunday for Games 6 and 7.

Sometime this week or next, perhaps even today, depending on how the Yankees perform in the Series, Layton will play his last tune, leaving a certain emptiness that fans say no one can replace.

"Everyone should retire at some point," Layton said yesterday. "If you have a job, you either get fired, resign or retire. I choose to retire." He was very, very sick w/emphysema. He was a MAJOR smoker (his ashtray is still there in the booth). That’s actually what killed him.

Right now, the Yankees plan to find a replacement for Layton, although they don't have anyone in mind. That will be decided in the off-season, said Rick Cerrone, spokesman for the Yankees.

Today, Layton will celebrate his birthday at Game 2 of the World Series, although he guards his age like a state secret. He's at times outgoing, other times shy and often flashes his biggest smile when he mentions his small tugboat docked at the Tarrytown marina.

While Layton lives in Queens, he spends much of his time on the 26-foot-long maroon and dark green boat with teak accents, which has all the modern conveniences of home. He stays on his boat when the Yankees are out of town, although now that retirement looms, he can't wait to spend even more time on his vessel. He’d sold the boat by this time due to his illness.

"When you're cruising down the Hudson, there's nothing like it," Layton said. "People think I have a real tugboat and they steer clear of me. All my friends at the marina say, "Hey, Eddie, you're really from Westchester."'

Local fans reacted with sadness at Layton's retirement, saying he provided a key part of the nostalgic Yankee Stadium atmosphere that they simply don't get at other baseball venues.

"He's irreplaceable," said Raymond O'Prey of Piermont. "One of the things that makes Yankee Stadium special is hearing Eddie Layton play that organ when you walk through the entrance. It could be a dull game or the team is down, and you hear Eddie trying to pump everyone up."

Some fans understood Layton's reasons for retiring, although they admit he will be terribly missed. As a lifelong Yankees fan, Michael Amoruso of Pleasantville remembers hearing Layton on the organ when he came to the stadium as an 8-year-old.

"It's amazing that he has been playing all these years," Amoruso said. "He's part of what makes Yankee Stadium unique."

On Thursday, Layton admitted he had second thoughts about retiring after experiencing the dramatic 11th-inning win in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, which led the Yankees to the World Series.

In the end, though, Layton said he realized the pace was getting too tough, especially with the Yankees' 81 regular season home games, not to mention the addition of a long post-season in October. He also performs occasionally at Radio City Music on the "Mighty Wurlitzer," an organ so powerful that, he says, it can drown out the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

Still, he choked up at the thought of retirement. After all, he understands the importance of setting the stage for fans and players. He knows when to play, and more important, when he shouldn't to avoid distracting the players or disrupting the game. He also learned some vital lessons along the way.

"You cannot miss a note for the national anthem because people know every note," Layton said. "If I make a mistake, I'll repeat it three or four times so no one notices."

Layton, a fixture in New York who joined the Yankees in 1967, used to play the organ for the New York Knicks and Rangers. He's a member of the New York Sports Hall of Fame and possesses four World Series rings given to him by Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. I thought it was five WS rings

With a solid fan base, Layton has recorded 27 albums and CDs, which collectively have sold more than 3 million copies. One of them features a classic medley of his favorite songs that he plays at Yankee Stadium. Among those topping the list: "New York, New York," and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," which he plays during the seventh-inning stretch.

And up there in the booth, with a perfect view of home plate, Layton monitored the game, deciding the right time to rouse the crowd with his "bump-bump-bump-bump" rhythm. Tonight, fans will hear Layton's music as he performs in his 74th post-season game. We’d have to do a count of the games; the Yankees had 3 Stadium-based post season games in 1977, so he’s pretty close w/this count.

"People cheer with their vocal chords," he said. "I cheer with my music."

A legend at Yankee Stadium is no longer present this season. Eddie Layton, the organist for the New York Yankees, retired at the end of last season, after 37 years as the Yankee Stadium organist. Yankees’ principle owner George Steinbrenner extended Layton upon his departure the well-earned respect to select his successor. Some may have thought the Yankees would resort to musical tapes of the famed Layton tunes. However, in February 2004, Layton auditioned organists to assume his role and play the 25-year-old Hammond Collanade Organ at Yankee Stadium, whose ivories he "tickled" so gracefully for 37 years. 30 seasons.

Layton was familiar with Paul Cartier, a 45-year-old full-time Air Traffic Controller who played the organ part-time at the Nassau Coliseum for the New York Islanders hockey team. Layton was also the full-time organist for the Islanders until he retired last year. Cartier substituted for Layton during games since 1980, until Layton’s retirement and then he prevailed as the full-time organist for the Islanders.

Cartier was also the organist for the New York Arrows Indoor Soccer Team, which inhabited the Nassau Coliseum from 1978 until the team disbanded in 1984. Therefore, although Layton was familiar with Cartier’s organ playing resume in the sports spectrum of New York, he had never actually heard him play-since they shared the organ at different times in the Nassau Coliseum.

Layton hired Cartier immediately after he auditioned on the Hammond Collanade Organ at Yankee Stadium last February. "Although I knew Eddie all that time, he never heard me play because when he was not there (at Islanders games), that is when I was playing, and if he was there, he was playing rather than me," stated Cartier. "I came to Yankee Stadium in February with snow still on the ground. I played a bunch of tunes that Eddie asked me to play. Afterward he told me, ‘You are the guy,’" remembered Cartier. Cartier and the other gent have gotten rid of the Collonade according to an organist friend of Eddie’s.

Notwithstanding his past organ playing achievements, Cartier disclosed that it was a breathtaking experience the initial time that he sat at the Yankee Stadium organ. "This is the ‘Cathedral!’ Oh yeah, (I was in awe) for sure! In fact, I was hardly sitting down (at the organ) and Eddie asked me to do the National Anthem or some song during the audition. I said, ‘One minute, Eddie, let me take this all in!’ This is amazing to know that you are sitting here where Eddie sat for 37 years. The whole experience is amazing," thrilled Cartier, in the organist booth at Yankee Stadium. 30 seasons.

A resident of South Hempstead, NY, Cartier has been playing the organ since he was nine years old. He achieved a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Hofstra University in 1981. Cartier has been married to his wife Jan for14 years. They have two children, a son Kevin, 16 years old, and a daughter, Katie, 13. Besides his organ duties at Yankee Stadium and the Nassau Coliseum, he has played the organ for 13 years at Our Lady of Hope Church in Carle Place, Long Island. Cartier also works as a volunteer fireman in his hometown and he holds the position of Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners in South Hempstead.

Cartier’s sports affiliation was inspired by one of his music professors while he was a student at Hofstra. Dr. Fred Mendelson shared his musical talent with his students at Hofstra, while playing the organ for Islanders games part-time on Tuesdays, when Layton did not play. One evening after class, Mendelson invited his progressive student, Cartier, to join him in the organist booth at the Nassau Coliseum during an Islanders game. Mendelson surprised Cartier by asking him to play the organ during the game. Cartier must have impressed his professor, because after Mendelson retired from Islanders hockey in 1980, he asked Cartier to succeed him as the Islanders’ part-time organist.

Cartier has pursued his organ talents to Yankee Stadium, in the Bronx, NY, a venue that as he mentioned is "The Cathedral of Sports." He stated that "New York, New York" is his favorite tune to play at Yankee Stadium. " My theory is that the Yankees want to keep the old time organ. They want to have the traditional ballpark sound. Therefore, I do not get into playing too many newer tunes. I stick with a lot of Broadway show tunes, old time Cole Porter songs, classic organ sounds, to keep the tradition. ‘New York New York’ has to be my favorite song to play," explained Cartier. "I read an article that stated that there are only eight stadiums remaining with live organ music," commented the newly hired Yankees’ organist. How lucky an organist is Cartier, who grew up in NY, graduated from Hofstra and now plays one of the eight stadium organs that stood the test of time. The organ in "The House That Ruth Built!"

Nonetheless, Eddie Layton’s job to pick a successor to his 37-year career as the Yankees organist did not conclude with the hiring of Paul Cartier in February 2004. Cartier’s full-time occupation as an Air Traffic Controller scheduled him for weekend duty, at the Radar Facility, in Ronkonkomo, NY. Therefore, the weekends, an essential time during the Yankees baseball season, would still need an organist to spirit the crowd. 30 seasons.

Ed Alstrom, 45 years old, has been playing the organ since he was five years old. In what place most keyboard playing families might possess a piano, Alstrom’s home as a child had an organ. His father, a plumber by trade, was musically inclined and played the organ each evening after work with his son.

The younger Alstrom had been dreaming of being the Yankee Stadium organist since his initial visit to Yankee Stadium to see the Yankees play. He reminisced, "I have played the organ since I was a young child. My dad took me out to Yankee Stadium in 1967 when I was nine years old. I remember hearing Eddie Layton play. I said to myself that is what I want to do. I love baseball and I love playing the organ, so I want to do that someday!"

Alstrom is employed full-time for Music Industries Corporation, as the Director of Marketing and Development. He had been working there for a few months when he heard the news that Layton was retiring as the Yankee Stadium organist. Although Alstrom pursued the job of Layton’s successor fervently, it was the persistence of his wife of 19 years, Maxine, that lead to Alstrom capturing the coveted position. "I heard Eddie was retiring. I made some telephone calls but my wife was a little more persistent than me. She made the call that finally got through to the person that was doing the hiring, and they said to fax a resume. A week later, they called me back and said that they wanted to hear me play," explained Alstrom. Maxine, Alstrom’s wife, is a professional piano player and teaches piano.

In late March 2004, Alstrom visited Yankee Stadium to audition for his idol Layton, on the famed Hammond Collanade organ. "I went to Yankee Stadium and there was nobody there but me and Eddie Layton. I sat at the organ and Eddie stood in the doorway of the booth. He asked me to play a little ‘New York, New York,’ a little ‘Happy Birthday’ and some of the National Anthem. I played forty-five seconds of each tune and the entire process took about five minutes. Then Eddie said they’d let me know," depicted Alstrom. Not predicting that his dream had come true, Alstrom thought, "I figured at that point that at least I got to play the organ at Yankee Stadium. A week later, the Yankees called me and said that they would like to have me play on Saturday and Sundays. I was on ‘cloud nine!’

Alstrom’s dream as a young child came to pass when he played the organ at Yankee Stadium during the Yankees game against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, April 10, 2004. His initial tune played was his now organ partner Cartier’s favorite song to play at Yankee Stadium, "New York, New York."

Alstrom resides in Pine Brook, NY. He and his wife Maxine, have two daughters, Sophie, 15 years old, and Nina, 10. He was an accomplished musician many years before his Yankee Stadium appointment. He has played alongside such musical talents as Bette Midler, Herbie Hancock, Chuck Berry, Steely Dan, and Dion of the renowned Dion and the Belmonts. Alstrom is also a member of Musicians Local 802 and he plays the organ in the orchestra during Broadway show productions. Like Cartier, Alstrom also plays part-time church organ. Alstrom has played for two years at the West Caldwell Presbyterian Church, in West Caldwell, NY.

However, Alstrom’s claim to fame before his hiring at Yankee Stadium may have been his trio, Acid Cabaret. He plays the piano and sings for the group at Jazz and Cabaret Clubs in New York and New Jersey. The trio released a Compact Disc last year titled "Acid Cabaret." Alstrom was presented the Back Stage Biestro Award in 2003, for the group’s Cabaret playing achievements. The award is sponsored by Back Stage Biestro Magazine.

A Tribute to Eddie Layton By Curtis Stephen

Like legions of baseball fans nationwide, I was saddened to learn of the passing of longtime Yankee Stadium organist Eddie Layton, who died at his home Dec. 27^th in Forest Hills, Queens, after briefly falling ill. For nearly four decades, Layton entertained millions of fans who streamed into The House That Ruth Built, capturing about as much respect and adoration as the players themselves. And so the tributes dedicated to Eddie have naturally focused on his many years regaling fans and players alike in the ballpark with his Mighty Wurlitzer. But equally fascinating, though, was Eddie himself -- whom I was fortunate to call a friend.

The year was 1997. It was a few months after the Yankees won the World Series (after an 18-year drought) in dramatic fashion against the Atlanta Braves. I was a journalism student at Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus and served as the news editor at the campus newspaper. One afternoon, I got a phone call from the Athletics Department about the possibility of profiling Eddie Layton, who in 1996 began to play at home games for the LIU Men's basketball team, the Blackbirds. I was beside myself thinking about the prospect of meeting someone deemed to be such an indelible part of my beloved Yankees. Without a second thought, I took the assignment.

We met at LIU's gymnasium, where Eddie, who was stylishly dressed in a light brown pinstriped suit and sporting a new World Series ring, took a seat before his treasured organ. What struck me most, though, was his enthusiasm. After all, here was a man who had been featured in mainstream newspapers like The New York Times and appeared on countless radio and TV programs, including David Letterman's. He played Radio City Music Hall and toured the world, performing in hundreds of cities across the globe. And yet he still seemed genuinely excited to be interviewed by a lowly college newspaper reporter. But Eddie didn't make those distinctions -- he so loved what he did that he didn't mind sharing some insight with whoever cared to listen.

Eddie was such a masterful storyteller that you couldn't help but listen. He had stories for days. And over the course of two hours, he shared many with me. Born in Philadelphia, he began playing the piano at the age of 7. And ever curious, decided to play the organ when he turned 14. Eddie fondly recalled working as an organist on CBS soap operas in the midst of radio's Golden Age. But the Yankees clearly held a special place in his heart -- a gig he surprisingly turned down initially because he wasn't an avid baseball fan, didn't drive, and wasn't looking forward to the prospect of shuttling between Queens and the Bronx on the subway. Eddie, of course, changed his mind when the team offered a limo to drive him to-and-from the stadium.

I was enchanted listening to Eddie describe how he arrived to the Yankees in 1967 just as the team was beginning to struggle after years of dominance through the likes of DiMaggio, Mantle and Maris. Nevertheless, Eddie brought his heart and good cheer to the stadium every game, trying to buck the spirits of dejected fans with his music. Ten years later, as raging fires, a menacing serial killer, and social unrest exploded on the city's streets, the Yankees -- powered by the strength of Reggie Jackson's bat -- gave New Yorkers a reason to cheer again when they desperately needed it most. And with his first World Series ring, Eddie was on top of the world in 77. Playing at Yankee Stadium is like asking a journalist to write an article that will appear in every language and every country in the world, he told me.

When we met, Eddie was commemorating his 30^th anniversary with the Yankees, and was weeks away from releasing his 26^th album. That CD, entitled, Ya Gotta Have Heart, would eventually go triple platinum. At my request, Eddie played a rendition of Take Me Out To The Ballgame. Afterwards, he patted my shoulder and playfully suggested that I begin my article with this question: Who played for the Yankees, the Knicks, and the Islanders all in the same season? Answer: Eddie Layton. Not only was it true, but it was a brilliant lead for the story. I would have been foolish not to have used it. And Eddie's quip also taught me a valuable lesson in writing -- use the very first sentence to grab the reader.

Little did I know that it would be the first of many lessons he'd teach me. As the interview concluded, I asked Eddie what he really wanted LIU students to know about him. Pondering the question, he briefly looked away and replied softly: Even though I have no family of my own, I'm a family man. And I feel that wherever I go, I'm with 100 percent of my family, from Yankee Stadium to LIU. His words were quite revealing. But I didn't fully grasp its meaning at the time. While we agreed to keep in touch, I didn't believe I would see much of him given his schedule performing what he considered a labor of love.

But he made the time. Weeks after the article was published, Eddie called and offered to take me out to lunch to his favorite restaurant, that venerable Brooklyn mainstay, Juniors. There, we swapped stories about everything from my Trinidadian heritage to his beloved tugboat, which he would spend a lot of time in, cruising along the Hudson River. But it wasn't long after those initial meetings that I realized that Eddie had adopted something of a grandfatherly role in my life. Through regular phone chats, Eddie would impart advice on topics ranging from my career plans (journalism fascinated him greatly) to the most effective means of romancing an irresistible girl next door (Always be yourself. It's the only way she will see who you are, Eddie would counsel). Yet he could also be an enigma. It's doubtful, for example, that anyone alive knew his real age (he was reportedly 77 at the time of his death). But as anyone who got the chance to spend any significant amount of time with Eddie knows, he always shared the very best of himself -- his boundless energy, a zest for life, and a loving spirit.

For most, thoughts of Eddie will summon memories of a bygone era in baseball history -- a time when an instrument as beautifully simple as the organ ruled the ballpark. And while that alone would have sufficed for Eddie, for those of us who knew him, it's the memories of the man behind the music that shall forever endure. Rest in peace, Eddie.