Porter Heaps

American organist and composer. Born 27 May 1906 Cicero, Illinois USA Died 3 May 1999 Palo Alto, California USA (age of 92). Born in Illinois, he lived most of his life in Evanston on Lake Michigan. He showed an early talent for playing the piano and organ and was hired as church organist at the local church while still a student at grammar school. He graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelor's and then with a master's degree in music. His summers were spent in Paris, studying organ under the French organist and composer Marcel Dupré. He was commonly referred to as "Mr. Hammond Organ". He made history on June 23, 1935 in the first public performance of a Hammond organ, an improved organ that made sounds that were richer and more realistic. He is responsible for popularizing organ music around the world by bringing the organ into smaller venues. His organ recordings were used in countless funeral homes across the U.S. Heaps toured the United States for the Hammond company, giving seminars and concerts to demonstrate the newly created organ. He founded his own company, Keyboard Publications, which published compositions, arrangements and learning materials. He was associated with the Hammond Organ Company for over 40 years, bringing their instruments an aura of respectability that they lacked when they were introduced in the 1930s. Heaps also produced background music for film and television and also had international performances as an organist. After retiring from Hammond in 1970, Heaps relocated from his home state to Palo Alto, California, where he settled and continued his organist career, giving lectures and demonstrations on both electronic and pipe organs.