Ian Wolstenholme Interviews Lenny Dee
At the time of this interview (late 1999) Lenny Dee sounded as cheerful and as healthy as the photograph would seem to indicate - albeit taken a few years before. Plans had been finalised for his appearance at the Keyboard Cavalcade festival in Blackpool, England that May and I think it's fair to say that the whole UK organ industry (certainly Hammond) was gearing itself for something rather special. However, around Christmas time Lenny developed severe rheumatism following a leg infection picked up in the hot spa on a cruise liner. Clearly this has made playing the organ extremely difficult and, taking into consideration age and medical advice, the decision is that Lenny should not risk the trip to Britain at this time.
IW: Welcome Lenny. As I've previously mentioned on this programme, even if you don't particularly enjoy organ music, chances are that, at the very least,
you'll have heard a handful of 'names' like Klaus Wunderlich, Reginald Dixon and, of course, Lenny Dee. How does that make you feel to have so many people respect you as a musician?
LD: Ian, it makes me feel just great! I never really listen to any organist's style; I just kinda got my own style with a beat. Luckily, it was different from the mainstream, was noticed and caught on with listeners.
IW: Let's go back to your early roots Lenny. What first attracted you to that famous Hammond sound?
LD: Well, I was in a Catholic church choir and in 1933 when the Hammond organ came out, they brought one over to the church as a demonstration machine for the choir to use and wow I was hooked! We'd not heard a thing like it and I knew that this was what I wanted to use. Then there was a player in the United States called Milt Hearth; he had a fifteen-minute radio show featuring the Hammond organ and I guess that he was an inspiration to
me too.
IW: Okay then, a new instrument, new sound; how easy or difficult was it for young Lenny Dee to become noticed?
LD: It was pure luck Ian like many things in the music business. I was in the right place at the right time. In about '48 or '49, I was playing in a supper club in Nashville, Tennessee with artists like Anita Kirsingers and Chet Atkins and a visit by country star Red Foley became a major turning point in my career. He enjoyed what I did and convinced Decca to sign me to their label.
IW: You wouldn't see it too much these days, but in the 1950's and 60's, whatever the vocal pop hits of the day were, there was always Lenny Dee waiting to do an instrumental cover version. Did you have much say in what you recorded or was it strictly controlled by the record companies that you dealt with Lenny?
LD: Well Ian, I did have quite a bit of freedom with the music but of course I was expected to include many organ hits on the albums just like other organists who were on the same bandwagon! This is what the record-buying public of the time wanted.
IW: Wasn't it true also Lenny, that in the late 1960's you received more radio airplay in America than even our famous group the
Beatles?
LD: I was shocked to hear that! I think it was Universal Studios or MCA that took a survey in what was described as 'musak' and I used to get calls from people who were familiar with my music and who had travelled back from Japan or Europe, only to hear it being piped from overhead speakers in most of the US airport terminals!
IW: Let's bring things up to date. What occupies Lenny Dee at the moment?
LD: I'm now 38 twice and really don't have anything left to prove! I still do concerts and promotions for Hammond and I've got a new double CD, which I guess is available in England. I'm also getting ready to perform on some of the beautiful cruise ships that come out of South Florida which I'm real excited about. There's also talk that I may get over to the UK sometime in the New Year.
Originally broadcast on the KEY View Radio Show, presented by Ian Wolstenholme on Radio Cavell (1350AM Medium Wave).
Taken from the ORGAN1st Magazine (Issue 6).
Photographs in the slideshow © Copyright Alan Ashton
