Organ music has been a staple at Wrigley Field for decades. The longest-serving organist was Gary Pressy, who played the Lowrey organ from 1987 through his retirement in 2019, a total of 2,687 consecutive games.
It was on this date 80 years ago, April 26, 1941, that organ music was first heard at Wrigley Field. Ray Nelson (some sources say “Roy Nelson”) played the organ while fans arrived for that afternoon’s game against the Cardinals, which the Cubs lost 6-2. The Tribune reported:
Mr. Nelson was obliged to still his bellows at 2:30 because his repertoire includes many restricted ASCAP arias, which would have been picked up by radio microphones hooked up half an hour before game time.