"My sister wore her hair in flats Illn most issues of THEATRE around her head with a huge dog­ ORGAN magazine, I read fas- cinating biographies of former HARK! ear bow of ribbon, fastened at the back. She wore an especially-made theatre organists, and very often, pink dress, made of the latest ma­ mention is made of someone with terial, decorated in pink rosebuds. whom I have worked or been associ­ She wore high-top, black buttoned ated. During the 1972 ATOS Con­ Ten shoes. Today, she wouldn't be caught vention in the Potomac Valley area, dead in such an outfit! I wore a dark there were many of my friends and Thousandblue suit with knee pants, white former associates there, and some shirt, and a large bow tie which whom I had not met previously but stuck out so far I could hardly see who approached me and said, 'Well, Vox the piano keys! Billy Barnes! I've often wondered "To get to Hanestown, we went in whatever happened to you! What a Model T Ford, owned by my teach­ have you been doing all these years? Humanas er's daughter, and replete with You look just as you always did.' "Of course, that was the remark isinglass curtains. We were cramped like sardines as there were others who which impressed me most. After a • went along. To top it off, it poured lot of explanation, many of them rain! There weren't too many paved said, 'Why don't you write up all of roads, and the car was covered with this for the ATOS magazine?' So, THE mud by the time we arrived at the having given it a lot of thought and with a lot of urging from my friend recital hall. BlLLYBARNES "The program included other and ATOS member Wallace W. students in the area, and the teacher Baumann, a native of Knoxville, STORY thought the event would boost her Ten., I'm going to tell you in my reputation, but after hearing us, own way what a wonderful life I've I have my doubts! My sister and I had as an organist for over SOyears. • Transcribed played 'Pure As Snow,' the teacher I've had opportunities thrown my and edited sitting beside the piano, counting way (and a few eggs, I may add!), by time with a stick. However, that have met people and visited places I Lloyd E. Klos recital was my undoing, for that would never have enjoyed had I not night, I realized I was a ham, and been an organist. come what may, vowed to be a mu­ "There is no better place to start sician. The taste of the applause than my home town of Winston­ was too great and it was like a shot Salem, North Carolina, where I in the arm. landed into the world on September "It wasn't long after this that my 11, 1906 in a most unmusical family. teacher turned me over to her son However, after I had gained some who had returned home to live. He modicum of success, my mother was an excellent pianist and or­ claimed that my talent came from ganist, having studied with a fine her side of the family, while my English organist - strictly classical father insisted it came from his side! and church. But he soon found that Be that as it may, I'm glad I received I was not one to confine myself to it from one side or the other! one type of music. "When my sister was nine, my "Meanwhile, we moved to a house father bought her a piano. I was five which was on a corner where the then and from the beginning, I was streetcars stopped to unload the obsessed with the idea of learning local baseball players, and I soon to play it. After my sister had lessons found I could work a gimmick. Our for about a year, her teacher decided parlor, which housed the piano, to give me a try. It was no time at all had a window, almost at ground before the teacher realized I had level. As the ball players walked some talent and, although my father past this window enroute to and discouraged the idea, I was allowed from the ball park, I timed my prac­ to continue the lessons. tice periods, playing loud when they "Never will I forget my first recital, came by. They stopped to listen, a duet with my sister which was held and eventually I got free passes to in a small schoolhouse in Hanes­ the ball games. town, 12 miles from Winston-Salem. "Some of the players would come The preparation for, and the trans­ into the house so I could play their portation to, the recital still are the favorite numbers. One was an ex­ basis of great merriment in our In the fifties, Billy spent several years touring the pert on the harmonica, and we played family. I was six then. Sheraton Hotel circuit . (Barnes coll ./ 29 DEC.1975-JAN.1976 THEATRE ORGAN duets. This was a lot of fun! How we roll, playing the 'Barcarolle' from Picture Library which consisted of used to go to town on some of those The Tales of Hoffman for every hurries, agitatos, mysteriosos, love old-time tunes! scene, over and over and over! But themes - something for every mood. "I began hanging around the hearing the pianists was an inspi­ The names of Zamecnik; Berge; sheet music counters in the five­ ration for me to practice. I felt sure Savino (who also wrote under the and-ten-cent stores, and listened to that is what I wanted to do, having name of Onivas - Savino spelled the girl pianists demonstrate the visions of the kids' envy at school backward); Lutz, whose son is still latest songs. I guess they felt sorry because I'd get to see all the movies carrying on in the music business; for me, looking so longingly at the free. Gabrielle Marie, a French Com­ piano, for eventually they let me sit "So after meeting the afore­ poser; plus others, were on every in. mentioned pianist, she allowed me cue sheet. "My first job in music was at to sub for her. She had one room "When this music was being used, Woolworth's behind the music fixed up backstage where she could I was playing piano during the last counter. I'd go there after school and relax during her breaks. I found out year of grammar school, and the play until 6 p.m., and all day on that when I'd relieve her, she'd go first two years of high school, and Saturday. The pay was $3.50 a week to her room and instead of taking a all this time, continuing with piano which was a huge amount to me nap, she'd take a nip - or two. lessons. It wasn't long after taking then. With my first week's pay, I Many times, I'd have to get her back over for my nipping friend, I got a bought my mother a dozen red roses, on the job when my stint was over. better job at a vaudeville theatre and spent the rest of it on chocolate­ Ironically, the management found in town which ran five acts on a covered cherries, on which I became out what was happening, fired her, three-day run. There was a small ill. I never have looked at another and gave me the job. He would have orchestra which played the vaude­ chocolate-covered cherry since! found out earlier if there hadn't ville and part of the picture, and "None of the motion picture been a long curtain between pianist then I'd relieve them. The music was houses in Winston-Salem had an and audience. put in front of me and I had to play organ then, but used a feature piano "If memory serves correctly, some it - wonderful sight-reading ex­ player and an assistant. After my of the pictures I played were Polly of perience. Again, I had to sit in many success at Woolworth's, I decided to the Circus with Mae Marsh (1917); times for the orchestra pianist who get into the movie-playing business. Orphans of the Storm with Dorothy was also a nipper! I used to go to the Saturday evening and Lillian Gish (1922); Way Down "I made many friends who were shows at one theatre which had oc­ East with Richard Barthelmess and in vaudeville and who have become casional stage reviews, and sit be­ Lillian Gish (1920), and vamp pic­ famous names on radio, TV and hind the woman who played, doing tures with Louise Glaum and Theda records. The vaudeville in this part this before the Woolworth job, but Bara. The Birth of a Nation (1915) of the country was booked out of when working, spent my lunch hours was presented as a road show with its the Keith office in New York by and Saturday supper breaks at the traveling orchestra, but later releases Jules Delmar. Hence, tours were theatre. I became acquainted with were played by the pit pianist. I have called The Delmar Time. Delmar the pianist, remembering her name often wondered if they realized what was married to a performer, Jean­ well, but for reasons coming up, they had started by using 'The Per­ nette Hackett, and in the late twen­ prefer to keep it to myself. Let me fect Song' in this picture as a love ties, the two produced a marvelous digress a moment.