Ernie Hays, longtime Cardinals organist, dies

[dhornjr1]

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/columns/joe-holleman/ernie-hays-longtime-cardinals-organist-dies/article_53e587cb-680a-53f4-89c8-4a6b7970fe6d.html

Ernie Hays, whose organ riffs rallied STL sports fans for 40 seasons, died overnight. He was 77.

Hays' work in St. Louis helped popularize batter "walk-up" songs, as well as the introduction music for relief pitchers

Hays signed on as the organist at Busch Stadium in 1971 and played his last notes there in 2010. He also played for other sports clubs, including the football Cardinals, the Blues, the Steamers and Stars soccer teams, the Spirits of St. Louis  basketball team and St. Louis University.

Known for his garrulous personality and penchant for off-color jokes, Hays did his playing while holding down a full-time job as an engineer.

"He was a unique guy," said John Ulett, the Cardinal booth announcer who joined Hays in their cramped perch above the field in 1983. "He had all kinds of interests, and he had his quirks.

"But we spent a lot of time together, watched a lot of baseball and had a lot of laughs," said Ulett, who also is a longtime disc jockey at KSHE Radio.

Earlier today, Cardinals management released a statement:

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Ernie Hays," club chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said. "Ernie's music shaped the soundtrack of Cardinals baseball for nearly four decades. He was one of the premier sports organists in the country, and a valued member of the Cardinals family. The entire Cardinals organization extends its sincere condolences to his wife, Loreta, and his entire family."

According to the Cardinals, Hays playing of "Here Comes The King,: the popular Budweiser beer jingle, actually was first played at a Steamers indoor soccer match.

Hays was born Jan. 1, 1935, in St. Louis. When he was 4, his family moved to University City, and then to Houston, Mo. After graduating from high school there in 1952, Hays spent a year at Drury College in Springfield, Mo., and then married his wife, Loreta. They had three children.

Hays worked for a time as a disc jockey and news announcer, but then enlisted in the Navy and attended electronics school. When his enlistment was up, he went to Southwest Missouri State and then the University of Missouri at Rolla, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering.

Hays returned to St. Louis for what was then McDonnell Aircraft, where he calibrated test equipment for the Gemini spacecraft. In 1966, he took a job at Western Electric Co., where he worked until 1977.

In February 2006, Hays had open heart surgery to replace a valve. He left the Cardinals after the 2010 season, as most clubs began using recorded music almost exclusively, and when live music was used, it was not the classic American standards Hays embraced.

When asked shortly before his last game if he wanted to play newer music, Hays replied: "Hell, no, I want to play real music. Can you hear Duke Ellington playing Lady Gaga?"

[dhornjr1]

Ernie Hays, beloved Busch Stadium organist, dies

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/ernie-hays-beloved-busch-stadium-organist-dies/article_fc96bca5-c194-544b-8a70-c93aa8a43ad5.html

Ernie Hays took seven years of classical piano lessons as a youngster before earning an engineering degree. He gave it all up to play the organ.

For 40 years, crowds at Busch Stadium cheered and yelled to his organ music at Cardinals' games.

He cranked up "Here Comes the King" and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and played clap chants and the "Charge!" cheer at every baseball Cardinals home game.

His music was often the last thing fans heard as they left a game.

At one time or another, he also played for every other major sports team in St. Louis.

Ernest Milburn Hays died Wednesday (Oct. 31, 2012) at his home in Maryland Heights, his family said Thursday. He was 77.

Mr. Hays had open heart surgery to replace a valve in February 2006. He still made it to his organ two months later for the opening of the new Busch Stadium.

"I never missed an opening day in 40 years," he said at his retirement in 2010.

Mr. Hays became the Busch Stadium organist in 1971. He was one of two final candidates. The other man played for a week and then Mr. Hays took his tryout turn.

He stayed on and became one of the few remaining ballpark organists, as more teams switched to canned music.

Mr. Hays was born in St. Louis on Jan. 1, 1935. His father played the banjo and worked for the Chevy division of General Motors. His mother was a seamstress who played guitar and sang in the church choir.

He was 7 when his parents bought him a piano. His teacher charged $1 a lesson and was surprised at how quickly he learned to play.

"Though I didn't read music, I did have the ear for it," he once explained to a Post-Dispatch reporter.

The piano lessons ended when his father retired and moved the family to Houston, Mo.

At Drury College in Springfield, Mo., he got jobs through the musicians' union and played at parties and dances. He transferred to Southwest Missouri State and married Loreta Heriford in 1954.

He worked as a disc jockey and news announcer and supported his growing family on 95 cents an hour. He enlisted in the Navy, where he played piano at the Officers Club and served on a minesweeper off Libya.

He retired from the Navy in 1960 and spent three years at Southwest Missouri State and the University of Missouri at Rolla, earning a degree in electrical engineering. He worked at what was then McDonnell Aircraft and Western Electric Co.

Until 1977, he worked days as an engineering supervisor at the old Bell System, while also playing at Cardinals games.

"I was never home," he said.

He became a full-time musician and teacher. He played for seven teams: the football Cardinals, the Blues, the Steamers and Stars soccer teams, the Spirits of St. Louis basketball team and St. Louis University.

At Busch Stadium, he asked players what songs they wanted during their introductions. For Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, he played tunes from "The Wizard of Oz."

He was known for his trove of jokes, many of which couldn't be published in a newspaper. He once played the theme from an adult movie during a ball game.

"The Cardinals," he said, "never knew."

He explained that his job was to "play rah-rah stuff for the good guys, raspberries for the bad guys and pass no judgment on the officials."

His family said he continued to teach up until this week.

Funeral arrangements were pending.

Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Loreta Hays; a daughter, Pamela Hays-Hagstrom of Maryland Heights; two sons, Roger Michael Hays of Wentzville and Bob Hays of Florissant; and five grandchildren.

[DeltaBoy]

RIP!