We began the month of August getting ready for the Ohio Organ Crawl which will take place on the 15th through the 29th of August, 2007 amidst vast changes for Walnut Hill's Office of Operations in Ridgecrest, California.

Members of the newly formed production team are getting Fred Willis' house in order for either his possible return home or for the next tenent to follow, which is a strong possibility. New developements have necessitated that we may need to move the Office of Operations to a new location in Ridgecrest. This new address is undetermined.

Additions to the Walnut Hill website include the long awaited tracks which the Illustrious Tom Hoehn recorded live on Dave Geiger's 2/9 Mighty WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ, our Featured Organ of the Month for July, 2007. Also, we proudly present Jim Spohn's 4/24 Mighty Robert Morton/WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ at the Granada Theatre in Bakersfield for the month of August, 2007. Enjoy these fine instruments and the folks who played them.

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Slow Dog's Place on YuoTube!

The Bone Doctor, in conjunction with YouTube, now has a site featuring videos recorded live at the Dorothy Steiner Residence on the wonderful Mighty WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ installed at her home in Baltic, Ohio.

There are currently two videos on the page, the first being an original composition entitled Suite in G for TPO. The second video is a rendition of the classic made famous by Patsy Cline entitled The Tennessee Waltz. To listen to and watch these new clips, click here. Enjoy!

The figures below represent the approximate daily hit count for the site since going online on April 2nd of 2004. Counter checks begin around ten in the morning and end around ten in the evening. Currently, that total stands at over 55,560 happy campers in the Land of the King!

08/01/2007 - 54,334 08/02/2007 - 54,388 08/03/2007 - 54,436 08/04/2007 - 54,541 08/05/2007 - 54,585 08/06/2007 - 54,612 08/07/2007 - 54,649 08/08/2007 - 54,696 08/09/2007 - 54,712 08/10/2007 - 54,769

08/11/2007 - 54,810 08/12/2007 - 54,867 08/13/2007 - 54,889 08/14/2007 - 54,928 08/15/2007 - 55,015 08/16/2007 - 55,057 08/17/2007 - 55,114 08/18/2007 - 55,162 08/19/2007 - 55,221 08/20/2007 - 55,289 08/31/2007 - 55,565

08/21/2007 - 55,314 08/22/2007 - 55,339 08/23/2007 - 55,352 08/24/2007 - 55,370 08/25/2007 - 55,391 08/26/2007 - 55,405 08/27/2007 - 55,420 08/28/2007 - 55,457 08/29/2007 - 55,489 08/30/2007 - 55,523

As those who have been reading the Gazette know by now, fellow Walnut Hill Wall Of Fame member and great friend Dan Rowland called from Akron, Ohio to invite the Bone Doctor over for a two-week stay at his home during the last two weeks of August, 2007. He is to fly out on the 15th and return on the 29th, both days being on a Wednesday.

Above is a map showing the various locations of the instruments that will be visited during the Ohio Organ Crawl. As you can see, most are close to the Lake Erie area and are within 50 miles of Dan Rowland's home in the outskirts of Akron. Below is a list of the various installations represented by the pointer letters on the map above.

Pointer A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H.

Location Beachwood Cleveland Akron Canton Baltic Worthington Columbus Orrville

Installation Doug Powers Residence Gray's Armory Civic Theater Palace Theater Dorothy Steiner Residence Worthington High School David Geiger Residence Schantz Organ Company

Contact Doug Powers Harold Wright Harold Wade Robert Beck Dorothy Steiner Duane King David Geiger Tim Mann

Date & Time 8/20/07 3:30PM 8/20/07 11~2PM 8/21/07 10~2PM 8/17/07 All Day 8/26/07 2~5PM 8//07 8//07 8//07

This historic event for Walnut Hill Productions is being made possible by a generous contribution from Dan Rowland and the full cooperation of the Western Reserve Theatre Organ Society and the Central Ohio Theatre Organ Society, proud chapters of the American Theatre Organ Society.

While in Ohio, the Bone Doctor is scheduled to play the 3/11 Mighty Kilgen at the Palace Theatre in Canton, a lovely 3/17 Mighty WurliTzer at the residence of Dorothy Steiner in Baltic, possibly the Civic Theatre 3/19 Mighty WurliTzer, the Mighty Walker Custom Digital Theatre Organ at the residence of Doug Powers in Beachwood, the Worthington High School 3/12 Mighty WurliTzer and Dave Geiger's 2/9 Mighty WurliTzer (these two instruments located in Columbus,) and the Gray's Armory 3/15 Mighty WurliTzer in Cleveland (see table above at the beginning of this article.)

Also scheduled is a tour of the Schantz Pipe Organ Company's factory and showroom. Doc intends to play any organ they will give time on the bench of while there. Finally, he gets to play Dan Rowland's wonderful vintage Rodgers 321 analogue electronic theatre organ and perhaps his freshly rebuilt Style 260 Mighty MidiTzer. Woot!

The Bone Doctor is set to begin his journey east at 6AM in the morning on August 15th. Fellow Walnut Hill Organ Club member Cyrus Roton is taking him to Bakersfield to catch a plane to Pheonix, Arizona at 9:30AM. After a lunch hour layover there, he will board another bird that is to arrive in Cleveland, Ohio by 7:30PM. Meeting him in Cleveland will be Walnut Hill Wall of Famer, Dan Rowland, and his wonderful wife, Janett.

During this two week long adventure, he will play many wonderful instruments as well as document the events with high resolution pictures and live digital recordings, both audio and video. This journey will mark the beginning of a new era for the way the King of Instruments is presented at Walnut Hill's WTPO website. Also, we plan to release some of these recordings as commercial media to be made available at retail, possibly by midyear, 2008. The earnings from sales of these items will go toward the cost of incorporating our fledgeling company.

Doc is to be a guest at Dan's residence during his stay in Ohio. He is planning to completely debug Dan's new Mighty MidiTzer Style 260 Special VTPO so that recordings can be made. Also, Dan's vintage Rodgers 321B analogue electronic theatre organ will get a thorough going over so that it, too, can be recorded.

There are other possible dates and tasks which will manifest themselves while Doc is in Ohio. And this will be his first live concert on a real Mighty WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ, the lovely 3/17 installed at Dorothy Steiner's beautiful home. And there is the tour of the Schantz Organ Company factory where we are planning to do a mini-documentory on how pipe organs are made and the way things work.

The Ohio Organ Crawl ends on the 29th of August when Doc retraces his steps back out west to Ridgecrest, California, the new home of Walnut Hill Productions, soon to be Inc. We wish to thank Dan Rowland and his family for making all this possible. We also thank Janett for her love and hospitality as they take care of the Good Doctor. We also want to thank all of the folks at the various venues in Ohio who keep these grand beasts going and are generous enough to let us get up close and personal with them for you to enjoy. We also want to thank the members of the Walnut Hill Organ Club for believing in and supporting our valient cause.

And finally, we want to thank all of our loyal patrons (you know who you are), becuase without all those present, Walnut Hill would not be what it is today. Because of your efforts in the Yahoo! Music groups and via websites of your own creation, there are now many new TPO websites. Folks young and old are taking note on a global scale as a result. There is even a new planet-wide Theatre Pipe Organ society, known as the Theatre Organ Society International (TOSI). We fully intend to work together with this new organization in order to give the Mighty Threatre Pipe Organ back some of its former glory in the public eye.

It is both an humbling honor and a great priviledge to live and work in the Land of the King during this rich time in its history so that future generations will get to see, hear and remember the Mighty Movie Palace Organ. Let's all rediscover that happy kid inside each one of us which said, "Gee, Dad. It's a WurliTzer!"

The Walnut Hill Productions Team

• Richard Mogridge - The Control Room
  All about recording the King of Instruments
• Tom Hoehn - Console Up!
  How to play the Mighty Theatre Pipe Organ
• Per Olof Schultz - Skandia WurliTzer
  The last WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ in Sweden
• Russ Ashworth - Mighty MidiTzer
  Playing the Theatre Organ virtualy every day!
• Jim Reid - Hauptwerk
  Martyn Dyde's highly accurate virtual organ from Crumhorn Labs

Lorin J. Whitney Promoted To Glory

by fellow Walnut Hill Wall of Fame member, Paul Kealy

For those who knew and respected this wonderful friend of the pipe organ and promoter of the organ in society, Lorin J. Whitney passed away on Wednesday, August 26th of 2007, just a few weeks short of his 94th birthday this upcoming September 11.

He is reunited with his devoted wife Aimie who passed away several years ago and his brother Harvey who passed away in 2001.

Together with his children Eugene and Joan and his two grandchildren, we mourn the loss of his presence with us here.

His memorial service will be conducted in Newport Beach, California a week from today, Friday, September 7 at 1PM at St Andrews Presbyterian Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests gifts be made to Far East Broadcasting Company in the honor of Lorin J. Whitney.

Born near Fresno, California, when he moved to the Southland, Lorin embraced and promoted the organ seriously.

He performed live organ selections via special telephone line broadcast live from a Mighty WurliTzer in his home installation in Glendale in a specially featured weekly KHJ Sunday afternoons. (Aimie would laugh about the time her pop-up toaster made an unheralded percussion on the downbeat of a song he was playing).

As a little kid I grew up hearing these broadcasts with Sunday Dinner, never dreaming I would later get to know him.

Lorin was 31 when he bagan with Billy Graham (he didn't want to continue when Graham scheduled endless touring, preferring to stay home as a family man ... He did not like "waking up in a different hotel room every night away from Joan and Gene and is dear Aimie").

He worked, indeed, assisted musically and technically with major broadcasters and recording artists, from Haven of Rest to Jom Dobson, and helped many local churches install pipe organs of their own in local churches.

When tape recording supplanted live broadcasts, he built a recording studio in Glendale, installing a 4 manual Robert Morton of 34 ranks, as well as Steinway and Hammond organs, with a large enough space for full choirs and orchestras and hosted as many as 200 members of the ATOE (LA Theatre Organ Society) meetings in his studio for several years.

He was contemporary to his times. As a devout Christian, he was aware that people liked the sound of theatre organ, as well as classical organ; it wounded him when ultra-"churchy" organists would criticize playing hymns on "that" kind of secular instrument ... or singing "barbershop-style" quartet music in the Haven of Rest Quartet he established in the early days of radio.

But the people loved his style. He wanted music to remain in the heart throughout the week long after Sunday's postlude, and his style accomplished that!

Many top organists of his day recorded sessions for albums on his organ, and as technology increased and he went from 3-track Ampex tape to 4, then 8 and 16 and 24 tracks, his studio, with Tom, Tobe and Frank along with the other engineers who worked there, was a desired place for many recording artists to lay down tracks, as those days many albums comprised tracks recorded in various studios around town.

Lorin understood technical as well as music, was always helpful to guide me in questions. When I built my own recording studio he was always patient to help solve my problems.

When I went to his studio to cut vinyl LPs for "mothers" from my own tape masters on his lathe I was always bumping into folks like Barry White who recorded his Love Unlimited Orchestra albums there, and they respected his concern for the sound his studio produced as well as his supportive attitude.

His organ took second place to major Rogers and Hammersein musicals to Disney to Hanna Barbera, and, being rather short, when I recorded vocal solos to his accompaniment, I would often joy in standing on the "Marni Nixon" riser she used for a better placement with the vocal mic for soundtrack dubbing she often recorded for motion picture actors to sing to.

But I digressssss ... Lorin was an humble man, a family man, and a great advocate of the pipe organ. Whether we are aware of it or not, we have all been touched with something recorded in his studio.

He sold his studio to devote more family time to Aimie's healthcare, and Paul Mickelson aquired his organ, placing it in storage. Paul and I Often spoke of acquiring it "when the time was right," but it never seemed to be "right." I was heartsick a few years ago to hear of Paul's untimely death in France and, investigating the fate of the organ in storage, discovered it had been broken up, scattered and would never sing again. But it was not the only organ to suffer so.

It broke my heart to discover such a loss of this organ in society (since I, myself, had turned my back and quietly walked away from the organ), and that loss prompted me to dedicate my efforts since then to do what I can to help restore that marvelous sound to society.

Before his passing, Lorin suffered a stroke, and talking to him on the phone, I wept to realize time had taken a toll and still does ... He was thrilled to be playing his Rodgedrs 321 Trio as long as he could, and even at 88, he told me that he has as many years as a Steinway has keys. At that age, he was still playing weddings and concert work.

Just as I have been transferring his Vinyl LP albums we had recorded on his 4/34 Robert Morton in his studio to digital media before the sound is forever lost, the sound still gives me a thrill to hear if as if for the first time ever.

Humble and gracious, and dedicated to bringing quality organ music to his generation - may his example inspire us likewise to serve the King of Instruments today.

Thank you, Lorin Whitney, for your wonderful legacy. May we be as faithful as your model has exemplified!

Paul Kealy

The Theatre Organ Society International (TOSI), a new theatre organ organization, is proud to present Col. Jack Moelmann at the Lafayette Theatre in Suffern, NY, September 16th at 2:00 pm. This will be our inaugural event with Jack accompanying the classic Buster Keaton film “The General”. This film was produced in 1927 and is considered one of Keaton's best offerings. In addition to the film, Jack will entertain us with his stirring Tribute to America salute which will conclude the program.

The Lafayette Theatre was built in 1924 and today, entertains audiences for both film and live programs all throughout the year. The theatre's two manual, eleven rank Mighty WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ is owned and maintained by the New York Theatre Organ Society (NYTOS). Installed at The Lafayette in 1992, the instrument, officially known as the Ben Hall Memorial 2/9 Mighty WurliTzer, is played four times a week to enthusiastic audiences. The fifty foot wide silver Lafayette screen makes viewing silent films an extra special event.

The Lafayette and the Mighty WurliTzer have long been an entertaining combination as demonstrated this past July when the American Theatre Organ Society visited the theatre during its 52nd Annual Convention for a silent movie presentation.

Tickets for this historic event will be $10 per seat with proceeds going to fund future TOSI programs. For more information about the Theatre Organ Society International (TOSI) and to join this new exciting group, please visit our main website at:

theatreorgansocietyinternational.com.

On the 4th of May, Walnut Hill Founding Father Fred Willis fell at his home while walking into the kitchen and could not get up. There was no way that Doc could get him to his feet, and after seeing te color of his skin, called 911. The city responded with paramedics and an ambulance. They began immediate medical treatment even before leaving for the hospital. Fred was admitted as soon as they arrived at the Center early that evening.

The initial diagnosis was given that the big toe on Fred's right foot had become infected with staph germs to the point where amputation was indicated in order to avoid the spread of the deadly bacteria to the rest of his body. The surgery was to be performed as soon as possible.

Surgery was performed in the morning of the following day, on a Saturday. Due to the irreversable infection and complications caused by advancing diabetes, the toe was amputated. There are other complications the doctors must evaluate, monitor and treat before Fred can come home, but Todd took Fred the "Easy" button Fred keeps near his residence workstation to remind him to pray with us for the miracle of healing and a safe return home.

Fred was excited to hear the news surrounding the Convention and he was glad to see Todd and Doc safely home. We were relived and glad to see Fred alive and reasonably well, on his way to a speedy recovery in the capable hands of the good people at the Ridgecrest Medical Hospital.

Fred was relocated from Ridgecrest Medical Hospital to the Desert Knoll Convalescent Hospital in Victorville, California. The doctors expected him to stay there for at least four and a half weeks.

On Thursday, May 17th of 2007, Cyrus Roton and the Bone Doctor ventured down to Victorville to see Fred at the Desrt Knoll Convalescent Hospital. He was of good cheer but still woozy from the infection. The nurse changed the bandages on his toe while we were there and the would is healing, but it is mending slowly due to his diabetes. Fred's recovery time is now estimated to be around four to six weeks. His brother Paul will be flying down from Washington State in two weeks to held get Fred's house ready for his return sometime between June and July if all goes well.

On May 29th, Fred was relocated from the Desert Knoll facility to the Dersert Valley Memorial Hospital for a second surgery evaluation. Breathing treatments were started to eliminate the fluid collecting on his lungs. The staph infection has proved hard to eradicate, being a very antibiotic resistant strain of bacteria.

On June 1st, Fred returned to the Desert Knoll facility when it was leaned that a second surgery was not needed.

On June 10th, Earnest Todd, Cyrus Roton and the Bone Doctor once again ventured down to Victorville to see Fred. He was looking much better and of good cheer, but there remained a severe rattling cough which had us concerned that something might be amiss.

At 5:30 in the morning of June 14th, Fred was readmitted to the Desert Valley Memorial Hospital because of difficulty breathing. The treatments he was receiving for this were not effective. It was learned that he had a condition known as post-operative phnuemonia. Once he was stabalized on the 16th, Fred was returned to the Desert Knoll facility.

On June the 17th, Fred had a relapse of Phuenomia and was sent back to Desert Valley Memorial for lab work, CAT scans and further testing and treatment. We visited him but could not stay long enough to find out the results, so a visit on the 1st of July was planned. He was once again stablized and returned to Room 57B at Desert Knoll.

On July the 1st, Earnest Todd, Cyrus Roton and the Bone Doctor trekked down to Victorville to see Fred. His skin was looking much better, the toe was healing nicely and his spirits were good. He is still wrestling with a persistant collecting of fluid in his lungs, however.

While we were there, Fred's brother Paul stopped in along with his son, Luke. We brought Fred up to date on the goings on in Ridgecrest and at Walnut Hill. He was very glad to see us and we had a nice long chat about many things. We worked out the logistics of his medical needs and how to carry them out, which set everyone at ease.

On July 8th, we returned to see Fred and found him to be mending but still with a persistant cough due to fluid in his lungs. His skin looked much better and his foot was healing nicely. However, being bedridden for over two months has sapped his strength and thus most of his abulatory abilities are gone.

Fred has lost weight and now tips the scales at 245, down from the 316 he was at before the fall. Because of this, it is now possible to get him transfered back to Ridgecrest where he will have the support and understanding of his circle of local friends who all miss and love him a great deal.

On July 15th, we went to see Fred again and found him to be very much on the mend and making vast improvements, with the rattling cough gone and his skin looking almost normal. We also witnessed him being able to move and lift his legs, something we had not seen in quite a while. We covered the possibility of getting him back to Ridgecrest, but his brother will need to make that happen since we are not Fred's blood kin.

On July 21st, the Walnut Hill Productions team visited Fred to find him healing nicely. The stitches were removed from the amputation and he was able to lift his legs, so much progress is being made toward his recovery. Now all that remains to be done is get him back to Ridgecrest so he can be near his friends during the final phase of getting him well again.

On July 29th, we went to see Fred at Desert Knoll and found him sleeping, that is, until we awakened him to our visit. His surgery was healing nicely to the point of being nearly well, but his spirits were low. He has all but given up. The doctors have told him that the possibility of his return home is unlikely because of extreme and unrecoverable muscle loss as a result of the wide scale staph infection before the surgery. He is nearly invalid and is not expected to recover.

The Walnut Hill Productions team went to see Fred on August 5th to find him in low spirits. He has signed a piece of paper that grants Califirnia the right to make him a ward of the state. From the looks of this, he will not be returning home. He has given up. In light of these developements, Walnut Hill will take custody of his electronics in order to keep alive the lagacy of his work in the Land of the King. This is by his request.

On August 12th, we visited Fred to find him looking much better and in higher sprits, although he is still somewhat doubtful of ever coming home. We made it clear to him that he must be more demanding of his own rights and that he should tell folks what he wants and where he would like to be during his twilight years. He agreed wholeheartedly with us.

Fred wants to come home but there are many obsticles facing him and his recovery time has been estimated to be anywhere from six months to a year or more.

So, now begins the long arderous task of getting his home in order for the next tennant to follow should Fred not be able to come home. BUt in the interim while we wait for him to recover, we must prepair the house as if he were going to return.

We will let everyone know as soon as we find out as to what will happen next. At this point, all we can do is pray that the Lord either heals Fred enough to return to Ridgecrest or delivers him paionlessly and speedily into heaven with the dignity he deserves. Thank you for keeping him in your prayers. God is listening. We are expecting a miracle.

Although we have settled in at the new location, Walnut Hill Productions is still in somewhat of a bind from a business perspective. Household and personal expenses are taking a hefty slice out of the money Doc gets, as he is disabled and on a fixed and limited income. Replacing his personal property and the musical equipment lost after the relocation, along with aquiring a new residence, will be very expensive.

Most of the company's original equipment was left in Tennessee due to the high cost of shipping. These items must eventually be replaced. Below is a partial listing of the items we need for the studio in order to get back to the recording sessions Doc would like to complete, including albums from the Sub Urban Cowboys and Doc at the Mighty MidiTzer.

We do not have current pricing or availability of this equipment, but it is conservatively estimated that we will need to raise over 4,000 dollars to eventually aquire everything on the list above. But there is also the need to find a permanent home for Walnut Hill Productions that can not only be a residence for the Bone Doctor but also a place of business for this fledgeling company from the Green Hills of East Tennessee, now relocated to the wonderful city of Ridgecrest in Sunny Southern California.

Our end goal is to construct a portable four manual console for the Walnut Hill 4/36 Mighty WurliTzer Virtual Theatre Pipe Organ, to be powered by jOrgan running a custom organ disposition and soundfont set supplied by Richard "Kent" Allman of Allman Music in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Though an Empire style WurliTzer console would be ideal, the actual VTPO prototype console would be a four manual stack sitting on a foldable pedestal.

The music rack would be a touch sensative LCD monitor for stop control, manuscript, etc.. The manuals would each have ten settable pistons and ten factory preset pistons. The Pedal would have suitable bass. The pedestal would also have the five shoes, four piano pedals and several toe studs mounted on the crossmember above the bass pedals.

Doc and Tom Hoehn have created a Pay Pal account for easily and securely receiving contributions from all who want to see this relocation take place, which will allow Walnut Hill to make major strides forward for the King of Instruments.

Below is a listing of those who have genorously contributed funds and items to date:

Name Tom Hoehn Gareth Howells Jim Reid Cyrus Roton William Spalding Larry Chamberlin Kent Allman Fred Willis Joseph Loewy Ronald Shreve Dan Rowland Eleanor Winnemore Earl Hurty Edward Burnett

Amount $ 50.00 $ 50.00 $200.00 $500.00 $100.00 $100.00 $100.00 $200.00 $ 50.00 $ 25.00 $ 50.00 $100.00 $ 35.00 $ 50.00

Method PayPal PayPal PayPal Check PayPal Check PayPal PayPal PayPal PayPal PayPal Check Check PayPal

Name Bob Upward Paul Kealy

Item Zoom H4 Conn 650

Description Recorder Organ

These most kind and generous folks have earned memberships in the Walnut Hill Organ Club and will be notified of their membership status when the club goes official. We have decided to push forward with the organization while awaiting an ATOS charter. Club members will receive printed certificates and membership cards, plus access to the WHOC online community via direct email notifications. This is just a small token of appreciation for all who are making the Walnut Hill website possible and freely available for the world to enjoy.

Funds received to date: $1,610.00

There are other pledges pending. Anyone can contribute as much or as little as they see fit by clicking the "Make a Donation" button above. You can also send checks via standard mail to the following address, should you choose to not use the Pay Pal account. Please make checks payable to Richard Mogridge, with the words "Relocation Fund" in the memo line. The address is:

If you have questions about the relocation fund, you can call the Bone Doctor at the Walnut Hill Office of Operations to learn more.

That telephone number is 1-727-230-2610.

All contributors will get recognized at the site should they choose, or they can remain anonymous, simply by letting the Bone Doctor know their preferences via email.

This is a major move forward for Walnut Hill Productions, one of the fastest growing TPO sites on the internet. Become a part of history by making your donation today. Please help us to continue the work we are doing as we continue to grow, adding new features and more services such as broadcasting audio and video for all to enjoy. You'll be glad you did.

We are thanking you in advance for your generosity and support in this grand endevour.

God bless, and happy playing.

The Bone Doctor
Member ATOS/President WHOC
House Organist and Webmaster
Walnut Hill Productions

"It's all about the King of Instruments!"

The stop sweep of the 2/9 Mighty WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ installed at the Pinellas Park Auditorium in Pinellas Park, Florida.