1. Edward Alstrom was born on October 12,1957 and is an American musician best known for being the stadium organist for the Major League Baseball's New York Yankees.
13 Facts About Ed Alstrom
1. 2.
Ed Alstrom was born to Eleanor "Petty" and Ludwig "Eddie" Ed Alstrom in Paterson, New Jersey.
3.
Ed Alstrom began practicing playing the organ at home on his family's Hammond M-3 at the age of five.
4.
Ed Alstrom learned to play guitar, drums and bass as a teenager.
5.
Ed Alstrom enrolled at Westminster Choir College at what is Rider University in 1975 with a declared major of organ performance and graduated with a bachelor's degree in classical organ.
6.
Ed Alstrom describes himself as an "itinerant musician" and has played for synagogues, churches, feature films, Broadway musicals and at Yankee Stadium.
7.
Ed Alstrom has performed with Chuck Berry, Leonard Bernstein, Bette Midler, Herbie Hancock, and Steely Dan.
8.
In 2004 Ed Alstrom took over for Yankees' longtime organist, Eddie Layton, who retired after 37 years with the team.
9.
Ed Alstrom plays at weekend home games for the team at Yankee Stadium and was interviewed for the position by Layton himself.
10.
Ed Alstrom played at the final game at the old Yankee Stadium on Sept 21,2008, playing "Goodnight, Sweetheart" among other music.
11.
Ed Alstrom has been the music director of Central Presbyterian Church in Montclair, New Jersey, since 2016.
12.
Ed Alstrom creates solo compositions, including a "jazz mass" which combines hymnal texts, poetry and 1970s free-form jazz music.
13.
Ed Alstrom was asked to try to sound like Gladys Goodding, the organist for the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field.