Stan Kann (December 9, 1924 – September 29, 2008) received national recognition in the 1960s when he was a frequent guest on ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...

'' and daytime television talk shows, showcasing his collection of

vacuum cleaner A vacuum cleaner, also known simply as a vacuum or a hoover, is a device that causes suction in order to remove dirt from floors, upholstery, draperies, and other surfaces. It is generally electrically driven. The dirt is collected by either a ...

s. Kann also was known among

theatre organ A theatre organ (also known as a theater organ, or, especially in the United Kingdom, a cinema organ) is a type of pipe organ developed to accompany silent films, from the 1900s to the 1920s. Theatre organs have horseshoe-shaped arrangements o ...

aficionados for his 22-year tenure as resident organist at the Fox Theatre in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

Organist

Kann, a native of St. Louis, began playing the organ at age 4. He majored in classical organ at

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...

. In the late 1940s, he persuaded the management of the Fox Theatre in St Louis to allow him to refurbish its 4-36 Fox Special

Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...

, which had lain idle for twenty years, and became the official house organist in 1952. Kann served as the theater's resident organist until 1974, four years before the Fox closed.Bickel, Vernon P. (2000, July/August). ''The Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis: Celebrating Over 70 Glorious Years''. Theatre Organ Magazine In 1956, Kann installed a Wurlitzer in the famous St. Louis restaurant "Ruggeri's On The Hill" (later owned by Stan Musial) and played there regularly until 1974. His Saturday evening performances at Ruggeri's were broadcast on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

from 1964 to 1974.

Talk show guest

Kann's first appearance on ''

'' was June 8, 1966. He had been booked to discuss some of the prized carpet sweepers from his 150-item collection."I planned on showing the vacuums as a kind of historical demonstration. I had no idea what it would turn into," Kann told a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Once Kann began demonstrating the sweepers on air, parts began to fall off the vacuum cleaners at inopportune moments. ''Tonight Show'' host

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six Pr ...

saved the situation with humorous ad libs, and Kann was invited to make 76 additional appearances on ''The Tonight Show''. Kann had been introduced to Carson through

Phyllis Diller Phyllis Ada Diller (née Driver; July 17, 1917 – August 20, 2012) was an American stand-up comedian, actress, author, musician, and visual artist, best known for her eccentric stage persona, self-deprecating humor, wild hair and clothes, and e ...

. He met Diller when she made a guest appearance on ''The Charlotte Peters Show'', a local St. Louis television program. Kann served as musical director and co-host on the show, and Diller was impressed by Kann's wit. "When she saw my vacuum (collection) she said, 'I'm going to call the Carson show, cause you're nuts,'" Kann said in an Associated Press interview. Kann also made 89 appearances on ''

The Mike Douglas Show ''The Mike Douglas Show'' was an American daytime television talk show that was hosted by Mike Douglas. It began as a local program in Cleveland before being carried on other stations owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The show went into nati ...

'' and was a guest on talk shows hosted by

Merv Griffin Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 he hosted his own ta ...

and

Gypsy Rose Lee Gypsy Rose Lee (born Rose Louise Hovick, January 8, 1911 – April 26, 1970) was an American burlesque entertainer, stripper and vedette famous for her striptease act. Also an actress, author, and playwright, her 1957 memoir was adapted into ...

Biography

Kann became interested in vacuum cleaners at age 8. His interest primarily stemmed from the fact that his parents couldn't afford to buy one. Kann developed the ability to distinguish different models of vacuum cleaners by sound. If, while walking down the street, he heard a cleaner he didn't recognize, he had no qualms about knocking on the door and asking to see the sweeper. "Sometimes they'd say yes, and sometimes they'd say no," Kann told the ''Post-Dispatch'' interviewer. He briefly worked as a vacuum cleaner salesman in high school. Kann moved from Missouri to

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in 1975, but returned to St. Louis in 1998 for

hip replacement surgery Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant, that is, a hip prosthesis. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi (half) replacement. Such joint replacement o ...

. Kann died at

Saint Louis University Hospital Saint Louis University Hospital (SLU Hospital) is a 356-bed non-profit, research and academic medical center located in St. Louis, Missouri, providing tertiary care for the east Missouri region. The medical center is a part of the SSM Health Syste ...

of complications from

open heart surgery Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to corr ...

Select discography

*''The Pipes Of Stan'' – Norman Records – LP catalog # NS 213 – 1966 *''Stan Kann In St Louis'' – Malar Productions – LP catalog # MAS 2018 – 1972 *''Anything Goes'' – Piping Hot Productions – CD catalog # 1001 – 1996 *''Pipe Organ Extravaganza 2'' – Rialto Square Theatre – CD catalog # N/A – 1997 *''Stan Kann At Dickenson'' – Dickenson Theatre Organ Society – CD catalog # 121 – 2001 *''Meet Me At The Fox'' – Kann Productions – CD catalog # N/A – 2003 *''Pipes And Power'' – Kann Productions – CD catalog # N/A *''Christmas With Stan Kann'' – Kann Productions – cassette catalog # N/A

References

External links

Stan Kann's web site
* Video of the Fox Theater organ and Stan Kann assembled by local PBS station KETC * Video of Stan Kann & His Vacuum Collection {{DEFAULTSORT:Kann, Stan 1924 births 2008 deaths American male organists Washington University in St. Louis alumni Musicians from St. Louis Vacuum cleaners Theatre organists 20th-century American musicians 20th-century American male musicians American organists