Rex Ward and the Mighty Wurlitzer

Feb 20, 2020 | 2020, February

February 20, 2020

BY TOM NETHERLAND | SPECIAL TO THE HERALD COURIER

A gigantic object d’art rests under the battle-scarred and fabled stage of the Paramount.

No, it’s no Herman Munster; it’s the Mighty Wurlitzer.

Cherish rare moments of musical magic and wonder as Rex Ward plays the ultra rare Mighty Wurlitzer on Thursday at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Bristol, Tennessee. It’s a free show. Arrive early, snag a soft drink and popcorn.

Then sit back at 6 p.m. when Ward “arrives” on stage. You’ll not see an entrance as grand at the Paramount from anyone else. Marvel as the longtime keyboardist, astride his seat at the Mighty Wurlitzer, rises up from under the stage for an orchestral presentation. It’s no mere organ. Dating from about 1926, it’s one of only about 25 such instruments in the world.

If You Go

Paramount Bristol