Brian Sharp (1937 - 2016)

I was saddened to see Brian had died when I was watching him on YouTube. I met the great man around 1979/80 when he came to Middlesbrough to promote the magnificent Riha Orchestra organ. I had my photo taken with him and got his autograph. I was so inspired that I bought the organ for my 21st birthday.As they say,his music will live on.

he was the best,i seen and met brian at sandford park on the christie organ(i was lucky enough to have a tour around the back of the organ and to have my photo taken with him,which i will treasure forever.)A real legend whom ill never forget as he gave me so much inspiration to play the organ.

so sad to here that Brian sharp has passed away a very clever man who entertained many and will be sadly missed I remember him as a little girl when I watched him at sandford park for many years such sad news

so sad only just found out that Brian has passed away in Robert him when I was only a little girl at sandford park playing his organ he was a lovely man will need sadly missed

I am sad that He is gone! Great memories of working together in Japan! First time that I ever Heard the theme from the Adagio of Concerto of Aranjuez was Bryan on a live concert in Japan. Since all I knew of electronic organs was Conn and a Hammond X-66, I can say very firmly that He show me first the art of playing orchestral organ by using those beautiful Strings on the Kawai T-30 !!! As I had so many concerts in Japan with the T-30 and Dx-900...I often think of him...I hope to see you again Bryan...

I remember Brian in the early sixties playing for dancing on the bandstand in Southport's Lord Street. A Riegg organ was the one he performed on if my memory serves. Many evenings of enjoyment were provided. A very sad loss.

I've just read this sad news that Brian passed away last year. My condolences to family and friends.
I first heard Brian at the Foxlydiate in Redditch Worcs on a Technics G 7. From the moment he opened with Opus 1 it was clear he was a special talent.
A highlight for me was when my Dad lent Brian a Yamaha FS70 to play.
We have many happy memories of Brian as a friend and musician.

A good friend over the years. Did many shows with him in the sixties. A player of genius,sad to have lost him but proud to have known him as a fellow Black Country man.

I was very saddened to learn of the passing of, in my opinion, this country's greatest organist Brian Sharp.
I was very fortunate to meet Brian in the early 60s and as a cabaret singer spent many years working at La Reserve, Sutton Coldfield with brilliant backing from the genius musician.
My work with Brian at La Reserve led to hundreds of weekend club appearances with him. He was a singers dream. You just couldn't fail to succeed when B# was backing you.
Very happy memories and R.I.P. my dear friend.
Loving thoughts and condolences to Stella and the family.

Steve Adams x

WE had the pleasure of knowing Brian when we had our holidays at Sandford Park. We were very upset after the park changed hands and the organ was removed, we know how upset Brian was and we stopped going there as there was nothing to keep us there. I have two of Brian,s Sandford videos, a cd and several cassettes, all of which are now on my computer. Sleep well Brian

I've only just heard of Brian's passing. I would just like to say he was a great inspiration to me when I was a child, I met him only on a few occasions. I was also privileged to have a good tutor like Brian a musical master by the name of Phil Pharrell who gave organ tuition in Aldridge organ studios. Part of my childhood was Brian and a great musician.

Dear Brian, Thank you so much for years of demoralising inspiration! It wasn’t so much that you astonished with technique, although you did. It was that your technique didn’t exist before. The exquisite phrasing, the use of registration, and on electronic instruments the application of features that nobody else had imagined, including the manufacturers.

You embraced such a wide range of music, but you had such a masterful understanding of the classics. For me, that set you apart from the pack. You transcribed orchestral pieces sensitively, because you understood how an orchestra works, and you had an empathy with musicians. You understood what moves an audience to tears, and of course not to forget Gladys the soprano, you understood what amuses too.

I listened, I practiced, and if I ever had the audacity to imagine I was getting close, I would hear you play and realise how far off a dream that was.

Personally, you treated me as a friend, from my early teens watching you play at the Connaught Rooms Trade fairs (I’m sure most players thought ‘Oh no…. Alec’s boy is here AGAIN…’ If you did, you never showed that). And later on sharing a stage with you many times, you were always encouraging and generous.

I hope you’re playing some duets now with my Dad, and second Glyn's wish that there's a bar, ready to serve a cup of Tea-chers. With love, respect and gratitude always, Phil Leader

We have known Brian and loved his wonderful music for over 30 years. During that time we became closely involved with him both when he performed for our local organ society and at festivals at Morecambe, Blackpool, Sandford Park, Skegness, Caister and others.
He was always a pleasure to work with, a real gentleman and a true professional.

We feel honoured and privileged to have known Brian and to have been personally involved with him.

Thank you for the music Brian.

I have only just seen the sad news of Brians death, i will always remember him for the excellent concerts and festivals at Sandford Park and he was an inspiration to so many, myself included.
His rendition of the Vienna March will always be one of his favourite pieces to me. He will be sadly missed and probably never equalled.

Since 1972 You have given us so much enjoyment with you wonderful talent and unique sound and remembered with affection. So, thank you for the music Brian ..... Great memories to last us a lifetime

I would like to join my organist colleagues in paying tribute to Brian. He was a true musician who raised the bar taking the electronic organ to new dimensions that often left us mere mortals looking on in awe.He will be sadly missed by his many friends and fans.

Dear Brian, thank you for your music. Thank you for the hours of pleasure it gave me, as I was growing up, to check out the local record shops each week to see if there was a new album - and, when there was, for the excitement of playing it for the first time. Thank you for the frustration (and inspiration) I happily endured as I tried to copy the pieces you'd recorded.

Thank you for all the concerts I was able to attend as a teenager. These were always something of an adventure because you could be relied on to play something new and inspiring, do something controversial and produce something with the inevitable 'wow' factor.

Later, as I entered my 20s and began to play alongside you, you were always so generous - both with your time and your encouragement... Thanks. To players of my generation you were a musical star and you'll never know how nervous I was.

Thanks for all the memories from my life that have a 'Brian Sharp soundtrack' running through them. There are far too many to count.

Basically Brian, thanks for all of it! This old world is a bit duller without you... but, I hope that wherever you are now they've got a really well stocked bar.

I am sad to hear that Brian Sharp has died.  He was a paradigm of excellence for so many of us. I prefer to remember him not just as an inventive and creative organist but rather more as a wonderful all round musician. His assured technique was founded on being a fine pianist.
I shared the bill with Brian for ten years at Sandford Park. His musicianship and influence are indelibly etched in my musical memories.  He shared my delight in caricature and making impressions of people - holiday makers, organ enthusiasts and Sandford Park management  - no one was exempt.
Finally, I will remember his masterful orchestrations when we performed full concertos together. I was the piano soloist and Brian provided a magnificent surrogate symphony orchestra with his hands and feet.
Farewell Brian. B #!

There is no doubt about it that Brian Sharp inspired many organists and keyboard players for many years, even before instruments became digitally orchestral, Brian was way ahead of many with his innovative ideas by adding synthesisers and various keyboards in addition to whatever instrument he was playing at the time.

Upon hearing Brian for the first time way back in 1975, demonstrating a Gulbransen Theatrum with a 710 Leslie speaker, I was simply astounded with what I heard. Following that first awe inspiring concert, I saw him numerous times with the addition of an ARP pro soloist that he employed for many years in succession. Like many other players he certainly was an inspiration to me, and I was privileged to share the same stage with him in quite a few organ festivals and shows some years later.

With a vast amount of LP records (vinyls) cassettes and CD's that Brian has recorded over the years, we will never forget the pleasure that he has given to us all, not only with his music on the aforementioned recordings but his wit and humour for those of us who were so fortunate to see him in concert live.

Rest in peace Brian, your music will live forever.

Brian was a truly gifted musician. We often did concerts together ending in a jam session which lasted nearly ten minutes, he knew where we were both going with the harmonies etc and again a masterpiece was created. Brian was a maestro who lived for his music and I'm privileged to have know him for 40 years . His music will live on. My thoughts and prayers go to Stella and family at this sad time.

It was with great sadness I learned of the passing of a true great in the music world. I only knew Brian for about 5/6 years but got to love and appreciate his talent for music and his sense of humour. I know you will be missed by many and that your recordings will continue to be an inspiration to many young players for many years to come.

When Brian was a child he was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up and he replied "I want to be an orchestra". His wish was certainly granted in 1983 when he and I shared a 3 and a half hour concert on the stage at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon, the highlight of which was a performance of the first movement of Greig's piano concerto. I was the solo pianist and Brian was..... the orchestra ! The compère, incidentally was Pete Murray.

Oh one other thing .... as a teenager during the war Brian (like me) used to play piano in one of the big bands in Wolverhampton, which partly explains his use of the brass and sax instrumentation in his playing. It wasn't just the sound .... Brian noted the phrasing etc. of each section. That's why he became the ultimate "orchestral" organist that he was.

We first met Brian at a performance at Kingswinford & District Organ Society back in 1979, he was always one of the favourites at Kingswinford, having performed there well over twenty times, always to a capacity crowd. Being a 'local lad' his Black Country humour was always well accepted and his musical expertise was second to none.
We had the opportunity to work with him on numerous occasions since including many festivals with the AOE at Sandford Park, Morecambe and other venues, and in more recent times at the 'Brian Sharp Musical Breaks' at Bewdley which we co-presented with him. In fact Brian's last public performance was at Bewdley on Wednesday 1st October 2014, where he demonstrated that he was still the greatest and received a rapturous standing ovation.
Brian's playing was a marvellous inspiration to all the organists that followed him and he was always willing to offer help and guidance.
It was always a pleasure to work with him and we became true friends over the years, we shall never forget you Brian.

I think everyone has said it all really about the Maestro. I have many fond memories of Brian going back to when I was starting out as a child. He was a true inspiration to myself and so many other players. He had his own style which was copied by many but never perfected. His arrangements and technical ability to enhance his performance will never be matched. Personally, I enjoyed the times we spent together both on stage and off. So, I say farewell to a top gentleman. Never shall you be forgotten.

I was saddened to hear of Brian's passing last week. I had the great pleasure of working with Brian many times during the period when we were both playing for Kawai organs. To me, he was the undisputed master of the orchestral electronic organ and he had a great influence on the way I approached the instrument. I think his music always will have some effect on what I do when playing in that style.

Like many of my colleagues, I could tell a lot of tales about working with Brian, like the evening when he wound the ‘wick’ up too high on his final number and destroyed the bass speaker cones in the Leslie cabinets, or the evening when he remembered, halfway through his ‘headline’ spot in the show, that he had to be at Pebble Mill for the BBC first thing the next day, sheepishly apologised to the audience for having to leave to catch a train back to Birmingham, said that ‘Andrew will finish the show for me!’ and promptly left in a cab for Euston Station! Or maybe that first time when we had an organ and piano on stage, and he threw the handwritten dots to some of his arrangements to me and said ‘Let’s do these!’ I got the organ parts while he played the piano solos – these then became regular parts of the shows we did together. They were often impromptu, without music, but great fun to do.

RIP Brian, your company, your friendship, your sense of humour and more will be sadly missed by me, but your legacy of wonderful music will live forever.

I was extremely saddened to hear of Brian's passing. The organ world has lost one of its finest musicians. My very first cameo appearance at a Lancastrian Theatre Organ Trust concert at the Gaumont, Manchester in the early 1970's was prior to the appearance of Brian and Hubert Selby. I admired Brian's total musicianship from that day forward and, of course, we met on so many occasions over the years, either at shared concerts or at recording sessions for The Organist Entertains. One unscheduled meeting took place when we were both returning from our own separate concerts one Sunday evening and my car ended up behind his in an M6 traffic jam. Brian was somewhat taken aback when I appeared at his window and we had quite a long chat standing on the carriageway waiting for the traffic to move!
For me, the outstanding characteristics of Brian's playing were his superb ability as a musical arranger, an enviable playing technique and his total reliability in terms of melodic and harmonic accuracy - all essential ingredients which have inspired so many aspiring keyboard musicians.
My sincere condolences to Brian's family.

I first met Brian Sharp in the summer of 1970 at what was called The British Musical Instrument Trade Fair which back then was held in various hotels in the Bloomsbury area of London. It was in the Hotel Russell I heard some great organ music playing as we walked through the hotel corridors towards the Gulbransen organ exhibition room where Brian was demonstrating. Brian had a different approach to most players with his incredible arrangements and even back in the day when the orchestral sounds on electronic organs hadn't been fully developed he was still able to create the most breathtaking sound. I remember the people I was with on that day all those years ago asked me to play a number or two on a Gulbransen Paragon organ that was being exhibited...while I was playing Brian came over and when I had finished he was so enthusiastic about my playing and as I was just a young 16 years old player this meant so much to me and it was something I have remembered to this day. Indeed that first meeting with Brian was to lead to a long friendship.
I think we were all aware of his fantastic musical abilities and mindblowing arrangements and the inspiration he gave to so many young players in the organ and keyboard world but what made Brian so very special to me was how great a guy he was and to have the ability to be able to have a laugh and really talk to him.
Brian would ring me at home and would be so excited about a sound or an idea he had and often play the sound he was working on over the phone such was his enthusiasm for me to hear it. A call might often last well over an hour while we tried to work out a sound and he would often ask how to add a particular sound to the Orla organ he was playing. I recall one phone call when he rang me while I was on a day out in London and walking around near the London Eye. To hear Brian talking on the phone about an idea he had was always full of interest and I remember walking a vast distance in that area while we spoke about his new idea of a sound.
I will miss Brian as one of the most accomplished organ and keyboard players but will also miss him as a friend, a good friend. Thanks Brian for your music which was luckily recorded on many albums but also for your friendship.

I was deeply saddened to hear of Brian's recent passing. Such a huge musical inspiration to so many - myself included.
He was the absolute master of orchestral, keyboard arrangements and in particular his recordings on the Sanford Park Christie - combined with the Yamaha HS8 - were out of this world! And how about those cassettes recorded on the Riha Orchestra - incredible!
You will not be forgotten Brian, your magnificent legacy of amazing recordings will see to that.
You can always gauge how wonderful a person was when their piers have nothing but praise to lavish upon them. You'll not hear anything but praise heaped upon Brian by all the leading players out there. He was a shining musical light that shone brighter than anyone else! R.I.P. Brian.....

Brian Sharp made many appearances at the electronic organ festivals I produced for Pontin's and Martyn Leisure Holidays between 1980 and 2010 - always topping the bill with his exclusive style of playing.

In 2004 I was proud to present Brian with a lifetime achievement award at the Lyme Bay Holiday Village, which was richly deserved.

Before the days of organ festivals, I was privileged when he came to the studios of Swansea Sound Radio to play on my keyboard programme - it was the start of a long friendship.

Most of all, Brian deserves to be remembered for the way he inspired many young players, many now star players following in his footsteps.

Although Brian is no longer with us, his music will live on with the many albums he recorded.

I extend my sympathy to his family and all those close to him.