Longtime Dodger Stadium organist Nancy Bea Hefley announced she is retiring at the conclusion of the season, but she plans to make guest appearances.
The 79-year-old Hefley has been the stadium’s organist since 1988. She has been living in Silver Springs, Nevada, and has made the commute each homestand, while renting a second home locally.
“I have had a wonderful time playing for the Dodgers and their fans,” Hefley said Friday. “My husband and I felt that this was the right time to settle down in our home in Silver Springs and eliminate all the travel.
“The Dodgers have told me I can come back and make guest appearances and I greatly appreciate this gesture. I hope to get back to Dodger Stadium on occasion.”
Hefley was born in San Pedro and grew up in Los Angeles. She began playing the piano when she was 4 years old. When she was 13, she persuaded her piano teacher into teaching her the basics of the organ.
Hefley played the organ at Bellflower Baptist Church for more than 55 years. She also played the organ at the Los Angeles and Orange county fairs and in shows in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe.
In the mid-1980s, Hefley filled in for a friend as the organist for the then-California Angels at Anaheim Stadium. When Helen Dell retired as Dodgers’ organist following the 1987 season, Hefley auditioned at an exhibition game between the Dodgers and USC on Feb. 14, 1988. She became the Dodgers’ organist when the season began.
“Nancy Bea has been a very dedicated Dodger employee, who has entertained our fans for many years, and we are most appreciative of her contributions each and every night” said Lon Rosen, the Dodgers executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
“We wish Nancy Bea and Bill well in their plans for retirement and we’re looking forward to her coming back for special performances at Dodger Stadium.”
—City News Service