Crane Bodine

Crane Bodine’s father, Elmer, was a piano man who formed a retail store in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1933. When Crane was 17 years old, he began working in the store. In 1962, he took over as president shortly after his father’s passing. Crane became a pioneer in the organ business, both as a dealer for the Hammond and Yamaha lines, and as a promoter of music making in the form of the Amateur Organists Association International (AOAI), which he established in 1971. The organization became important for several reasons, including their widely read journal and their annual meetings. By 1974, a quarter of all musical instrument sales in the United States was the organ. The AOA became the voice of the organ movement. Crane also served on the NAMM Board for three years, beginning in 1972.