Mats Åkerlund was a remarkable human being in many ways. I met him quite a few years back when he booked Trinity to Årstakyrkan, where he worked. We both shared a love for the Hammond organ and he’d often tell me the story of when he bought his first Hammond and how it was delivered in a limo.
Despite having cerebral palsy, he didn’t let that stop him from pursuing his dreams. He’d play church organ with his toes, composed beautiful music and could party just like the next one. After he passed away, his son asked me to play “A whiter shade of pale” at the ceremony. Apparently he’d listening to it in the morning every day for many years. I was honored and glad to do it for Mats. It was both sad and beautiful.
