Neil Copley, the organist at Indiana Pacers home games for nearly a decade, passed away on Friday after his battle with colon cancer.
It’s not a name that Pacers fans know, but those that have added games certainly recognize the background sounds he provided during games (see the video above). He first worked for the team from 1980-1982, and then again from 2008 through the end of the 2014-15 season.
Neil Copley was the Pacers organist from 1980-1982, and 2008-15. [Photo snapped from Pacers feature]
Nope, that was a human stringing together those magical notes.
Copley, who was 51, did a masterful job matching the music with what was going on in the game, like speeding up the pace when the shot clock was winding down.
“Neil was a tremendous asset to our organization and the fans and he will truly be missed,” Dean Heaviland, the Pacers’ Vice President of Game Operations, told Pacers.com. “His ability to follow the game and play the organ in sync with each possession in unmatched, and he was so good many people didn’t even realize he was playing live each game.”
I’ve been around Bankers Life Fieldhouse since the early 2000s and even I didn’t know who the organist was. His perch is on the south end of the Fieldhouse on the balcony level (see below).
“I think the organ is a big part of the game-night experience,” Copley said in a 2011 feature on his role on game night, “because I’ve got one of the loudest voices in the building and I can play the role of a cheerleader and I can express myself. Just with whatever comes to mind, I can react to the action on the floor … just like the fans do.”
[Click here to watch the feature on Copley.]
Copley, who is from Rockford, Illinois, was a graduate of Southport High School (1981) and Butler University (1985). He had led the band programs at numerous churches around the city.
Copley got around the Indy sports scene, playing sounds for several local teams. He previously served as the organist at Indiana Ice games since 1988, the Indianapolis Indians from 1985-1993, the Indianapolis Checkers (1979-1987), and even the Indianapolis Racers (1978).
And when the Colts moved to Indianapolis, Copley joined in with others on a season-ticket package — and he missed only one game in 29 years.
It’s clear from his list of positions and accomplishments that Copley had a passion for music, teaching, and church.
Thank you, Neil. And may you rest in peace.
The view from Copley’s perch at the Fieldhouse (via his Facebook):
[Video provided to VigilantSports.com by Andy Hoke.]