This morning we sang the hymn "Stand Up for Jesus." That hymn takes me back to the summer after my freshman year of high school and to a 76-year-old Aussie named Gordon Hooker. Hooker taught piano at Biola University, and played piano at the Church of the Open Door in Los Angeles. He also taught me.
I took 3.5 years of traditional piano lessons in Pennsylvania, but when we moved to Arizona, I went two years without a piano teacher. Well, actually there was Mrs. Van L, from whom I took lessons for six weeks. She started me on the Blue Danube Waltz, and each week, because I would misplay something, she reassigned it. Finally, on the last week, I played it flawlessly. When I finished, she said, "Let's do it one more week, just in case you ever need to play it for a recital." I never went back.
Dad was taking courses at Pepperdine and Biola that summer, renting a converted garage from a Biola professor, whose name I remember as Mrs. McGahey. Something like that. Dad wanted me to take up lessons again, and inquired about it with Mrs. McGahey, who steered him to Gordon Hooker. And so, I ended up flying to LA for two weeks.
Hooker was amazing. I had four lessons from him over those two weeks. He started me on "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," teaching me to incorporate his chording style. He threw some theory at me, stuff which no doubt stuck with college students but didn't work well with me. But somehow, he got his style through to me. I would practice up to eight hours a day; as soon as I sat down at Mrs. McGahey's piano, my back would ache.
I got "What a Friend" down, and then we worked on "Stand Up for Jesus," which used his style in a very different manner. There was a third song, which might have been "Have Thine Own Way, Lord," but I'm not sure. Mainly, I recall the other two songs.
Two weeks, four lessons. And nearly everything I play is based on what Gordon Hooker taught me. Playing with a band, I go away from chording most of the time, but when I need a full sound, I pull out Hooker's techniques and let 'er rip.
That's what I did today, with "Stand Up for Jesus." Thanks, Dr. Hooker, for your patience with a high schooler. And thanks, Dad, for not giving up on making a pianist out of me. Playing the piano gives me more joy than anything else I do in church.
Career-wise, I've been hanging around and writing about and cheering on churches and pastors for the past 25 years as my denomination's Communications Director.
A fantastic story. Really a miracle It certainy changed your life, and has given us great great pleasure & joy..
-You refused to come to BIOLA until I said you could fly over.
-I told Gordon Hooker, "I don't care what he learns as long as you can re-inspire him. BOY, he certainly did that!!
I have now gone to 18 colleges IF I truly went to Pepperdine. I believe it was not Pepperdine, but Cal. State at Longbeach.
-You also got inspired to play tennis at La Mirada, (I think).
-It was teary-eyed to read such a wondderful life changing remembrance.
-OH, you & Debbie "hated" Mrs. VANLOWENGOOD!
Hi Mr. Dennie,
This is FASCINATING. I've been trying to track down some information on Mr. Hooker (whom I assume is long dead). I had a piano book he wrote once and now I can't find it. Must have been misplaced or loaned to someone who never returned. It's called "Sacred Piano Transcriptions" by Gordon E. Hooker from 1969. I can find absolutely NO record of it online. You don't own it by any chance, do you? Or do you know anyone who knew Mr. Hooker who may have it?
Thanks,
Joey DiGuglielmo
Hello there, whilst researching my family tree I came across your blog. I am interested to hear more about Mr Gordon Edgard Hooker, and I'll tell you why. My grandfather George and Gordon both elisted in WW1 on the same day in Melbourne Australia, and were apparently inseperable from then on. They both served in the same unit of the infantry, and both were severely wounded in the battle of Pozieres in France. My grandad was wounded in the head, while Gordon was shot in the knee, two days later. Grandad admired Gordon so much that he named my father after him. I would love to know more about this man, and so a little more about my grand father. Grandad became a lay preacher after the war. I'm not sure if he was a religous man before those horrible years, or if the experience brought this on. From the little I know of Gordon, I feel they would have been soul mates without a doubt. According to my findings, Gordon Hooker passed away in May of 1990, aged 97. I would love to hear more. Sorry if this is too far off base, but if it is I wont be offended if it is deleted.