Watch Widespread Panic keyboardist John 'JoJo' Hermann jam on a 112-year-old pipe organ

Holly Meyer
The Tennessean

The owner of a former Nashville church and its 112-year-old pipe organ feels confident he can keep the instrument out of the landfill. 

Dan Cook recently offered to donate the organ to a good home if its new owner could cover the cost of moving it. 

John "JoJo" Hermann, the keyboardist for Widespread Panic, tried his hand at playing the pipe organ in need of a new home Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at West Nashville United Methodist, which is being turned into an event space.

He's received dozens of inquiries, including from a few famous musicians who want to check it out. On Tuesday, Cook's friend and the keyboardist for Widespread Panic dropped by the church just to play the 1905 George Kilgen & Son instrument.

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Cook wants the organ's future to be in another Tennessee church and he's optimistic. But a final decision has not been made.

A handful of serious takers have stepped forward, including a North Carolina congregation, since the USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee published a May 3 story about Cook's hope of saving the instrument. But logistics need to be worked out, a formal arrangement made and time tables balanced.  

Widespread Panic keyboardist pulls out all the stops

Cook is under a time crunch.

He's converting the shuttered West Nashville United Methodist Church into an event space, but keeping the organ that has served as a focal point of the sanctuary since 1906 isn't in the plans. Construction workers, who have been stripping down the building's other rooms to their historic roots, will need to start work in the former sanctuary soon. 

West Nashville United Methodist Church is being developed into an event space and that means its 1905 George Kilgen & Son pipe organ needs to find a new home. Dan Cook, owner of the building, is willing to donate it, but moving it comes with a $15,000 price tag.

On Tuesday, the sounds of demolition could be heard through the walls as John "JoJo" Hermann, Franklin resident and the keyboardist for the longtime jam band Widespread Panic, sat at the pipe organ, pulling out its stops and joking about taking the hefty instrument on tour.

He filled the sanctuary with a musical composition of his own. Hermann was struck by the historical weight of the instrument and those who had sat on its bench before him.

"You just kind of feel the ghosts rising from the floor boards," Hermann said. "The sound that comes out of the pipes never ceases to amaze me."

Who tries to take home a 112-year-old pipe organ?

The free organ caught the attention of other musicians and members of the music industry, too. Cook said the majority of the inquiries fall into three camps, including people with in-home studios or those in a professional setting. 

"I've really been pooh-poohing those because I really want it to go to a church," Cook said. "But because we're in Nashville, I'm getting a fair number of those calls." 

Preservationists and enthusiasts also reached out to Cook to offer advice that ranges from helpful to hysterical, he said. 

Excited church organists also have dialed Cook's number, but he's found that some churches cannot move as quickly as he needs them to. But he does have a commitment letter from the North Carolina church. He intends to decide by the end of the week if that's the organ's new home.

"I just thought it really should be in local hands, but saving it and moving it to a church is not all bad," Cook said. "That's still a win."

He hopes the organ is out by next week. 

Reach Holly Meyer at hmeyer@tennessean.com or 615-259-8241 and on Twitter @HollyAMeyer.