Paul Mickelson was an American organist, arranger, and record label executive who specialized in Christian music. First performing for mass media at the age of 16, he gained national recognition as organist for the Billy Graham crusade from 1950 to 1958. He left Graham to concentrate on recordings, becoming an executive at Word Records before founding Supreme Records and its subsidiaries. He recorded and released numerous albums of religious music as an organist and orchestral arranger/conductor.
Biography
Mickelson was born and grew up in Burbank, California. He began music lessons at the age of nine. His broadcast career commenced at the age of 16, when as a member of the Burbank Foursquare Church he was the organist for the church's weekly program Challenge to Youth on KMPC. Mickelson began recording at the age of eighteen; his first session took place with the NBCpipe organ in Hollywood. At the time of his first recording session he was appearing on 20 local radio shows each week as an organist. Mickelson joined the Billy Graham crusade as organist in 1950 and stayed until September 1957, leaving Graham in order to concentrate on recording activities on a full-time basis. He signed as a recording artist to RCA Victor Records in 1953, and also became A&R director for religious music. He was with RCA until 1958, when he joined Word Records as an artist and vice president responsible for A&R. Mickelson founded Supreme Records in 1961, which—including subsidiaries Console Records and Cornerstone Records—became one of the largest American labels devoted to sacred music until it was absorbed by Zondervan Publishing. Later in life he was a concertizing representative for Church Organ Systems. He had joined the Seventh-Day Adventist church by 1997, and was organist for the denomination's 2000 General Conference Session. Mickelson died on October 21, 2001, of a myocardial infarction while visiting Sacramento, California. At the time of his death he was a member of the United CommunityChurch inGlendale, California.
Musical output
A church publication opined that a Mickelson recording was "unusual" in that it was "spirited but not swingy; reverent, but not pious". Billboard stated that Mickelson's initial Supreme Strings album was a surprise in the religious field, as the beauty of the arrangement and performance was unsurpassed in the popular field. Most Supreme Records albums contain artistic participation by Mickelson, either as pianist or organist accompianment, or as arranger and conductor. The majority of his organ output uses full theater organ registrations. Although his recorded output is strictly religious in nature, he was known to play a few popular tunes at pipe organ "jam sessions" held in Los Angeles. He provided arrangements for Pat Boone, Tony Fontane, Jerome Hines and Ethel Waters. In all, more than 700 of his arrangements were recorded. Mickelson was able to purchase multiple organs of note, including the organ from NBC's Hollywood Studios and the Robert-Morton unit from MCA's Whitney recording studios.
Personal life
In addition to his music career, Mickelson was an ordained minister. Mickelson was married to Barbara Mickelson at the time of his death.
Representative discography
As organist/pianist
1950s - Paul Mickelson Plays the Mighty Radio City Pipe Organ - International LP 5031
1950s - The Billy Graham Team - International LP 5033
1950s - Paul Mickelson Organ Selections - Sacred LP 7020
1950s - Gospel Songs And Hymns As You Like To Hear Them Sacred LP9015
1950s - When They Ring The Golden Bells - RCA Victor LPM-1059
