Fund a Lifetime of Music: Bring "Life On The B3 Bench" to Life – 50+ Years on the Hammond B3

'Hello, friends, family, fellow musicians, and music enthusiasts!

My name is Roger Wood, and for over 50 years, I've dedicated my life to the keys – especially the iconic Hammond B3 organ. From gospel revivals in the U.S. to international tours, studios, nightclubs, casinos, corporate events, high-end weddings, and exclusive jam sessions around the world, I've played alongside legends in Gospel, R&B, Jazz, POP, and Rock. I've toured as a music director, contributed as a studio session player, and even created music tracks for shows like Oprah Winfrey’s Greenleaf and Sundance TV’s Hap & Leonard. My journey started at age 9 when my father, a fiery Pentecostal preacher, sat me on the B3 bench in 1964. By 1966, my brothers and I formed our first band, "The Sons of Thunder," touring the nation and stirring up crowds in auditoriums and tent revivals with our fresh sound for the next 10 years. We were taken out of school at 8th & 9th grade and moved to the crime-ridden South side of Chicago, Illinois in 1969 to start a pentecostal church in an old abandoned vaudeville theater on Michigan Ave S. We never finished High School but we received an education in Real-Life instead.

But this isn't just about the my past – it's about preserving a rich musical history and inspiring the future. As a lifelong musician, I've never had the luxury of building a 401(k) or retirement savings. We trade stability for passion, creating legacies through our art. Now, I'm channeling that passion into my YouTube series, Life On The B3 Bench, a heartfelt project to document my story, share B3 techniques, and encourage others to pursue their dreams.

What is "Life On The B3 Bench"?

This 12 - episode series (each around 8 minutes) will weave my personal stories with live music demonstrations. Drawing from my unique upbringing – son of a self-made preacher who turned down a football scholarship to Northwestern University in Illinois and jumped a boxcar with other young men who heard of jobs in Seattle, Washington at Bethlehem Steel cutting up bombed out World War II Navy Ships, and who went on to built churches in post-WWII South Seattle communities like South Park, White Center, and Rainier Beach – I'll share how environments shape us. As my dad said, "people, places, & atmospheres have everything to do with what you learn in life." From soaking up styles from Black gospel organists during revivals in cities like Detroit, Chicago, Philly, Atlanta, Memphis, and L.A., to moving to Chicago's South Side in 1969 and diving into the Black gospel scene, my education happened right on that bench.

At 16, I toured with gospel legend Dorothy Norwood, opening for the Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder on their 1972 STP Tour – a wild entry into the "cross-over" world where sacred meets secular. The first 4 series cover in-depth my experiences as a Pastors kid who had never played anywhere but inside of churches and then thrown into the world’s most decadent Rock & Roll tour in modern history literally over night! The bench became my "personal observation out-post on human behavior," from sawdust trails to peanut shells, managing the "ebb & tide" of my gospel influences in every setting.

To give you a glimpse, here's an excerpt from my Introduction Episode script:

"Hi everyone, welcome to my series, Life On The B3 Bench. I’m Roger Wood. I’m sharing my life story to inspire musicians—especially B3 players—music lovers, and anyone on their own journey. Most importantly, I want my kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids to know their roots, because without knowing where you came from, it’s twice as hard to know where you’re going.

The real gift was soaking up styles from incredible Gospel organists who came through our church in Revivals for weeks at a time. I was a sponge, and those years hooked me on the B3 for life. ... Now in this short series I’ll tell my full story from the B3 bench, mixing in music with an entertaining & educational segment called “Hammond Eggs” in the “Soul Kitchen,” where I’ll share drawbar tones & settings, jazzy polychords, sweeps & dynamics, Leslie speaker and choral settings, percussion and tips—sometimes with guests. It’s all about playing it forward, and you gotta get up to get down."

This series has immense historical value: It captures the essence of the Hammond B3's role in Gospel, R&B, Jazz, and beyond – a bygone era of live, in-person mentorship you can't buy today. It's a tribute to my parents' legacy of resilience, compassion, faith, and community service, showing how they transformed spaces and souls in South Seattle. As I wrote in a lyric inspired by my dad: “So I took a page from his sermon and stuck it on my own front door, and he said, get yours as you go along and never let them see you cry, don’t wait for the paint to dry, forget about the future, ’cause you’re livin’ in the moment.”

More than anything, it's a legacy for my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren – so they know where they come from and why it matters. For up-and-coming musicians, pros, B3 players, and enthusiasts, it's translates into encouragement that dreams are possible. If a kid shaped by tent revivals and the South Side Chicago can tour the world and build a career, so can you.

Why I Need Your Help:

I'm financially struggling to complete the video production. The project is on hold without funds for a professional videographer to shoot the episodes (capturing the B3 in action with quality sound and visuals) and an editor to polish them for YouTube. Estimated costs: $5,000 total. As a lifelong artist without traditional savings, this series is my path to sustainability – building a brand through views, subscriptions, sponsorships, and merch to pay bills and create ongoing income.

Your donations will fund: Videography: Multi-camera shoots, lighting, and audio to showcase the B3 and stories vividly.

Editing: Professional cuts, music integration, and YouTube optimization for the 12 episodes plus intro.

Minor extras: Equipment rentals or post-production tweaks.

This is about "playing it forward" – sharing what's been freely given to me, but I need your help to bring this lifelong dream into reality. Every contribution helps launch the series and preserve this musical history. If you've been moved by a B3 groove Ala Jimmy Smith, Billy Preston, Alfred Bolden, Greg Allman, Keith Emerson, Jon Lord, Felix Caliere, Booker T, David Davis, Jerry Corbetta, Chester Thompson, Greg Rolie, Jack McDuff, Joey Defrancesco, Cory Henry, or inspired by real-life stories like these, or want to support independent creators, please donate and share. Let's get this bench rocking!

With deep gratitude,

Roger Wood