Mark Speight

About Mark

As a young lad in the early 1980's, I experienced the magical splendour of Phil Kelsall, Robert Wolfe and Nick Martin playing the Wurlitzer organ in Blackpool Tower Ballroom and that inspired me to begin learning to play the organ. Many years of hard practise followed as I pursued my dream of being a professional organist. During those years I listened a lot to Hector Olivera, Martin Harris, Max Takano, Klaus Wunderlich, Brian Sharp, Bryan Rodwell, Kevin Speight (my Dad), Dave Peterson, George Fleury, Glyn Madden and Howard Beaumont.  

In 1986, just two days after my 16th birthday, I played my first sessions for dancing on the Wurlitzer in Blackpool Tower Ballroom and I continued doing that for about a year. That fortunate start to my working life enabled me to set out as a professional organist. That comprised of electronic organ concerts all over the UK in the winter months and various summer season organ playing jobs in Blackpool in the summer months, the latter being with a drummer providing musical backing for entertainers in hotels and clubs. That continued until 2002. I must add, those were great years, I was busy locally in the summer and busy in the winter with the concerts and I became quite well known. I was also  featured regularly on Nigel Ogden's 'The Organist Entertains' on Radio 2. 

By 2002, I was in my early 30's and the Blackpool summer season work was starting to look uncertain as hotels and clubs started replacing organists and drummers with digitally recorded backing music. With marriage and children planned for the near future, I decided to discontinue as a professional organist and instead train to be an chartered certified accountant. So, that was the end of my organ concert playing but, I still played occasionally in clubs as and when required. 

I worked in a Blackpool accountancy practice from 2002 until 2013. In 2004 I achieved the AAT accountancy qualification. In 2008 I qualified as a chartered certified accountant (ACCA). In 2013 I became a fellow (FCCA) of The Association Of Chartered Certified Accountants. In 2012 I was appointed as organist at Cleveleys Working Men's Club near Blackpool. The following year (2013), I was able to leave the local accountancy practice I'd worked in since 2002 and I intended to launch my own home based accountancy practice the following year in 2014.

Fate intervened though, and in 2014 I was invited to re-join the team of organists at Blackpool Tower Ballroom and shorlty after that I was appointed bookkeeper and payroll manager at Cleveleys Working Men's Club. I was also running a successful business on Ebay selling BMX bicycle parts. I ended up just providing free accountancy services to close family. The club bookkeeping and payroll job ended in February 2020 and sadly, upon the post pandemic lockdown re-opening of the hospitality sector in the UK in July 2021, I lost 3 of the 4 weekly organ playing sessions I'd previously enojoyed at Cleveleys Working Men's Club - the drummer and myself were replaced by that digitally recorded backing music I mentioned earlier.

I returned to the electronic organ concert and dance scene in early 2024 and bookings are going really well. I enjoy travelling all of the UK for these shows and feedback is pleasing. In May 2024, courtesy of Taro Trade in Japan, I imported a new Yamaha Stagea ELC-02 - a great sound and so lightweight. At the recommendation of Jon Smith and Tony Stace, I also purchased a matching pair of Bose L1 compact speakers - again, a great sound and so lightweight.

Being a life-long Volvo estate fan, you will not be surprised to know, I transport my musical equipment all over the country in a Volvo Estate - a silver, manual, 2013, l.6L diesel powered V70 Drive to be precise. This is the third Volvo car I have owned.

In recent years, I've put together a new theatre organ concert programme and I've played that for The Lancastrian Theatre Organ Trust at The Theatre Organ Heritage Centre, Eccles, The Cinema Organ Society at The Victoria Hall, Saltaire, Harworth Christie Organ Enthusiasts at Harworth Miners Welfare Hall, Bircoats and The Furness Theatre Organ Project at The Royalty Cinema Bowness - feedback has been positive.

In May 2026, I was appointed as company accountant for a great company in Blackpool. That job is a 4 and a half day per week job so, I've chosen to have Thursday afternoons off which means I can continue to play for the successful 2-4 show at Cleveleys Working Men's club with my talented friend, drummer / vocalist Rob Young. I'm still playing at Blackpool Tower Ballroom some Saturdays and bank holiday Mondays and maybe the occasional Sunday afternoon. I am the organist at St. Margaret Of Antioch Anglican Church, St. Annes, (appointed July 2025) and I play there every Sunday morning although, Tony, the very kind, supportive and understanding vicar lets me have any Sundays off I want to perform concerts should the need arise. I continue occasionally selling things on Ebay and also doing a very small amount of free accountancy work for close family.

I have the kind support and backing of my new employers to pretty much perform as many organ concerts and dances as I like so, with regard to organ concerts and dances, it's definately 'business as usual' and as the late Len Rawle once said, 'the diary is open next to the phone'. Well, my spreadsheet is open next to the email inbox to be precise! I look forward to continuing to perform concerts and dances anywhere in the UK on my Yamaha ELC-02 Stagea or theatre organs. I hope to see you soon.

I am very grateful to my father (Kevin Speight) for all the support and guidance he has given me in the past to help me with my organ playing career. Dad was a member of the Blackpool Tower Ballroom organist team from 1980 to 1990 and he was organist / musical director for the late Ken Dodd from 1990 to 2008.

Mark's Photo Gallery

Mark's Concert Diary