The Legend of 'Greazy Keys' Has Grown Into A Staple of Checkers Hockey

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CHARLOTTE, NC - Growing up a self-described "music nerd", Jason Atkins' path into the sports entertainment industry with the Charlotte Checkers was fueled by his passion for music and an affinity to play the organ - not to mention a one-of-a-kind opportunity arising.

With the city of Charlotte renovating the Bojangles Coliseum and the Checkers relocating there in 2015, the desire from the Checkers' front office to bring back the element of music via an in-house organist turned into a proposition to a friend of Atkins, and later, a phone call to Atkins.

"I got the call from a friend of mine, she was actually giving piano lessons to one of the [Charlotte Checkers] executive staff's kids, and so they asked her about doing it," Atkins recalled, remembering his friend wasn't sure she would be able to handle the workload of a full hockey season's schedule.

"So she just happened to reach out to me and asked if it would be something I would be interested in doing this. And I was like - yeah, that sounds amazing! But then I walked in and sat down, and saw it was a Hammond C3 Organ. For keyboard players, the Hammond organ like that is the pinnacle of all keyboards," Atkins explained, adding that particular brand was used in multiple genres of music including jazz, rock, blues and R&B hence why it's considered the quintessential organ.

So when it came time for the regular season, and Atkins got to play the organ on opening night, they asked if he had a name he wanted used.

"I got home opening night and that's when I put the shades on and became Greazy Keys," Atkins recalled, adding that he split that season with his friend before she later conceded that he be the organist at Checkers games full-time the following season.

"From that next season on, I started playing at all the games and [started] growing the legend that is Greazy Keys," Atkins said with a laugh.

When hockey isn't in-season, Atkins - or 'Greazy Keys' as he's more famously known - is at the baseball field up in Kannapolis at a Cannon Ballers game while he has also appeared at Truist Field peforming at Charlotte Knights' baseball games in downtown Charlotte - the site for Saturday's Queen City Outdoor Classic, which will be the first outdoor professional hockey game played in the city of Charlotte when the Checkers host the Rochester Americans.

"It's just been a wonderful experience with the fans, and it just gets bigger and bigger. Now people say it's not a Checkers game without Greazy Keys, and I'm just enamored by that and grateful for that opportunity," Atkins quipped.

Apparently, the Checkers front office felt the same way as Greazy Keys will be at Truist Field Saturday for the Queen City Outdoor Classic.

"I mean, Greazy is one of a kind," Checkers' director of broadcasting T.J. Chillot told InsideAHLHockey.com, when asked about Greazy Keys'. "The organ and hockey have gone hand-in-hand for decades... forever. You just don't see live organists anymore, and Greazy has become a pseudo mascot for the Charlotte Checkers - somebody you can talk to and see at every game," he added, mentioning the Greazy Keys jerseys are one of the most popular during the team's jersey auctions.

"He is the lifeblood of the Charlotte Checkers. Players, coaches and affiliations  - a lot of that stuff comes and goes - and sometimes pretty quickly. To have Greazy, to have some of that stability - it keeps fans coming back. It's an entertainment piece that isn't overlooked. That's an experience you're just not going to get other places," Chillot added.

Naturally, when Atkins found out 'Greazy Keys' was going to be included in the Queen City Outdoor Classic, he was excited.

"They're going to have me on a little stage kind of down near the rink, so I'll be pretty close to the action and where a lot of folks can see me," he explained.

Adding in the fact that he's a good friend of the band scheduled to perform at Saturday night's event,

"A full night of music for me. I'm just elated," Atkins said. "And I really look forward to entertaining everybody."

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