Kenny Chilton

Kenny Chilton was deeply passionate about the electric organ. While working at a piano and organ retail store in the Los Angeles area in the late 1960s, Kenny was approached by a research team working with the Mattel Toy Company. After answering a series of questions over several days he was asked if he would be interested in helping the toy company design and produce a low end organ instrument. Kenny headed the sales efforts for the Optigan, which was produced between 1971 and 1976. He later became a co-founder of Magnatone and the company’s national sales manager. His love of playing the organ never left him, in fact on the day of his interview, he showed his enthusiasm by playing several songs on his Hammond B-3.