Anton Szandor LaVey, born Howard Stanton Levey on April 11, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois, was an American musician and writer. He began playing the piano in a Baptist church as a boy and played the oboe in high school. In 1948, he began working as an organist in bars, lounges, and nightclubs, eventually becoming a local celebrity in San Francisco through live organ performances, which included playing the Wurlitzer at the Lost Weekend cocktail lounge. In 1966, he founded the Church of Satan, where he incorporated keyboard and organ music into rituals and recorded ceremonies. His musical discography produced the albums The Satanic Mass (1968), Strange Music (1994), and Satan Takes a Holiday (1995), alongside the single “Answer Me/Honolulu Baby” (1993). He also played a minor on-screen role and served as a technical advisor for the film The Devil's Rain (1975). Posthumous releases of his work include the album The Devil Speaks (& Plays) (2017). He died on October 29, 1997.
