CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QC Life) - You may not know his name or his face.
But if you’ve been to a Charlotte Checkers game, or up to Kannapolis for a Cannon Ballers game, you’ve probably heard his work.
Jason Atkins, also known as Greazy Keyz, is the organist for both teams.
QC Morning’s Brian Stephenson went to find out where that nickname came from.
Jason Atkins enjoys playing the many keyboards and organs in his home.
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As a child, he discovered he had an ear for music. He could listen to a song and pick out the notes or melodies.
When he graduated high school, he knew that music was becoming his passion.
“I told my parents, I found this band in Charlotte. I want to pursue this, and my parents were supportive of that,” Atkins said.
His music started taking off, playing for bands all over the Charlotte area. He wasn’t getting rich monetarily, but he was definitely being fulfilled. Playing anything and any time he had the chance.
He’s played thousands of gigs over the years, but when he sat down to audition for the Checkers organist position in 2015, he knew it was role he really wanted.
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“I stepped inside the coliseum and saw the Hammond C3 organ, which for a keyboardist, is kind of the pinnacle,” Atkins said.
He got the job, and his moniker on the back of a jersey.
Greazy Keyz came from some humble beginnings.
“I came up with it as an email handle because I didn’t’ want to be Jason Atkins at yahoo 123456789 dot com,” Atkins said.
The name was a description of his style.
“Kind of swampy, kind of dirty, kind of nasty, but also grease helps move things smoothly,” Atkins said.
While he’s sliding his fingers across the keys, you can slide in and get to know Greazy yourself.
“I see myself as sort of an in-game ambassador. Not only am I there to entertain and play the music, but people can come up and make song requests or just have conversations with me and talk about the game,” Atkins said.
The Checkers must think he’s a great ambassador. They rewarded him with a championship ring when they won the Calder Cup in 2019.
“To be awarded a ring after that was just icing on the cake,” Atkins said.
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Whether in Section 127 @ Bojangles Coliseum or the concourse at a Cannon Ballers game, Greazy loves his connection with fans.
“To have that interaction with folks, even if it is unspoken, even if they are just watching me play or I see them tapping their foot or clapping their hands. That connection is one of the driving forces of why I like to play music,” Atkins said.
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