John Hart Jr., 67, an original Trammp

John "Jack" Hart Jr., 67, of West Philadelphia, an organist and one of the original members of the Grammy-winning soul group the Trammps, died of heart failure last Friday at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Hart, whose father, John Sr., was a hoofer, taught himself to play keyboard while at West Philadelphia High School. After graduating in 1958, he joined the Air Force and was a military policeman in Vietnam in the early 1960s. He was discharged in 1965.

He married Dolores Saulsbury in 1963 and they raised three musically inclined sons in West Philadelphia. "All of our sons went on to form a band," Mr. Hart's wife said. "Our home was full of music."

Mr. Hart was one of the original members of the R&B group the Volcanoes in the mid-1960s. The group underwent some personnel changes and emerged as the Trammps in the mid-1970s, with Mr. Hart on the organ.

The Trammps recorded a snappy version of Judy Garland's 1940s tune "Zing Went the Strings of My Heart" in 1972. It was one of three of the Trammps' R&B top-10 hits from 1972 to 1978. Though not a huge commercial success, the group delighted dance fans. Throughout the 1970s, the Trammps toured the States, Europe and South America.

Their biggest hit was "Disco Inferno," which was featured in the 1977 movie

Saturday Night Fever

. The movie soundtrack won a Grammy in 1978.

To bring in more money to support his family, Mr. Hart became a welding instructor in the mid-1970s at the former Airco Technical Institute at 46th and Chestnut Streets.

Mr. Hart stopped touring with the Trammps in 1978, when he and his family moved to New Orleans, where he worked as a welder for NASA until he returned to West Philadelphia in 1986.

"Even when Pop was welding, he did it to a musical beat. He tapped his toes," said his son Ryan. "He had to quit touring with the band while he was in New Orleans, but he flew to recording studios whenever he could."

Mr. Hart continued working as a welding instructor and played as many gigs as he could until he had to have a leg amputated because of diabetes in 2007.

Mr. Hart was known for his impressive personality and immaculate attire.

"He had his nails done, his hair and mustache trimmed regularly, favored elegant suits, always wore a hat, and drove a silver Mercury Marquis," his son said.

In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Hart is survived by sons John III and Terry; six grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and a sister.

Friends may visit at 8 a.m. today at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 5619 Walnut St. The funeral will follow at 11. Burial will be in Glenwood Memorial Gardens, Broomall.