[5] He became the premiere theatre organist[5] in the Philadelphia area for decades, earning the nickname “Melody Mac”.
[3][13] During this time, he made numerous concert appearances,[14] often in conjunction with the American Association of Theater Organ Enthusiasts.
Highlights included being named convention organist for the Forty-Seventh Annual Rotary Convention in 1956,[15] and as guest soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy playing “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” [16] During this time he lived in Ocean City, New Jersey, with his wife, Dorothy.
On his radio show, he offered a prize to any listener who could stump him with a song, but was rarely bested.
Students included Dennis James,[1] who at the age of 16 was sent by MacClain to replace him in a Detroit concert when the organist suffered a heart attack,[20] Dick Smith, Shirley Hannum Keither, and Barbara Fesmire.