Phantom of the Fox' is an organ enthusiast and preservationist

Phantom of the Fox' is an organ enthusiast and preservationist

Joe Patten lives at the Fox Theatre.

Eighty-three-year-old Joe Patten lives in an apartment he built above the Fox Theatre. He sits on a couch he's shared with the likes of Mick Jagger, Elizabeth Taylor and David Copperfield.

Joe Patten, a retired technical director for the Fox Theater, has lived in his apartment above the theater for thirty years -- but now his lease may be terminated.

Patten is a founder of Atlanta Landmarks, the nonprofit that owns the Fox Theatre. He has worked to preserve the Fox since 1974.

In this November 2008 photo, Patten, who oversees organ repairs at the Fox, stands in one of the organ rooms in the theater.

Patten sits on the organ and tinkers with the keys. He's been been involved in restoring the organ since 1963.

In this 2007 photo, Joe Patten walks through a passage connecting his apartment to his private 'box' in front of the stage.

Patten's bedroom leads to a passage that takes him to a private seat where he can watch any performance, even those that sell out.

A lover of organs since childhood, Patten reconditioned the Fox's pipe organ in 1963. Years later, he helped save the old building from demolition by forming a nonprofit organization.

The apartment even has a guest bedroom. Patten furnished the 3,640-square-foot apartment with family antiques.

Patten renovated office space once occupied by Shriners into an apartment. The entry used to be a restroom.

The apartment walls are over 2 feet thick, so theater and audience noise don't disturb the resident.

Patten is the theater's retired technical director. He built some of his home theater equipment, such as these speakers, himself.

Patten receives mail and phone calls through the theater.

A Moorish tapestry matches the Fox's decor. The building dates to 1929.

Patten uses a private entrance on Ponce de Leon Avenue.

Patten says he couldn't imagine living anywhere else -- except maybe North Carolina's Biltmore estate, which has an organ too.

Joe Patten stands on a stairway above his bedroom.

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Eighty-three-year-old Joe Patten lives in an apartment he built above the Fox Theatre. He sits on a couch he's shared with the likes of Mick Jagger, Elizabeth Taylor and David Copperfield.

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