Since this was basically a conservation effort rather than a total rebuild, I wanted to keep as much of Billy’s original piano as possible. My toughest decisions were about what to keep versus what to throw away. That’s when I called Steve Voudoris and told him that I had confidence that we could give the band and Billy Powell’s family what they wanted. I then installed sample hammer and wippen assemblies for my new strings, and they responded well also. I was pleased to see that tuning pin torque was acceptable. Parts were labeled and photographed as I took them out.Īfter everything was cleaned and the piano had dried out somewhat, I installed half a dozen test strings in each section. I decided to just remove everything that I could remove and take stock.

It was almost overwhelming at first, because there was just so much damage: hammers that looked like they had exploded, pieces of still-wet felt all over, water oozing out of the wood, rust on everything that was capable of rusting. The mold, mildew and mud were dealt with first, partly for health reasons and partly because I had to get to the point where I could determine if anything could be done for the piano. What jobs did you perform to get the piano back into working condition? What were your biggest challenges? After almost 6 months, everything was still wet! I had no confidence at the start that this work could be done, especially after the piano arrived and we opened up the road case. He assured me that they had no plans to put it back to use in performance, but the piano was too valuable to just throw away. Voudoris explained that the piano was very important to the band’s members and to Billy Powell’s family. When I learned that the piano had been stored on its side and the water level had come up to about middle C, I too, thought it would be pointless. He described the situation and told me that other techs had refused to even look at the piano, that it was a lost cause.

I first learned about the B in a phone call from Steve Voudoris, LynyrdSkynyrd’s manager. I had also turned it down without seeing it.

Why did you decide to take it on? Were you confident from the start that you could get this piano working again? Several other technicians had turned down this job and condemned the piano without seeing it. Well aware of the odds against success, Lewis decided to take on the job. Both groups wanted to remember Powell by having the piano returned to playable condition. The piano carried a strong sentimental attachment for members of the band and for Billy Powell’s family. Flood waters crept in, inundating everything to a height of more than three feet. The Steinway was being housed in a road case, a crate designed for transport and storage of touring instruments and equipment. It had been played by rock and gospel keyboardist Billy Powell, who was a member of LynyrdSkynyrd for many years and died suddenly of heart failure in January of 2009 at the age of 56. The piano, a Steinway B, was owned and used on stage by the legendary Southern rock band LynyrdSkynyrd. This situation faced Sam Lewis of Nashville, Tennessee, following the devastating Cumberland River flood that struck the city in May of 2010.

Other technicians have already refused to go past a phone call and have advised the client to junk the piano. It is very important to the client and his associates that the piano is able to work again. It sat on its side, soaking for days in river water that reached halfway up its keyboard. His grand piano, an instrument with historic potential, was caught in a flood. Q & A Roundtable from the April 2012 PTG Journal John Granholm, RPT, Journal Associate Editor An Impossible Rescue?Ī prospective client approaches you with a serious request.

Steinway sample manager