I was born in 1984 and the story of my grandfather’s player piano starts before my grandparents were married in 1983. Wait, how could your grandparents marry a year before you were born you might ask. Well, it was actually my widowed grandmother’s second husband, but Mike Tuohy was the only “grandfather” I ever met. His player piano and collection of rolls are one of my fondest memories of growing up and I believe have helped build my appreciation for popular music written between 1890-1940.
Mike Tuohy was already a widow for many years in 1975 when a Chicago newspaper ran an article in the “Woman’s World” section telling of his hobby. It mentions that he had purchased the 1918 player piano for $25 in 1945. Because it didn’t work he overhauled it completely. At the time of the article they said he had about 800 rolls and if my memory serves correctly it was said that at the end of his life he had about 1500 rolls.
Fast forward a few years to spring of 1983 when my grandmother Janet placed an article in a local newspaper- “65, good looking, seeking a companion”. Mike saw the article and their courtship began. A letter written to Janet before their marriage proclaims his love for her by using lyrics and titles of songs that made up some of his player piano roll collection.
In August 1983 they married and soon after, Mike Tuohy became “Grandpa” to me. I believe I took a shine to him more than the other “inherited” grandchildren. Some of the cousins already had grandfathers on their other side of the family while others remembered Janet’s first husband who was the true grandfather. However, as a kid growing up, Mike was my grandfather. My grandparent’s small home in the southwest suburbs of Chicago was not the typical set-up. The walls of the dining room were lined with piano rolls, the extra bedroom which nowadays would be considered an office or sewing room was filled with you guessed it-piano rolls. A large shelf next to the player piano also contained their favorites.
When the 1918 player piano that grandpa had restored was in need of another update nearly 45 years later, my grandmother decided to buy him a brand new player piano. This was in 1988-1989. I am pretty sure that this piano was a Baldwin and included a “Universal Player”. It could be operated automatically or by manually pumping. There was also a lever to include a “honky-tonk” chime sound which sounded better for certain songs. This was the piano that I remember the best. As mentioned, Mike had “inherited” grandchildren through his marriage to my grandmother Janet and had several of his own grandchildren from his first marriage. Other than my grandmother, I was the only one that was allowed to put rolls on and operate this piano. At the time I didn’t think anything of it but now realize that I must have held a special place in his musical heart. Out with the old, in with the new…..
Whether it was Thanksgiving, Christmas or just a visit to their house after school, the sounds of the early 20th century would be playing through the house. Some songs are still recognized today like “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” or the “Beer Barrel Polka” but also so many popular tunes of the 1910s & 1920s that have been forgotten by many. Grandpa also had a few piano benches placed together where he could iron and repair the rolls that were damaged. Who could forget the time when we came across a roll with a foreign language title on the box? Not knowing the song, he said “let’s see how this one sounds...” and to our surprise it was actually the popular Christmas song “Silent Night”, complete with foreign lyrics. What a laugh we had playing that in the middle of the summer.
Grandpa, Mike Tuohy, died in 1997. In the spring of that year it was decided that my grandmother would move out of the home filled with memories and live in a smaller, easier to maintain, condo unit. Because of the prior marriages of my grandparents there were some legalities when it came to property division. The piano rolls which were in large purchased prior to their wedding were all property of Mike’s children from his first marriage. The player piano was purchased after the marriage so it was technically my grandmother’s. With the stress of losing another husband and moving to a smaller space, my grandmother gave the player piano to Mike’s oldest son. I’ll never forget moving day and scrambling to play as many rolls as I could-believing this was the last time I’d get to hear it.
The years have passed and now I have a family of my own including two young daughters who are musically inclined, especially at the piano. With the recent purchase of our first house, I figured it would be great to have a piano and why not a player piano to possibly instill on my children that appreciation of music which I received thanks to Mike Tuohy’s piano? I started looking on Marketplace and other places online to see what was available and to my surprise many of these great pieces are being given away for free. Obviously the moving fee is the purchasers’ responsibility and most are in need of a good refurbishing. Then it dawned on me, grandpa’s son who got the piano has also passed away. Perhaps his family is also on the brink of getting rid of that beloved player piano. I wrote a text message to the last surviving daughter of Mike Tuohy and posed my idea that I’m in the market for a player piano and wanted to see if her brother’s family still wants the piano. She wrote back and said she would contact the widow and check for me. That brings my story to this week. I’m still searching for a player piano in case I don’t get my grandparent’s piano. I’ve come across many interesting items for sale and videos on youtube, including the video of the “Brigham Larson” restoration project on an older player piano. That video led me to your website where I found out about the contest. While in theory I do not physically own a player piano at the time of this writing, I believe by winning this contest it would enable my family to enjoy one in the near future. Whether or not I receive my grandfather’s piano and it fixed up after more than 25 years, or find a different player piano and have your company refurbish that one, I’m hoping my story will inspire you to help bring a beloved instrument back into my growing family.
I appreciate your consideration and am looking forward to the drawing on Father’s Day.
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YEAR 1910-1920
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MAKE Player
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FINISH Oak
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CATEGORY CONTESTANT
