This piano has quite a story.

This Kawai piano Model KG - 2C was a fixture in the KC Opry which operated out of the Englewood Theater for the period (xxxx - xxxx)

 bought by Tuffy Williams in 1980 who borrowed $4,500 from Karen Sheahon, who he was dating.

Karen and Tuffy got married the following year and she was never repaid

When Tuffy bought the KC Opry from the Blacks he needed a new piano for the stage, since he only wanted to play a baby grand. He was able to get a good deal on the Kawai, and it was used for our local weekly shows as well as any visiting artists that needed it. 

Tuffy's favorite song to end his shows with was Great Balls of Fire, and he got the (brilliant?) idea to put an explosive device inside the piano to end the song.  Our audiences loved it, so he continued to "blow up" the piano and it became known as Tuffy's Exploding Jumping Grand Piano, since he also rocked it on his knee as he played. 

Tuffy also got the idea to start having our guests not only sign the back walls, but to sign the piano board as well. There are 45 signatures still there that can be deciphered. The piano was also used on KC Opry road shows, and it was hard to keep road musicians when they found out they would also have to help us move the piano every show!

After the Opry closed Tuffy had the piano in his music room at our home in Lee's Summit, and when we moved it was put in storage where it's been until now.

Sorry for the delay...Tuffy bought it in 1980, before we were married, and I had to loan him $4500 buy it then.  We got married and he never paid me back 

Got married in 1981

"Great Balls of Fire" is a 1957 popular song recorded by American rock and roll musician Jerry Lee Lewis on Sun Records and featured in the 1957 movie Jamboree. It was written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer.