The KC Opry piano has quite a story.

The Kawai piano Model KG - 2C was a fixture in the KC Opry which operated out of the Englewood Theater for nearly a decade.

Tuffy Williams bought the piano in 1980. He borrowed $4,500 from Karen Sheahon, who he was dating at the time. Karen and Tuffy got married the following year and she was never repaid.

When Tuffy bought the KC Opry from the original operators, he needed a new piano for the stage. He wanted to play a baby grand and was able to get a good deal on the Kawai.

The piano was used for the weekly KC Opry shows as well as any visiting artists that needed a piano. 

Tuffy's favorite song to end his shows with was “Great Balls of Fire.” Tuffy 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.

Jerry Lee Lewis, who made the song famous, played the piano when he appeared at the KC Opry in November 1983. (Slide show below and video about this performance.

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. (See the list)

Karen Williams shares the history of the KC Opry piano.

The piano was also used on KC Opry road shows. It was hard to keep road musicians when they found out they had to help move the piano every show.

After the KC Opry closed, Tuffy had the piano in his music room at our home in Lee's Summit.

When we moved it was put in storage where it's been until now.