So how did I become the owner of this one-of-a-kind musical treasure? Well, I had always been a big Billy Joel fan, even learned to play most of his songs by ear. So my older brother entered my name in a Sam Goody Record Store raffle (a "Nylon Curtain" promotion), and gave me the stubs as a Christmas present. I thought, gee, what a great present - some pieces of paper. Well, as it turned out, it was the best present I ever got... It was New Years Eve, 1982, when my mother's phone call was interrupted by the operator saying she had an emergency call - it was Billy Joel calling to say I had won his piano! I was a little shocked, to say the least. After a brief chat with Billy, he put on a Baldwin rep to get my info and assure me it was the real deal (I didn't doubt it - I knew Billy's voice pretty well at that time). Anyway, after the phone call, my younger brother and I decided to drive up to Manhattan (we lived in Staten Island then) and try to get tickets to go to the New Year's Eve show at Madison Square Garden. After some wheelin' and dealin' (story in itself) we wound up with floor seats about 10 rows back. What a great show THAT was! (according to my mom, we're in the "Goodnight Saigon" video - I've never actually checked, though. She said it's easy to see my brother because he's wearing a big black leather jacket) So, one of the questions that the Baldwin rep asked was "would you like us to refinish the outside for you? Or just repair any broken keys and strings?" OF COURSE I didn't hesitate to tell them - "LEAVE THE OUTSIDE THE WAY IT IS! - JUST FIX THE INSIDES!" So, a few weeks later the Baldwin truck pulls up and unloads the piano. I've had it ever since. I play it frequently, although not as much as I'd like to lately...