Paul McCartney to help restore Motown piano

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - AUGUST 04: Executive Producer Paul McCartney speaks during 'The Love We Make: Paul McCartney and the Concert for New York City' panel during the Showtime portion of the 2011 Summer TCA Tour held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 4, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) / Frederick M. Brown

Executive Producer Paul McCartney speaks during 'The Love We Make: Paul McCartney and the Concert for New York City' panel during the Showtime portion of the 2011 Summer TCA Tour held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 4, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California.

/ Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

(AP) DETROIT - During a summer visit to a Motown recording studio, former Beatle Paul McCartney wanted to run his fingers along an 1877 Steinway grand piano played by some Detroit music greats he considers idols.

"He was disappointed when we told him it didn't play," Motown Historical Museum chief executive Audley Smith Jr., told The Detroit News for a story Saturday.

Undaunted, the legendary roll and roller from England told museum officials following a July concert at Comerica Park that he wanted to help restore it.

On Monday, the piano will be picked up from the Detroit museum and shipped to Steinway & Sons in New York for restoration. The work is expected to take up to five months.

The piano company has to assess the piano's condition before a cost can be determined.

"Steinway & Sons is honored to restore the historic Steinway piano that was used by such legends as Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder — and to do so in the very same New York factory where it was originally built in 1877," Steinway & Sons President of Americas Ron Losby told the newspaper in a statement.

"We're especially proud, as an American company, to help the Motown Museum in preserving the legacy of the Motown Record Company, whose artists and albums played such a vital role in one of the great eras of American music."

[Harden_Tar]

Let's say the restoration costs 50 grand. Paul is kicking in for part of it. Chump change does not begin to describe his contribution. I will give him credit if he was the one that got the restoration going. Mr. Wonder and other Motown artists should be hit up as well.

[Jaylah54]

Let's say the restoration costs the full $50,000, and that Sir Paul pays for all of it.

I still want to know why we never hear of his philanthropy (using his own money) to help *people*.

[SustainUs]

Maybe he could help me restore my piano that I bought for my fiance. It's a 1933 baby grand. Paul be a gent and help a poor college student make his fiances dream of owning her own piano a reality.
http://www.gofundme.com/restorepiano

[moveoverr]

Wow! You mean Paul is finally going to part with a few hundred of his billion dollars? Stop the presses!

[Jaylah54]

That's wonderful, I suppose, but I'm wondering why we don't hear much (if anything) about McCartney's philanthropy towards *people*.

I know he often donates part of his portion of proceeds from concerts but, given his own personal wealth, why are we hearing about his paying to restore a piano, but not about his charitable gifts to help *people* in need?