From a very young age, he displayed a natural touch on his parents’ piano and began taking lessons at age 7, adding organ lessons at 10.ĭuring summers, while friends played outside, young David practiced four to six hours a day. Matthews’ parents owned a supermarket in New Castle, some 50 miles northeast of Indianapolis, and the family lived in an apartment upstairs. Rewind the tape to post-World War II Indiana. Given the numerous twists and turns, including a stint with late jazz legend Dave Brubeck along the way, the best place to start with Matthews is at the humble beginnings of a long life in music. It’s just the latest page in the tale of Tampa Bay’s own Piano Man. “It sounds like a million dollars here – it really does,” he says enthusiastically, before launching into another crowd-pleasing Joel tune, Root Beer Rag. And on June 22, Matthews and his gift will be honored there at an official piano dedication. The other gift has already been made and played: the celebrated Steinway, showcased recently with the start of an intimate “Live on the Landing” WUSF concert series. The “future” component is an estate gift to benefit WUSF’s classical station, WSMR, that will come from the eventual sale of a condo that belongs to Matthews and husband Michael Patica. The generosity is actually two-fold: a “blended” philanthropic gesture through WUSF and the USF Foundation’s Office of Gift Planning. And he never dreamed he would one day donate what has become known at USF as “The Billy Joel Piano” to the classical music and public radio station that has meant so much to him.
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He just never imagined he would one day be in a position to purchase it, which he ultimately did through a series of loans and refinancing his condo.
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Matthews made a point of jotting down the serial number so he could occasionally keep track of its whereabouts with the local dealer that rented it out. There was something magical about the pure, resonant sound and unusually responsive touch – giving it the presence of the highest-end, six-figure Steinways he had played over the years. The truth is, before Joel ever signed the Steinway’s gold cast-iron plate – believed to be during a master class he taught at USF circa 1998 – Matthews had fallen in love with the piano when it was rented for a recording session in St. Well, the guy is classically trained after all.” Talented hands in action on WUSF's new Steinway
“I’ve always liked Billy Joel,” he says, “I own two of his music books, and some of his songs are extremely difficult – like Chopin. How Matthews came to own the elegant and well-traveled 7-foot grand is part of his own remarkable life in music, and not unlike Joel’s career-launching hit with its many colorful verses and a real story to tell. This Steinway stands out because the 73-year-old virtuoso, now retired after 60 years as a heralded church accompanist, has given it to WUSF. Yet what makes the instrument truly special isn’t its connection to the renowned Piano Man, or the $48,000 Matthews managed to buy it for in 1999 – a noteworthy amount considering it matched the most he ever earned in a single year during his long music career. Billy Joel signed the Steinway at USF in the '90s Right now, he’s effortlessly working the keys of not just any old piano but one that boasts the swirling signature of Billy Joel himself.
The man making the music flow is a friendly face from local classical music circles, David Matthews, who readily admits to liking the tunes of the rocker who shares his name.
Of course, neither of the superstar singer-songwriters has actually crashed the premises for an unplanned performance. An impromptu rock ‘n’ roll moment of sorts is unfolding recently on the second-floor landing of WUSF’s Tampa radio studio – blending the legendary names of Dave Matthews and Billy Joel and the familiar melody of Piano Man, being played to perfection on a stunning Steinway grand that now has a prominent new home at the station.Ī small crowd of employees has gathered around to savor the scene and capture it on camera phones.
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