ABOUT BUZZ GRIMES  

BUZZ GRIMES, whose given name is John Edward Grimes III, first became interested in piano technology when he was 16 years old.  His parents allowed him to keep an old upright, former player piano that took up a good portion of their living room.  Buzz took the panel off the piano and watched the action while he played, studying the relationships between the different parts.  He was hooked!        

In 1977, Buzz attended a 13 week piano technicial workshop to learn the basics of tuning, repair, regulation, and restoration.  He honed his skills, and continues to do so by attending various continuing education seminars hosted by the Piano Technicians Guild, Steinway & Sons, and others.   Buzz is recognized as a Master Craftsman with  the Master Piano Technicians of America and is an Associate Member of the Piano Technicians Guild.

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Buzz worked as a Tuner-Technician, Store Manager, and Service Manager for Jordan Kitt's Music, the east coast's largest piano retailer and Steinway dealer.  He also worked as a Tuner-Technician for Baldwin Piano & Organ Company.   Buzz  is now a self-employed Piano Tuner-Technician, servicing pianos for many long term and new customers.  He provides piano service for Menchey Music Services, the Southern Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland dealer of Yamaha and other fine pianos in addition to performing occassional contract service for Jordan Kitt's Music.  Other clients include many area piano teachers and several recording artist/performers. He has tuned pianos at Towson State University, the College of Notre Dame, and the Baltimore City and Baltimore County school systems.

Besides his love for the piano, Buzz has played the guitar since he was 7 years old  His first guitar was a toy "Lone Ranger" Guitar. Buzz's sister, Joanne, bought him his first real guitar when he was 12.  From the time he was 14, Buzz has played professionaly in several musical groups (The Soundsations, The Shamrox, The Devonshires, and Main Street). In November 1966, Buzz's band, The Devonshires, opened for Neil Diamond at the Annapolis Armory. (Actually, Buzz likes to say that Neil Diamond closed for The Devonshires).  Most recently, Buzz played guitar in a duo, Buzz & Mike-the Music You Like, (or maybe you didn't like-at least Buzz and Mike liked:)). 

In the mid 1970s, Buzz taught guitar part-time at Yeager's Music, an East Baltimore landmark.  Buzz currrently teaches piano and music theory to one special student, his next door neighbor, Alex.  Alex also plays the flute in her school's top level orchestra.   Alex's younger brother Joe, is taking private violin lessons and plays the saxaphone in his school's orchestra.  In addition, Buzz is a songwriter and is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Association International.  

The Other Side of Buzz

Buzz earned an Associate of Arts degree in Law Enforcement from Essex Community College (now part of the Baltimore County Community Colleges) and a Bachelors of Arts in Business-Accounting from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland graduating magna cum laude.  He also graduated form the New England Institute of Law Enforcement Management at the Command Training Center at Babson College in Wellesley, MA.   In addition, Buzz is recognized as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). 

Buzz is a former Baltimore City Police Officer/Detective, and Chief Inspector with the Amtrak Office of Inspector General/Office of Investigations.   Buzz is a member of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, part of the largest agency of the Department of Homeland Security, serving with Flotilla 054-13-01. 

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Buzz  "suited up" and commanded a contingent of Special Agents in New Orleans to assist with the federal law enforcement effort.  As a result of their effort, the group recveived a service award for valor.  The Photo Gallery below displays some photos of Buzz in New Orleans. 

Buzz lives in Perry Hall, Maryland with his wife Honey (real name Leslie-she was nicknamed Honey prior to her birth) and their dog Charlie (real name Charles!), a Goldendoodle.  (Charlie is shown in the below Photo Gallery  hiking with Buzz on the coast of Maine; and posing on Cadillac Mountain in Bar Harbor, Maine)  They (Buzz and  Honey, not Buzz and Charlie) have two grown daughters, Jenny who lives in Baltimore, and Jessica who lives in San Cristobal, New Mexico.   Buzz has two sisters, Joanne and Amy, 4 sisters-in-law, five nephews, one neice, one great neice and one great nephew, and a slew of other relatives, some known, and some not.  Buzz and Honey have two grand-cats, two grand-dogs, one grand-horse, and 25 or 26 grand-chickens.   

Buzz is a dog lover, so don't put your dog away when he comes to service your piano!

Photo Gallery                                                                       

                              Charlie and Buzz hiking on  the coast of Maine

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                Charlie posing on Cadillac Mountain, Bar Harbor, Maine       

Buzz patrolling a devastated residential street in New Orleans, after the water receded.

Buzz standing on the dock to the stern of the SS Wright, a United States Marine Transport, which was docked at the Port of New Orleans, where his group was billeted during the Katrina deployment.

Buzz with a volunteer dog rescue worker holding two pups in a camp the workers set up on a demolished shopping center parking lot in Northeast New Orleans.  These workers were the real heros!  (I almost took that pup home, but Charlie would not want to share us with another)