Byron Janis is arguably the greatest classical pianist of all time. A great composer and let me just say a true Maestro.
Byron Janis was born in Pittsburgh and grew up a Pittsburgh Pirates fan however believe it or not his last name is actually Yanks. Byron Yanks but hilariously it was changed to Janis when he moved to New York. It’s at that time that he would become a Yankee fan. Byron told me that one of his coming-of-age moments was when he was playing baseball and got a big double to help his team, it was then that he was accepted by his teammates, and to this day he still considers it a truly impactful moment in his life.
I was first made aware of Byron because of my Cuban heritage on my father’s side of the family.
Byron was probably the most famous and respected American when it came to the Russians in 1960. He was welcomed to Russia to perform and would always bring the people to their feet. In many cases he actually made the people cry. He was loved. During the Cuban missile crisis, I had many relatives in Cuba scared to death because they thought World War Three was about to happen, and with the assistance of Byron, things were alleviated. Byron received many awards from Congress etc for his assistance. What I’m telling you is not a military secret, you can look it up. What is incredible is that this wonderful humble man never talks about this. I had to ask him about it after finding out through all the books and documentaries about him.
My favorite story about Byron is that after Reggie Jackson hit those three home runs in game six of the 1977 World Series and became Mr October he was asked to represent the ALS foundation (Lou Gehrig Decease) Reggie was asked to go to Carnegie Hall to meet Byron Janis because Byron was helping the ALS foundation. When we got there Reggie sat at the piano with Byron and they messed around with the keys. It was truly an amazing moment. The greatest classical pianist in the world and at that moment the greatest baseball player in the world. It was beautiful. The most incredible and sad moment for me was that I did not realize that Byron was Married to Maria Cooper Janis. Maria is the daughter of the academy award-winning actor Gary Cooper. The man that played Lou Gehrig in the Pride of the Yankees. Cooper was my all-time favorite actor and I always wanted to meet Maria. I literally had to wait almost 40 years before I would get that opportunity.
Since I had an incredible love for all types of music and was very fond of classical music I would follow Byron through the years and prayed that I would get another opportunity to see him again and finally meet his beautiful wife Maria.
I was saddened at one point when it was announced by first lady Nancy Reagan at the White House that Byron had been suffering from arthritis for some time and was performing with incredible pain. His courage and will to perform through physical adversity did not surprise me. Byron actually reminded me of the character that Gary Cooper played in High Noon (Will Kane) a sheriff with incredible integrity and courage. It’s funny that through the years I would write five books for the publisher Harper Collins which ironically is the same publisher that has done books for Maria Cooper Janis. When I went in for a meeting with publishing head Tom Hopke, he told me that I just missed Maria by 5 minutes. I literally almost cried. Tears came to my eyes.
In 2019 another former Yankee batboy named Shawn Derosa knew how badly I had wanted to meet Maria and was able to track her down and gave her my number. I received a message from her assistant and was told to call her.
When I got on the phone with Maria she treated me like I was a long-lost friend. The first time I visited her and Byron was like I had just came home from the war. That’s how wonderful they were. For the last five years, they have truly been family.
I must say that in a short time around these two great people, I have learned a true lesson about what love is and what the meaning of matrimony is all about. I think Maria’s next book should be about that and use her marriage as an example of doing it right.
Oh and by the way I didn’t even get to talk about the incredible artist that Maria is. That’s a book in itself, definitely a story for another day.
Maria’s latest book is titled…
Gary Cooper enduring style
@talkshoplive
