Pearl River Instrumental To “The Soloist”
		David Allen, a staff writer with the “Daily Bulletin” in Ontario, California, recently uncovered a Pearl River twist to the story behind the story of the new hit movie “The Soloist” starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Fox. The movie was based on “The Soloist: A Lost Dream, An Unlikely Friendship,” written by Steve Lopez and based on a story he wrote for his column in the “Los Angeles Times.” In the movie version of “The Soloist,” Jamie Fox plays Juilliard-trained, Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless street-musician who finds new hope in life when he is given a cello by a kind-hearted, anonymous lady. Allen discovered, in real life, the kind-hearted donor was an executive at Pearl River Piano Group America of Ontario, California. In the book, Lopez explains that Al Rich, then CEO at Pearl River Piano Group America, was moved by the column and contacted Lopez to offer a cello and violin for Ayers. He eventually supplied not only a cello and violin but other musical instruments to help support a music school for a city homeless shelter. According to Lopez, when Mr. Ayres received the cello, he put Mr. Rich’s business card atop his tarp-covered shopping cart, as if in tribute. He then sat down on a milk crate and played the cello for eight hours straight. “Eight hours seems like two minutes when you’re having fun,” Mr. Ayers is quoted as saying, “Mr. Rich has given me a new lease on life.” Pearl River Piano Group America is a division of Pearl River Piano Group Ltd of Guangzhou, China. It is one of the world’s largest piano and musical instrument manufacturers. Jean Hollenbeck, Assistant Manager of the Ontario, California division, helped Allen uncover the facts behind the story when he contacted her after reading Lopez’s book. She said, “We hadn’t tried to publicize the Pearl River involvement, but we are delighted that Mr. Allen and our home-town newspaper took interest in our story.”