Beloved piano player at Mr. Paul's Chop House calls it a career after 48 years

ROSEVILLE, Mich. (FOX 2) - Mr. Paul's Chop House holds a special place in the hearts of many.

The 50-year-old Roseville restaurant invokes old school charm while serving up first class cuts of meat. But perhaps the biggest draw is not what you see, but what you hear.

"I play old songs from movies and when people went out for cocktails, after-theatre dinners and after-theatre cocktails," said Jimmy Cohen.

It started with a chance meeting at The Top of The Flame in Detroit in 1971. Paul Gogo, who has since passed, convinced Cohen to come work for him at his new swanky restaurant.

"I have been here ever since, the rest is history," he said.

For the last 48 years from Thursday to Sunday, Jimmy takes his position behind the piano with one goal in mind.

"I have to set the atmosphere, that's my job. There is lot of attitudes - bring them all together," he said.

But after 48 years of tickling the ivories, Jimmy Cohen has decided to retire.

"It's a hard decision to make here," he said. "I enjoy the place. I enjoyed everything. I want to do somethings that I want to do while I am able to do it."

"He'll be dearly missed by us a lot of customers here, become good friends over the years, oh yeah," said Chris Gogo.

Gogo, who along with his brothers, now run the well-known restaurant and says Jimmy is irreplaceable.

"He shows up every day, he's never missed a day of work," said Gogo. "If you have a song, your favorite, you come back in five years, he'll play it again for you. His memory is phenomenal. He is 88 years old - he has no books. He plays strictly by memory. Name a song from the '40s, '50s, from big bands, movies, he'll play it for you."

And Jimmy always takes times to talk to many of the customers, who over the years have become dear friends.

"It's wonderful because we should all should be lucky enough to live that long," said Billy Bob, a customer.

"We come up here every six weeks, this group. And when we come up, we throw our money in the center of the table, put it in a jar, as we go throughout the night," said Glenn Pesti.

"We make our nights Thursday nights, just so we can see Jimmy," said Casey Jones. "I don't know what we are going to do after he retires."

That will be tough to do, because the 88-year-old plans to move to Utah, where he plans to create new music written by his late wife.

"I can't give up music," he said. "Music is a part of me. I can't separate that."

Jimmy is preparing to close the keyboard cover at the end of the holiday season, but Mr. Paul's and the people he's spent years entertaining will stay with him always.

"Everybody is a friend to be sure," Jimmy said. "You have always know them. You can't just say you know them today leave them tomorrow. They have always been with you. It is spiritual."