Separation Anxiety Plucking?

I have a new U2, I've only had him a few days...
I was told he's 14 years old, which I'm not sure is true, I believe him to be much younger but anyway...
He was used as a breeder, and then they found he was destroying the eggs so they decided to sell him.
He hadn't been handled in a year, but he's been doing very well when he is handled...he's a total cuddler!
But I've noticed two problems, he isn't eating very much, and seems to bother only when my boyfriend feeds him, he won't take the food from me...
I'm feeding him Zupreem fruit blend, and seed...of which he chooses to eat only the sunflower seeds. I've tried tempting him with peanut butter, fruits, veggies....he doesn't want any of it...I'm worried about him starving...
The other issue is:Every time we leave we come back to ALOT of feathers at the bottom of the cage. There is now a bare spot on his chest, I know he's plucking them out and I never see him bother doing this when we're around, he does preen but he never pulls out his feathers when we're around.
I would really like to head off this behavior before it gets worse...
I've been playing music for him while we're gone but it isn't stopping the behavior...
He's got a clean bill of health...so now what do I do??

Well, for one thing, the diet you are giving him is real bad. Zupreem is not a good brand of pellets (not that I believe any pellet is any good for parrots but there is one that is better than the others, it's called TOP) and sunflower seeds lack most everything a parrot needs for good health. Breeders don't make good pets because they are used to having a mate. These birds are strictly monogamous and mate for life so separating a bonded pair is actually quite cruel so he is, most likely grieving, but, aside from that, breeders are used to the love/attention a mate gives them and, when it comes to toos, you are talking 24/7/365. I have a pair of bonded U2s and they are never, ever apart from each other. They eat/sleep/forage/play/preen/etc together so he is most likely severely depressed and that is the reason why he is plucking.... he can't stand been left alone, the poor, poor thing!

I really don't know what to tell you because, in my personal opinion (and I have over 60 birds in my rescue/sanctuary and I've been doing this for 18 years so I have a little experience), the only thing that is going to make that bird happy is finding a new mate (and that means a bird not a human substitute).