Billy Joel: The Piano Man

Billy Joel, The Piano Man: Lets take a closer look at his life and his accomplishments.

Highlights

• April 2, 1972: Billy Joel played the Mar y Sol Festival in Puerto Rico, where he caught the attention of Clive Davis of Columbia Records.
• April 6, 1974: The “Piano Man” single finally entered the Billboard chart, five months after its release.
• April 15, 1982: Billy Joel injured both his hands in a serious motorcycle accident on Long Island.
• April 26, 1999: Billy Joel, as himself, appeared on a “Mad About You” episode titled “Murray at the Dog Show.” He wrote the music for the song “Lullabye For You,” which was featured in the episode.

Billy Joel Interview

Overview

Born on May 9, 1949, in The Bronx, New York, USA, Billy Joel is one of those musicians who music is quite popular with the masses. If you listen to his songs now, it will surely remind you of those good old days. Just the Way You Are, You’re My Home, Piano Man are just a few of his popular songs.

And the good thing is that most of his songs are perfect to be played on the piano, and its good to add to you repertoire, in case you’re looking for something beyond classical.

Early Days

Billy Joel (real name William Martin Joel) began learning to play the piano when he was just 4 years old. At the age of 14, he was already playing for his first band – The Echoes.

So there’s was really no doubt about his talent, which was clearly visible at an early age!

And its also a fact that Billy Joel never graduated high school (because of a missed exam).

Earlier Bands

When he turned 18, Billy joined the Long Island, NY band called The Hassles, who record two albums for United Artists in 1967 and 1968. In 1970, Billy formed a heavy metal duo with The Hassles’ drummer, Jon Small. Their only album cover had Billy wearing fur pelts and armor.

In 1971, Billy signed a solo recording contract, released his first album – Cold Spring Harbor – and began a world tour with his band to promote the album.

Here’s an interesting thing about his life. While trying to get out of a bad record contract, he played piano in a Los Angeles bar under the name of Billy Martin so that nobody would recognize who actually he was. And its said that it was from this experience that the song “Piano Man” later emerged.

In hindsight, bad situations can actually do good to you!

Big Breakthrough

Here’s how the big breakthrough came for this musician!

In 1972, Philadelphia radio station WMMR-FM began playing a live recording of Joel’s new song “Captain Jack”, which was slowly becoming popular. The song’s popularity caused Columbia Records to track down Billy Martin and offer him a recording contract, which he signed in 1973.

He immediately recorded the album Piano Man and in 1974, the single “Piano Man” became his first top 20 single and first gold album.

In 1975 and 1976, Billy Joel recorded the albums Streetlife Serenade and Turnstiles, leading to, among other awards, a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall in 1975.

In 1977, his career really left the launching pad after he wrote, recorded, and released The Stranger album, which became Columbia Records’ biggest selling album from 1977 to 1985. The song “Just The Way You Are” won two Grammy awards in 1978, the same year Billy released his first #1 album, 52nd St.

So many excellent albums followed – Glass Houses, Songs in the Attic, The Nylon Curtain, An Innocent Man, Greatest Hits Volume I and II, Kohuept, Storm Front, River of Dreams, Greatest Hits Volume III.

Billy Joel – We Didn’t Start the Fire (Official Video)

Personal Life

Billy Joel had problems related to alcohol abuse and depression earlier in life. He even tried to commit suicide by drinking furniture polish, because of his affair with the wife of his own drummer.

Ironically, Joel was saved by the same man he betrayed, his drummer Jon Small, who rushed him to the hospital. The singer left a suicidal note, which later became the lyrics to “Tomorrow Is Today”.

From 1973 to 1982, Joel was married to his business manager, Elizabeth Weber. She stayed on as his business manager, which turned out to be a big mistake, since her brother embezzled most of Billy’s savings.

From 1985 to 1994, Billy was married to model Christie Brinkley; she was the one who inspired Billy Joel to compose the ‘Uptown Girl’, one of the most successful love songs of all time.

Billy Joel – Uptown Girl

Joel & Brinkley later got divorced (amicably); they have a daughter named Alexa Ray from their marriage. Incidentally, her daughter Alexa Ray Joel had also tried to commit suicide by taking an overdose of pills.

He sold the house he built in the Hamptons (while married to Christie Brinkley) to Jerry Seinfeld for $32 million.

In 1996, he became co-founder of the Long Island Boat Company, which makes the classic, 38-foot Shelter Island Runabout powerboat.

In 2004, he married culinary artist Katie Lee, to whom he remains married.

Major Contributions

Billy Joel has also done his bit for the society. He has performed and taken part in a number of concerts to support a wide range of groups, including Farm Aid I, marine-related groups, Walden Woods, AIDS Project Los Angeles, Kobe earthquake victims, Rainforest Benefit, and Save the Music (restoring music programs to New York City Schools).

Billy Joel was made MusiCares Person of the Year in 2002 for services to humanity. Joel also established ‘Charity Begins At Home’ in 1978 to fund charities in the tri-state area that serve child abuse, domestic violence, autism, cancer and other issues. It is funded by his concerts.