Billy Joel Biography (1949- )

With classical beginnings, Billy Joel has made a name for himself among the rock’n’roll elite.

Billy Joel: Birth of a Legend

Billy Joel was born “William Joseph Martin Joel” on May 9, 1949 in the Bronx, New York. Billy Joel’s father was a talented classical pianist. However, it was Billy Joel’s mother who insisted he begin piano lessons at an early age. Billy Joel’s preference of music over sports was the source of much bullying in his early years which led Billy Joel to take up boxing. Billy Joel abandoned the sport after having his nose broken in a match. In his high school years, Billy Joel began to pursue music in lieu of a diploma.

Billy Joel: Early Career

It was a 1964 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show featuring the Beatles that would convince Billy Joel to pursue a full-time music career. Billy Joel sought out a local band to join and decided on the Echoes, when he was only 14 years old. Billy Joel left the band in 1967 and joined the Hassles, a Long Island band that had signed a contract with United Artists Records. The Hassles released The Hassles in 1967, Hour of the Wolf in 1968 and four singles, all of which were commercial failures. Billy Joel signed his first solo recording contract with Artie Ripp of Family Productions.

Billy Joel: Early 1970s

In 1971, Billy Joel released his solo debut Cold Spring Harbor. Cold Spring Harbor did not make a splash commercially. It was Billy Joel’s underground hit “Captain Jack” that got the attention of Herb Gordon and Columbia Records. In 1972, Billy Joel signed with Columbia Records and moved to California where he worked in a piano bar under the name Bill Martin. Billy Joel’s stint in the piano bar has lead many to believe his hit song “Piano Man” is autobiographical. Billy Joel released Piano Man in 1973. The hit song “The Entertainer” from the 1974 album Streetlife Serenade picks up the “Piano Man” story.  Billy Joel returned to New York in 1975 to record Turnstiles which was released in 1976.

Billy Joel: The Stranger Breaks Out

Billy Joel’s breakout album The Stranger united Billy Joel with producer Phil Ramone for the first time. Released in 1977 and rising to No. 2 on the charts, it was Billy Joel’s first Top 10 album. It was ranked No. 67 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time. The Stranger spawned four Top 40 hits with “Just the Way You Are” rising to No. 3, “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” to No. 17, “Only the Good Die Young” to No. 24, and “She’s Always a Woman” to No. 17. Billy Joel received three Grammy nominations, winning two of the awards. Following the success of The Stranger Billy Joel released 52nd Street. On the strength of hit singles “My Life”, “Big Shot” and “Honesty”, 52nd Street became Billy Joel’s first No. 1 album and the record won two Grammys.

Billy Joel: The Early 1980s

Billy Joel released a number of albums in the 1980s. The first was called Glass Houses and was released in 1980. Glass Houses features Billy Joel’s first single to hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Singles chart, “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me”. Glass Houses topped the Pop Albums chart for six weeks. Glass Houses introduced Billy Joel to a new group of fans. The following year, Billy Joel released a live album Songs in the Attic to introduce his new fans to his earlier work. Billy Joel released the heavily Beatles influenced album The Nylon Curtain in 1982. It became one of the top-selling albums of 1982. The single “Allentown” from The Nylon Curtain brought international attention to the plight of Allentown, Pennsylvania. An Innocent Man, released in 1983, was Billy Joel’s attempt to pay tribute to the music of his childhood. It became Billy Joel’s best-selling album since Glass Houses.

Billy Joel: The Late 1980s

In 1985, Billy Joel released the compilation Greatest Hits Vol. 1 and 2. The album has sold over 20 million copies worldwide and has been certified diamond. It remains the 6th best-selling album in American music history. It is telling of the success of Billy Joel’s career that his Top 10 album The Bridge, released in 1986, was not considered a success when compared to his prior releases. In 1987, Billy Joel released his second live album ??????? which he recorded during his tour of the USSR. The album title ??????? is Russian for “concert”. Billy Joel’s final album of the 1980s was Storm Front. The album rose to No. 1 on the charts and featured Billy Joel’s 3rd No. 1 hit, “We Didn’t Start the Fire”.

Billy Joel: The Finale

Billy Joel’s final studio album River of Dreams was released in 1993. River of Dreams went five-times platinum. Though Billy Joel retired from recording pop music, he continued to tour, mostly with English pop/rock star Elton John. In 2000, Billy Joel released his third live album 2000 Years: the Millennium Concert. The album peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard charts. In 2001, Billy Joel returned to his roots with the release of a collection of classical piano pieces Fantasies & Delusions. In 2006, Billy Joel sold out 12 shows at Madison Square Garden. As a result, Madison Square Garden retired the number 12 in Billy Joel’s name, giving Billy Joel the first retired number in the arena by a non-athlete. The 12 sellout shows prompted the release of 12 Gardens Live containing live recordings from the 12 shows.

Billy Joel: World Tour 2008

In 2007, Billy Joel released his first new song with lyrics in 14 years “All My Life”. 2007 also marked the 30th anniversary of Billy Joel’s first No. 1 album, The Stranger. Since 2005, Billy Joel has been on a world tour, covering most of the world’s major cities. Fans can get tickets to see the iconic Billy Joel continue his world tour in 2008. Don’t miss your chance to see the multi-platinum selling artist Billy Joel live!