Billy Joel
Billy Joel is a New York singer, songwriter and pianist whose songs, from “Piano Man” to “Vienna” and “Uptown Girl,” connect everyday stories with pop and rock melodies.
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Latest
Billy’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Overview
- Born
- May 9, 1949 · Bronx, New York
- Raised
- Hicksville, Long Island
- Work
- Singer, songwriter and pianist
- Solo debut
- Cold Spring Harbor (1971)
- Breakout
- Piano Man (1973), followed by The Stranger (1977)
Mini bio
How it started.
Billy grew up in Hicksville on Long Island and began studying piano in 1953. He joined the Echoes in 1963, then played with the Hassles and formed the duo Attila with drummer Jon Small. His first solo album, Cold Spring Harbor, arrived in 1971.
Finding his audience.
During a contractual dispute, he moved west and played piano bars under the name Bill Martin. A Philadelphia radio broadcast of “Captain Jack” helped bring him to Columbia Records. Piano Man followed in 1973; The Stranger, made with producer Phil Ramone in 1977, widened his audience with songs including “Just the Way You Are,” “Vienna” and “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.”
Songs that stay with fans.
His catalog moves from the piano-led storytelling of Piano Man to the pop and doo-wop influences of An Innocent Man. He began his monthly Madison Square Garden residency in January 2014. In 2024 he returned with “Turn the Lights Back On,” co-written with Freddy Wexler, Arthur Bacon and Wayne Hector.
Creditschronological, newest first
- 2024Turn the Lights Back OnSinger and co-writer
- 1989Storm FrontSinger and songwriter
- 1983An Innocent ManSinger and songwriter
- 197852nd StreetSinger and songwriter
- 1977The StrangerSinger and songwriter
- 1973Piano ManSinger and songwriter
Awards
- Gershwin Prize for Popular Song2014 · Library of Congress lifetime honor.
- Kennedy Center Honors2013 · Honored for his contribution to American culture.
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame1999 · Inducted into the Hall of Fame.
- Grammy: Album of the Year1980 · 52nd Street, produced by Phil Ramone.
- Grammy: Record of the Year1979 · “Just the Way You Are,” produced by Phil Ramone.
Quotes
meant something during the time in which I lived … and transcended that time.Billy Joel, official artist biography
His official biography uses these words to describe his goal for the songs he writes.
Trivia
- He performed in Los Angeles piano bars as Bill Martin, using parts of his birth name, William Martin Joel.
- Before his solo career, he formed the heavy metal duo Attila with drummer Jon Small.
- He became the first non-classical pianist with a portrait in the Steinway Hall collection.
Find Billy
Follow his official channels for music, archive performances and updates from Team Joel.
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