Billy Joel

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Recent Role:: Featured Performer on Great Performances

Gender:: Male

Born:: 5-9-1949

Birthplace:: The Bronx, New York

Birth Name:: William Martin Joel

AKA:: The Entertainer, The Angry Young Man, The Piano Man

Raised in NYC by his divorced mother, Billy Joel eventually found comfort in playing a piano. While he was in his twenties, he moved to Los Angeles, hoping to get his big break. He would perform in numerous piano bars until he was signed by Columbia and cut his first album, "Cold Spring Harbor," in 1971. "CSH" was a flop, but Billy soldiered on. In 1973, he released his second album, "Piano Man," which sold moderately well on the weight of it's title track, a top ten single, and the masterbating pothead ballad "Captain Jack." Joel followed "Piano Man" with "Streetlife Serenade" the next… More year, but despite a top 40 hit with "The Entertainer," it sold just slightly better then his first album. Frustrated, he moved his home base from LA and back to NYC for his fourth album, "Turnstiles," which kept him on the radar for good. Amongst the standout tracks were "Miami 2017," "New York State of Mind," and "Say Goodbye to Hollywood." By the end of 1976, Billy Joel was a full-fledged star.

Coasting on the success of "Turnstiles," Joel churned out his seminal "The Stranger" LP in Spring 1977, expecting it to just as well as "Piano Man." As it turned out, "The Stranger" eclipsed his second album in every way, shape, and form, as it sold 2 million copies in its first year alone and produced hits such as "Vienna," "Just The Way You Are," "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant," "Only The Good Die Young," "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," "She's Always a Woman," and the title track.

Joel's other works:
"52nd Street" (1978) Hits: "Big Shot" "My Life"

"Glass Houses" (1980) Hits: "It's Still Rock n' Roll To Me" "You May Be Right" "Don't Ask Me Why"

"Songs In The Attic" (1981) Features live versions of "Miami 2017" and "She's Got a Way," amongst others

"The Nylon Curtain" (1982) Hits: "Pressure," "Allenstown," "Goodnight Saigon"

"An Innocent Man" (1983) Hits: title track, "Tell Her About It," "Uptown Girl," "The Longest Time" "Keeping the Faith"

Greatest Hits I & II (1985) Features 23 hits and two new songs: "You're Only Human" and "The Night Is Still Young"

"The Bridge" (1986) Hits: "A Matter Of Trust" "Baby Grand" "This Is The Time"

"Storm Front" (1989) Hits: "Leningrad," "We Didn't Start The Fire," "I Go To Extremes," "And So It Goes," "The Downeaster 'Alexa'" "Shameless"

"River of Dreams" (1993) Hits: title track, "All About Soul" "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)"

Greatest Hits III (1997) 14 hits and 3 new songs

"2000 Years: The Millenium Concert" (2000) A live album
"Fantasies & Delusions" (2001) Several classical pieces

Joel has been married twice. His second marriage, which was to model Christine Brinkley, produced a daughter, Alexa. Billy and Alexa currently live in The Hamptons. He married for a third time in early 2004.

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Fans' Reviews

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10 Perfect

Billy Joel is an amazing artist but your information is like all wrong, billy was born in the bronx, yes but when he was still a baby his family relocated to levittown long island, so he was not raised in NYC, also Billy didnt run to california to hide show

(continued from summary) promote his career, he ran there after he cut his cold spring harbor record to escape a contract with his first record company and after a while his song captain jack played on the radio and columbia record execs heard it and wanted him, so they bought him out of his contract with his first record company as a solo artist and with columbia he cut the piano man album. you people really need to work on your discriptions of artists because the one for billy was totally wrong.

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billyjoelfan101 Added Sep 22, 2006 All my reviews