Billy Joel was born in the Bronx, New York in 1949 before moving to Long Island with his family at the age of one. Despite his mother and father both being Jewish, Joel was not raised particularly religious. At the age of four when he would "bang around" on the family piano, his mother enlisted in him piano lessons. After his parents divorced in 1957, his father relocated to Europe and Joel began playing at a piano bar to help support himself, his mother, and sister. After missing an exam he would have needed in order to graduate high school, Joel instead opted to not finish and start pursuing his music career saying:
In 1970 Joel signed a contract with Family Productions and recorded his first solo album, Cold Spring Harbor. Despite the owner of Family Productions claiming they invested over $450,000 into Joel, the album was not successful. However, the tour for Cold Spring Harbor which kicked off in the fall of 1971 started to grow interest in Joel and his music.
While living in LA and working on his record for Columbia, Joel worked in the piano bar at The Executive Room under the pseudonym "Bill Martin." It was at this bar that Joel would write "Piano Man" about it and its patrons. Joel's first album with Columbia would end up being Piano Man, released in 1973.
Joel would go on to record Streetlife Serenade in in 1974 and Turnstiles two years later, before recording what would be his big breakthrough, The Stranger in 1977 which "established Joel as a household name." The Stranger was certified multi-platinum and Rolling Stone ranked The Stranger the 70th greatest album of all time on their list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time."
Joel has received numerous accolades over the course of his career and is one of the most honored and decorated musicians of modern times. He has received seven honorary doctorates, six Grammy awards, and a Tony Award. To commemorate his 100th MSG performance, Governor Andrew Cuomo proclaimed July 18th to be Billy Joel Day in New York state.
Related: Billy Joel's Daughter Shares Update on His Health
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