Billy Joel has a flare for the dramatic,
but perhaps that’s a throwback to his younger days
when he often divided his time between fighting –
both in good old fashion street fights and in the ring
as a boxer – and making music.
Joel could have gone either way – boxing or music
– but it was the Beatles’ music that assured
him he wanted the life of a musician. He spent the sixties,
when he was still just a fresh-faced teenager, in the
band The Echoes. He stayed with the oft-name changing
band until 1967 when he became a member of The Hassles.
When the Hassles broke up in 1969, Joel and Jon Small,
the band’s drummer, started the two-member band
“Atilla” which gave Joel his first exposure
to the fickle music industry. Following the band’s
disastrous self-titled album debut, the duo parted ways.
In 1971 Joel signed a lifetime record contract with
Family Productions and his debut album, “Cold
Spring Harbor,” was released in 1972. Joel toured
in support of his freshman effort, and even then Billy
Joel concert tickets were popular. The following year,
Joel switched to Columbia Records with the stipulation
that Family Productions would receive a quarter for
each album Joel sold. “Piano Man” hit stores
in late 1973 and crawled to the 27 spot on the music
charts. This time when Joel embarked on a tour, he did
so as the opening act for such established bands as
“The Doobie Brothers.”
Joel’s follow-up album, “Streetlife Serenade,”
was released in 1975, and he put out “Turnstiles”
the following year. Unfortunately, the 1976 album was
a flop, and Joel faced a major hurdle – trying
to gain his previous success – with his next album.
“The Stranger” was more than just a success;
it made Joel into a worldwide superstar. The album featured
such classic hit singles as “Only the Good Die
Young,” and “She’s Always A Woman.”
Joel also received his first two Grammys for Record
of the Year for “The Stranger” and Song
of the Year for “Movin’Out.”
But, Joel was just getting started. His 1978 album,
“52nd Street,” included even more hit singles,
such as “Big Shot,” and “My Life.”
Despite his taking home the Grammy for the Record of
the Year with “52nd Street,” Joel was often
panned by critics.
Whether critics loved him or hated him meant little
because the fans loved Joel and his music. Joel’s
next mega-hit came in 1983 with “Innocent Man,”
which featured the classic hit singles, “Uptown
Girl,” “Tell Her About It,” and “Keeping
the Faith.”
Joel continued releasing albums – and making
hits – throughout the 80s and into the 90s. Among
his many albums are “Storm Front” (which
featured the mega-hit single “We Didn’t
Start the Fire”) (1989), “The River of Dreams”
(1993), and “Fantasies and Delusions” (2001).
Today, Joel continues his artistic pursuits as he enjoys
a semi-quiet life with new wife, Katie Lee.
.