Happy Birthday to the Piano Man himself, Billy Joel!
Billy Joel is celebrating his 74th birthday today, May 9. He was born on this day in 1949 in the Bronx, New York and raised alongside a cousin whom his parents adopted. Joel’s father was a trained pianist, if you’re wondering where Joel gets his talent from. It runs in the family.
And even though he resisted learning piano when his mother tried to make him, Joel ultimately decided to take up a career in music. But it wasn’t because of his father. It was after Joel saw the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show that he knew he wanted to be a musician (wikipedia.org).
Joel joined his first band was when he was just 16 years old. They were called The Echoes and they started performing together in 1965. Between 1965 and 1970, Joel played with numerous bands, but never saw success with any of them. Even his first solo album (Cold Spring Harbor, 1971) was a commercial flop.
But ol’ Billy sure has a lot to celebrate now. His solo debut album flop may have just been the catalyst for his incredible career. After the disappointment of the album, Joel took up a job in L.A. playing piano. He penned Piano Man based on that experience. And he’s been a household name ever since.
Between 1971 and 1993, Joel released 12 studio albums. Including 33 Top-40 hits that he wrote himself. He’s in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, and the Long Island music Hall of Fame. Joel has been nominated for 23 Grammy awards and has won six. He has also received the Johnny Mercer award and the Kennedy Center Honors.
Joel is one of the most-beloved singer songwriters of our time. So have a drink for the Piano Man today. And check out these fun facts you may not have known about the birthday boy. – Wendy Rush
He Married His Bandmate's Wife
In 1969, Joel and drummer Joe Small formed a heavy metal duo called “Attila”. Their album debuted in July of 1970 and the duo broke up shortly thereafter. They sited “personal issues” as their reason for the split. Three years later, Joel married Small’s ex-wife, Elizabeth Weber Small. Coincidence? You decide.
He's really short
It might seem like he just likes tall women, and maybe that’s true. But Joel is also really short for a man. Standing only 5’5″ tall.
He learned boxing for a very specific reason
Joel started piano lessons at the age of 4 upon his mother insisting he learn. He took up boxing when he was a teenager to defend himself when people made fun of his piano skills. Bet those bullies aren’t laughing now!
He was a real life "Piano Man"
After his first solo album wasn’t a success, Billy Joel worked at The Executive Room in Los Angeles. He played piano under the name Bill Martin. He wrote The Piano Man after his real experiences there.
He has received many honorary degrees
Including Doctor of Musical Arts from the Manhattan School of Music, Doctor of Music from Berkeley, and five others.
He tried to end his life once
In 1970, just after his duo Attila broke up, Joel drank furniture polish to end his life. He ended up in the hospital where he recovered.