Billy Joel

Billy Joel is one of the most successful solo artists in American music history. Born in the Bronx and raised on Long Island, New York, Joel began taking piano lessons at a young age and developed a passion for music that would define his life. After playing in several bands during the late 1960s, he launched his solo career with “Cold Spring Harbor” in 1971, though it was his 1973 album “Piano Man” and its iconic title track that brought him mainstream success.

Joel’s career reached its peak during the late 1970s and 1980s with a string of massively successful albums. “The Stranger” (1977), “52nd Street” (1978), “Glass Houses” (1980), and “An Innocent Man” (1983) all achieved multi-platinum status. His 1977 hit “Just the Way You Are” won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. The album “52nd Street” won the Grammy for Album of the Year. His catalog includes timeless classics such as “Piano Man,” “Uptown Girl,” “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” “Allentown,” and “New York State of Mind.”

Despite not releasing an album of new pop material since “River of Dreams” in 1993, Joel has remained one of the highest-grossing touring artists in the world. His monthly residency at Madison Square Garden, which began in January 2014, became one of the most successful concert residencies in history. He set the record for the most performances by any artist at the Garden, surpassing the record previously held by Elton John. He has sold over 150 million records worldwide.

Joel was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. He received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2014 and the Kennedy Center Honor in 2013. He is married to Alexis Roderick, with whom he has two daughters, Della Rose and Remy Anne. He also has a daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, from his previous marriage to supermodel Christie Brinkley.