Billy Joel
Biography
William Martin Joel, born on May 9, 1949, in the Bronx, New York, is an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. Raised in Hicksville on Long Island, he began piano lessons at age four at his mother's encouragement. Influenced by the British Invasion, he joined his first band, The Echoes, at 14. After high school, he pursued a music career, playing with the bands The Hassles and Attila. In 1971, he launched his solo career with the album Cold Spring Harbor, though it was initially a commercial disappointment due to a mastering error.
The "Piano Man" and Rise to Fame
In 1972, a live radio performance of his song "Captain Jack" caught the attention of Columbia Records, which signed him to a record deal. His 1973 album, Piano Man, featured the title track that would become his signature song. The song was a fictionalized account of his experiences as a lounge pianist in Los Angeles. This success was followed by the albums Streetlife Serenade (1974) and Turnstiles (1976). His major commercial breakthrough came with The Stranger in 1977, which became Columbia Records' best-selling album at the time and included hits like "Just the Way You Are," which won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Decades of Hits
Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, Joel released a string of successful albums. 52nd Street (1978) was his first album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard charts and won the Grammy for Album of the Year. It featured hits such as "My Life" and "Big Shot." In 1980, he released Glass Houses, which had a harder rock edge and included the No. 1 single "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me." His 1982 album, The Nylon Curtain, featured more socially conscious lyrics with songs like "Allentown" and "Goodnight Saigon." An Innocent Man (1983) was a tribute to the music of his youth and produced the major hit "Uptown Girl." His 1985 compilation, Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II, became one of the best-selling albums in U.S. history.
Later Career and Legacy
Joel continued to tour and record, releasing Storm Front in 1989, which included the historical anthem "We Didn't Start the Fire," and River of Dreams in 1993, which was his last studio album of new pop/rock material. In 1987, he was one of the first American rock acts to tour the Soviet Union. He has sold over 160 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has won six Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992. In 2013, he received the Kennedy Center Honors.
Personal Life
Billy Joel has been married four times. His first wife was Elizabeth Weber, whom he married in 1973. He married supermodel Christie Brinkley in 1985, and they had a daughter, Alexa Ray Joel. His third marriage was to Katie Lee in 2004. Since 2015, he has been married to Alexis Roderick, with whom he has two daughters, Della Rose and Remy Anne.