Imagine Billy Joel Headlining Your Event!
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Biography
Billy Joel Biography
By the time he turned 18 Billy Joel was a working musician, handing over tips from his gigs at Long Island nightclubs to help his mother pay the bills. Struggling through his early years as a professional musician, Joel recorded a handful of little-noticed albums with several bands. When his first solo album, Cold Spring Harbor, was released with a production error that made his voice sound too high, and his recording contract left him virtually impoverished, a frustrated Joel left New York for Los Angeles, where he performed under the name Bill Martin.
By the time he turned 18 Billy Joel was a working musician, handing over tips from his gigs at Long Island nightclubs to help his mother pay the bills. Struggling through his early years as a professional musician, Joel recorded a handful of little-noticed albums with several bands. When his first solo album, Cold Spring Harbor, was released with a production error that made his voice sound too high, and his recording contract left him virtually impoverished, a frustrated Joel left New York for Los Angeles, where he performed under the name Bill Martin.
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Billy Joel's career soon took a turn for the better. A Columbia Records executive heard a live track of Joel's singing, and offered him a recording contract. After a contentious legal battle with Joel's previous record label, the album Piano Man debuted in 1973. The hit title track, penned while Joel was working at a Wilshire Boulevard piano bar, put Joel on the path toward stardom. Joel followed Piano Man with a string of popular albums, scoring a string of hit piano-ballad singles that defined Joel's sound: 'Just the Way You Are,' 'The Entertainer,' 'She's Always a Woman,' and 'Scenes From an Italian Restaurant.' As the 1980s dawned, and Joel's popularity soared, he mixed up his repertoire with up-tempo songs like 'You May Be Right' and 'Still Rock 'n' Roll to Me.'
His Grammy Awards include:
1978 Record of the Year Just the Way You Are (song)
1978 Song of the Year Just the Way You Are (song)
1979 Album of the Year 52nd Street (album)
1979 Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male 52nd Street (album)
1980 Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male Glass Houses (album)
1991 Grammy Legend
Drawing inspiration from his own experiences, Joel's personal life was often reflected in his music. His first wife, Elizabeth Weber Small (for whom he wrote 'Just the Way You Are') had been married to one of Joel's bandmates when they first started dating. Despite this inauspicious start, Joel and Small wed in 1972 and remained married until 1983. He then married supermodel Christie Brinkley (the inspiration for 'Uptown Girl') in 1985. The couple welcomed daughter Alexa Ray later the same year. After nearly a decade as one of the country's highest-profile celebrity couples, Joel and Brinkley divorced in 1994, but they remain friendly today.
Joel's last Top 10 single was 'River of Dreams,' the title track from his 1993 album of the same name. Joel continues to tour. He played the last concert at New York's Shea Stadium before its demolition in 2008; he also joined Elton John on a North American tour from 2009 through early 2010, with the pair grossing nearly $90 million over the course of their yearlong tour.
Billy Joel’s career soon took a turn for the better. A Columbia Records executive heard a live track of Joel’s singing, and offered him a recording contract. After a contentious legal battle with Joel’s previous record label, the album Piano Man debuted in 1973. The hit title track, penned while Joel was working at a Wilshire Boulevard piano bar, put Joel on the path toward stardom. Joel followed Piano Man with a string of popular albums, scoring a string of hit piano-ballad singles that defined Joel’s sound: ‘Just the Way You Are,’ ‘The Entertainer,’ ‘She’s Always a Woman,’ and ‘Scenes From an Italian Restaurant.’ As the 1980s dawned, and Joel’s popularity soared, he mixed up his repertoire with up-tempo songs like ‘You May Be Right’ and ‘Still Rock ‘n’ Roll to Me.’
His Grammy Awards include:
1978 Record of the Year Just the Way You Are (song)
1978 Song of the Year Just the Way You Are (song)
1979 Album of the Year 52nd Street (album)
1979 Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male 52nd Street (album)
1980 Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male Glass Houses (album)
1991 Grammy Legend
Drawing inspiration from his own experiences, Joel’s personal life was often reflected in his music. His first wife, Elizabeth Weber Small (for whom he wrote ‘Just the Way You Are’) had been married to one of Joel’s bandmates when they first started dating. Despite this inauspicious start, Joel and Small wed in 1972 and remained married until 1983. He then married supermodel Christie Brinkley (the inspiration for ‘Uptown Girl’) in 1985. The couple welcomed daughter Alexa Ray later the same year. After nearly a decade as one of the country’s highest-profile celebrity couples, Joel and Brinkley divorced in 1994, but they remain friendly today.
Joel’s last Top 10 single was ‘River of Dreams,’ the title track from his 1993 album of the same name. Joel continues to tour. He played the last concert at New York’s Shea Stadium before its demolition in 2008; he also joined Elton John on a North American tour from 2009 through early 2010, with the pair grossing nearly $90 million over the course of their yearlong tour.
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At Headline Booking, we deliver unforgettable celebrity entertainment performances for private parties that create lasting impressions and lifelong memories. Our promise is a Gold Standard of service, so you can relax and enjoy the show while trusting that every detail will be executed flawlessly. When you choose Headline Booking, we provide:
Booking of your favorite A-list artist to perform at your private event
Contracting with the artist and coordination of all Artist travel logistics
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