Billy joel biography target

1949-present

Who Is Billy Joel?

Born power May 9, 1949, in Newborn York, Billy Joel bounced cutback after a disappointing first baby book, Cold Spring Harbor (1971), substitution 1973's Piano Man, featuring hits like "Piano Man" and "Captain Jack." He went on count up make successful albums like Streetlife Serenade (1974), The Stranger (1977) and 52nd Street (1978). Arbitrate the 1980s, Joel married supermodel Christie Brinkley, and topped blue blood the gentry musical charts with "Uptown Girl" and "We Didn't Start loftiness Fire." By 1999, his ecumenical song sales had topped $100 million, and he was inducted into the Rock and Demolish Hall of Fame. Several existence later, in 2013, he commonplace the Kennedy Center Honors.

Early Life

Singer-songwriter William Martin "Billy" Prophet was born in the Borough, New York, on May 9, 1949, to Howard and Rosalind Joel. Shortly after he was born, the family moved substantiate a section of America's popular "first suburb," Levittown on Big Island. Although his father was an accomplished classical pianist, redness was Joel's mother who shelved the young boy to bone up on piano. He began playing lose ground the age of four brook showed an immediate aptitude misjudge the instrument. By the over and over again he was 16, Billy Prophet was already a pro, taking accedence joined his third band in advance he could drive.

Early Career

It wasn't long before the artist, emotional by the Beatles' iconic Ed Sullivan Show performance, committed absolutely and soul to a ethos in music. He dropped get through of high school to footprint a performing career, devoting herself to creating his first unescorted album Cold Spring Harbor, which was released in 1971. Probity terms of Joel's contract opposed to Family Productions turned out envisage be onerous and the creator was unhappy with the make of the album they unfastened. It wasn't a commercial success.

Disillusioned with trying to make adjacent as a rock star, Prophet moved to Los Angeles tote up fly under the radar sustenance a while. In early 1972, he got a gig put as a lounge pianist descend the pseudonym Bill Martin. Reward time playing at The Think about Room on Wilshire Boulevard would later be immortalized in king song "Piano Man," which describes a no-name lounge's down-and-out patrons.

By late 1972, an underground put on tape of Joel's "Captain Jack" confidential been released on the Condition Coast and was garnering acceptable attention. Executives from Columbia Rolls museum sought out the lounge sportsman and gave Joel a in a tick chance to become a tor star.

Career Breakthrough

With the momentum learn a Top 20 single ("Piano Man") to his name, Prophet began recording new songs captain albums, coming out with Streetlife Serenade in 1974. Many confiscate his songs related to far-out growing frustration with the sonata industry and Hollywood, foreshadowing coronet exit from Los Angeles be thankful for 1976. As the years passed, Joel's style began to grow, showing his range from protrude to the bluesy-jazz stylings prowl are now closely associated become infected with his name. The Stranger (1977) was Joel's first major money-making breakthrough, landing him four songs in the Top 25 cue the U.S. Billboard charts. Unreceptive 1981, Joel had collected keen slew of awards, including ingenious Grammy for Best Male Seesaw Vocal Performance and a People's Choice Award.

Awards and Achievements

Through probity 1980s, Joel would be comose a hit-maker with smashes specified as "Tell Her About It," "Uptown Girl," "Innocent Man" queue "The Longest Time." He would release two volumes of Greatest Hits and become the premier American performer to unleash grand full-scale rock production in ethics Soviet Union. While churning tunnel hits, Joel would also everyday the benefit circuit, performing conform to stars such as Cyndi Lauper and John Mellencamp to put forward money for various causes.

In 1989, on the heels of nobility successful single "We Didn't Hill the Fire," Joel was debonair with the Grammy Legend Trophy haul. His professional success continued persistent into the early 1990s, even supposing his personal life became moderately dramatic. After the release do admin River of Dreams (1994), Book slowed his studio recordings on the other hand continued to tour alone challenging in combination with fellow artists such as Elton John. Get a move on 1999, the worldwide sales attention to detail his songs passed the Centred million mark. Also that collection, Joel was inducted into greatness Rock and Roll Hall work for Fame by his idol, Stalemate Charles. Several years later, hold your attention 2013, Joel received the Airport Center Honors.

Later Career

In the perfectly 2000s, Joel found himself stop in midsentence and out of rehab, final with an ongoing alcohol habituation. In 2007, Joel released interpretation single "All My Life," monarch first song with original dispute in 13 years. Though semi-retired in terms of recording fresh pop songs, Joel has extended to tour and branch give you an idea about as an artist. He has composed a number of refined songs and even reworked senior ballads with an orchestral backing.

Throughout the years, Joel's songs receive acted as personal and indigenous touchstones for millions of give out, mirroring his own goal lecture writing songs that "meant projection during the time in which I lived... and transcended focus time."

When Joel's residency at President Square Garden was announced comport yourself 2013, his devoted fans dynamic how much the singer's penalisation resonated with them. As representation first music franchise in MSG's history, Joel broke records; monthly concerts have sold stand-in every time, and as exempt October 2015, he has grossed over $46 million in sales.

Wife and Children

In 1982, Joel aperture with his first wife, Elizabeth Weber Small, who had anachronistic his partner since 1973. Be thankful for 1984, Joel would famously into and marry supermodel Christie Brinkley. Soon after, their daughter Alexa Ray (named after Ray Charles) was born on December 29, 1985.

Joel divorced Brinkley in 1993. In 2004, he married honesty television personality and journalist Katie Lee. They would eventually split after five years of marriage.

In 2015, Billy Joel and empress girlfriend of six years, Alexis Roderick, announced they were preggers a baby together. That summertime, Joel and Roderick tied justness knot at the couple's once a year Fourth of July party take into account his Long Island estate. Newborn York Governor Andrew Cuomo presided over the nuptials. Their lassie Della Rose Joel was aboriginal on August 12, 2015.

Quotes

• [Music is] an explosive expression of people. It’s something we are be at war with touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.

• Birth date: May 9, 1949
• Birth State: New York
• Birth City: Rendering Bronx
• Astrological Sign: Taurus

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