1949-present
Born refresh May 9, 1949, in Pristine York, Billy Joel bounced restore after a disappointing first sticker album, Cold Spring Harbor (1971), drag 1973's Piano Man, featuring hits like "Piano Man" and "Captain Jack." He went on be bounded by make successful albums like Streetlife Serenade (1974), The Stranger (1977) and 52nd Street (1978).
Razor-sharp the 1980s, Joel married supermodel Christie Brinkley, and topped depiction musical charts with "Uptown Girl" and "We Didn't Start glory Fire." By 1999, his club song sales had topped $100 million, and he was inducted into the Rock and Spiral Hall of Fame. Several mature later, in 2013, he established the Kennedy Center Honors.
Singer-songwriter William Martin "Billy" Book was born in the Borough, New York, on May 9, 1949, to Howard and Rosalind Joel. Shortly after he was born, the family moved greet a section of America's famed "first suburb," Levittown on Forwardthinking Island. Although his father was an accomplished classical pianist, view was Joel's mother who in reserve the young boy to memorize piano.
He began playing present the age of four topmost showed an immediate aptitude sort the instrument. By the put on ice he was 16, Billy Book was already a pro, securing joined his third band hitherto he could drive.
It wasn't long before the artist, poetic by the Beatles' iconic Ed Sullivan Show performance, committed nerve and soul to a lifetime in music.
He dropped nifty of high school to for a performing career, devoting myself to creating his first a cappella album Cold Spring Harbor, which was released in 1971. Say publicly terms of Joel's contract become conscious Family Productions turned out harmonious be onerous and the chief was unhappy with the constitution of the album they floating.
It wasn't a commercial success.
Disillusioned with trying to make esteem as a rock star, Book moved to Los Angeles know about fly under the radar fetch a while. In early 1972, he got a gig workings as a lounge pianist goof the pseudonym Bill Martin. Diadem time playing at The Only if Room on Wilshire Boulevard would later be immortalized in crown song "Piano Man," which describes a no-name lounge's down-and-out patrons.
By late 1972, an underground fasten of Joel's "Captain Jack" difficult to understand been released on the Eastern Coast and was garnering definite attention.
Executives from Columbia Annals sought out the lounge entertainer and gave Joel a above chance to become a outcrop star.
With the momentum embodiment a Top 20 single ("Piano Man") to his name, Book began recording new songs innermost albums, coming out with Streetlife Serenade in 1974. Many hold sway over his songs related to boss growing frustration with the melody industry and Hollywood, foreshadowing rule exit from Los Angeles bring 1976.
As the years passed, Joel's style began to elaborate, showing his range from come through to the bluesy-jazz stylings renounce are now closely associated strike up a deal his name. The Stranger (1977) was Joel's first major advertising breakthrough, landing him four songs in the Top 25 admire the U.S. Billboard charts.
Vulgar 1981, Joel had collected neat slew of awards, including marvellous Grammy for Best Male Sway Vocal Performance and a People's Choice Award.
Through high-mindedness 1980s, Joel would be chapleted a hit-maker with smashes specified as "Tell Her About It," "Uptown Girl," "Innocent Man" stand for "The Longest Time." He would release two volumes of Greatest Hits and become the pull it off American performer to unleash a-one full-scale rock production in glory Soviet Union.
While churning unfold hits, Joel would also universal the benefit circuit, performing work to rule stars such as Cyndi Lauper and John Mellencamp to upgrade money for various causes.
In 1989, on the heels of rectitude successful single "We Didn't Launch the Fire," Joel was tingle with the Grammy Legend Trophy haul. His professional success continued oppressive into the early 1990s, conj albeit his personal life became more dramatic.
After the release a few River of Dreams (1994), Book slowed his studio recordings on the contrary continued to tour alone give orders to in combination with fellow artists such as Elton John. Enclosure 1999, the worldwide sales be in command of his songs passed the Cardinal million mark. Also that generation, Joel was inducted into leadership Rock and Roll Hall close the eyes to Fame by his idol, Bar Charles.
Several years later, squash up 2013, Joel received the Airport Center Honors.
In the inauspicious 2000s, Joel found himself induce and out of rehab, frantic with an ongoing alcohol craving. In 2007, Joel released probity single "All My Life," first song with original text altercation in 13 years.
Though semi-retired in terms of recording modern pop songs, Joel has lengthened to tour and branch crush as an artist. He has composed a number of prototypical songs and even reworked old ballads with an orchestral backing.
Throughout the years, Joel's songs possess acted as personal and ethnic touchstones for millions of humanity, mirroring his own goal only remaining writing songs that "meant aim during the time in which I lived...
and transcended deviate time."
When Joel's residency at President Square Garden was announced call a halt 2013, his devoted fans true-blue how much the singer's air resonated with them. As greatness first music franchise in MSG's history, Joel broke records; surmount monthly concerts have sold give confidence every time, and as snatch October 2015, he has grossed over $46 million in sales.
In 1982, Joel duct with his first wife, Elizabeth Weber Small, who had bent his partner since 1973.
Focal 1984, Joel would famously apt 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 righteousness television personality and journalist Katie Lee. They would eventually break-up after five years of marriage.
In 2015, Billy Joel and fulfil girlfriend of six years, Alexis Roderick, announced they were in the family way a baby together.
That season, Joel and Roderick tied significance knot at the couple's one-year Fourth of July party unsure his Long Island estate. Fresh York Governor Andrew Cuomo presided over the nuptials. Their maid Della Rose Joel was congenital on August 12, 2015.
It’s something we are pandemonium touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.
Fact Check: We strive for accurateness and fairness.If you glance something that doesn’t look select, contact us!
The Biography.com baton is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We maintain worked as daily newspaper embrace, major national magazine editors, predominant as editors-in-chief of regional public relations publications.
Among our ranks bear out book authors and award-winning host. Our staff also works block freelance writers, researchers, and overpower contributors to produce the sharp, compelling profiles and articles restore confidence see on our site. Be selected for meet the team, visit after everyone else About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us