William Martin Joel is a famous American musician and is considered one of the most successful solo recording artists of all time.
Most notable of his many accomplishments in music are his five Grammy Awards. He is also ranked as the seventh best-selling recording artist by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 85 million certified album units sold.
The Piano Man is an apt nickname for Billy as he is most known to tickle the ivories in live performances and his recordings.
Billy Joel mainly plays the piano but has been seen performing with a guitar.
What we know about Billy Joel’s family
Billy Joel was born to Jewish parents, Howard and Rosalind. He has a sister, Julie, and a half-brother, Alexander Joel.
His father was a classical pianist from Germany but became an engineer upon fleeing to the United States during World War II. His mother was a New York native.
Birth of the Piano Man
Billy’s musical background started when he was four years old, growing up in Long Island, New York.
In an interview with Charlie Rose, he mentioned that his mother would drag him “kicking and screaming” to his piano lessons. He admitted that he would rather play outside than stay in and practice, but he kept at it for his love of music.
“I got kicked around a little because of it, but I really did like the music. I was always enchanted by the music.”
Why did Billy Joel decide to quit his education?
Billy Joel was a student at Hicksville High School. During this time, his family fell into financial troubles as his parents got divorced and his father moved back to Europe.
To help his mother earn some money, he played night gigs in a piano bar in Long Island.
Due to his late nights, his academic performance declined significantly as he missed out on attending important classes and a most crucial English exam.
He was not allowed to graduate high school because of the missing English credit.
In 1992, Billy finally graduated by submitting his works to fulfill the subject requirements.
He addressed his graduating class and poked fun at his musical career, stating, “I can finally pull myself out of this dead-end job I have and start working on a career with a real future.”
Early career
He became a member of a band known as The Echoes in 1963 and played local gigs.
Billy left in 1967 to become a member of the Hassles. The band signed with United Artists where they were able to produce two albums.
He parted ways with the band in 1969 to form Attila with Jon Small. In 1970, the duo issued their first record.
Did Billy Joel change his name?
Although he was named Willian Martin Joel at birth, he is more commonly known as Billy on stage.
He is also affectionately known by a variety of nicknames, some of which included “Joe,” “Piano Man,” and “Mr. Long Island.”
He was also known as “Bill Martin” when he first moved out to Los Angeles due to a contract issue with Family Productions.
Muses and marriages
In 1973, Billy married Elizabeth Weber Small. They first met when Elizabeth was still married to his bandmate, Jon Small.
During their relationship, Elizabeth became his manager. She also played the part of a muse as she was the inspiration for some of Billy’s biggest songs, “She’s Got a Way,” “Just the Way You Are,” and “She’s Always a Woman.”
Their divorce was finalized In 1982.
Newly single and on top of the world, he then got into a short relationship with Elle MacPherson.
It has been reported that the song “Uptown Girl” was about all the women in Billy’s life at that time, including Elle and Christie Brinkley.
In 1985, he married American model Christie Brinkley. The couple was blessed with a daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, who was born in December 1985.
The marriage did not go smoothly as Billy had to tour a lot due to a financial battle with his ex-wife’s brother, Frank. They divorced in 1994.
Billy tied the knot for the third time with Katie Lee on October 2, 2004. The celebrity chef was 23, and he was 55. After being married for just over 4 years, they officially called it quits in 2009.
The Piano Man got married for the fourth time on July 4, 2015, to Alexis Roderick. Their wedding was presided over by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The couple welcomed their first child, Della Rose Joel, in August 2015. Two years later, they were again blessed as their second child, Remy Anne Joel, was born.