When describing popular music artists, honorific nicknames are used, most often in the media or by fans, to indicate the significance of an artist, and are often religious , familial , or most frequently royal and aristocratic titles, used metaphorically . Honorific nicknames were used in classical music in Europe even in the early 19th century, with figures such as Mozart being called "The father of modern music" and Bach "The father of modern piano music". They were also particularly prominent in African-American culture in the post- Civil War era, perhaps as a means of conferring status that had been negated by slavery , and as a result entered early jazz and blues music, including figures such as Duke Ellington and Count Basie .
84-449: William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed the " Piano Man " after his signature 1973 song of the same name , Joel has had a successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s. From 1971 to 1993, he released 12 studio albums spanning the genres of pop and rock, and in 2001 released a one-off studio album of classical compositions. Joel is one of
168-439: A weighted average , assigned the film a score of 63 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. At the 50th Golden Globe Awards , the film was nominated for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy , while Nicolas Cage was nominated for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy . The soundtrack was composed mainly of covers of Elvis Presley songs performed by country and pop/rock artists. The film
252-521: A Fantasy " (No. 36, November 1980). "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", Joel's first Billboard number-one single, spent 11 weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and was the seventh biggest hit of 1980 according to American Top 40. His five sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in 1980 earned him the Garden's Gold Ticket Award for selling more than 100,000 tickets at the venue. Glass Houses won
336-688: A Fantasy ". The Nylon Curtain (1982) stemmed from a desire to create more lyrically and melodically ambitious music. An Innocent Man (1983) served as an homage to genres of music that Joel had grown up with in the 1950s, such as rhythm and blues and doo-wop ; it featured " Tell Her About It ", " Uptown Girl ", and " The Longest Time ", three of his best-known songs. After River of Dreams (1993), he largely retired from producing studio material, although he went on to release Fantasies & Delusions (2001), featuring classical compositions composed by him and performed by British-Korean pianist Richard Hyung-ki Joo . Joel provided voiceover work in 1988 for
420-416: A No. 34 hit in the U.S. Upset that "Piano Man" had been significantly cut for radio play, Joel wrote "The Entertainer" as a sarcastic response: "If you're gonna have a hit, you gotta make it fit, so they cut it down to 3:05." Although Streetlife Serenade was viewed unfavorably by critics, it contains the notable songs "Los Angelenos" and " Root Beer Rag ", an instrumental that was a staple of his live set in
504-485: A Woman ", as well as the concert staples " Scenes from an Italian Restaurant " and " Vienna ". 52nd Street (1978) was Joel's first album to peak at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 . Glass Houses (1980) was an attempt to further establish himself as a rock artist; it featured " It's Still Rock and Roll to Me " (Joel's first single to top the Billboard Hot 100 ), " You May Be Right ", " Don't Ask Me Why ", and " Sometimes
588-526: A budget of $ 25 million It opened at Number 1, and spent its first five weeks in the Top 10 at the domestic box office. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 64% of 36 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's consensus reads: " Honeymoon in Vegas is a light screwball comedy that has just about what you expect (and nothing you don't)." Metacritic , which uses
672-586: A career in music. He recalled: That one performance changed my life ... Up to that moment I'd never considered playing rock as a career... (W)hen I saw four guys who didn't look like they'd come out of the Hollywood star mill, who played their own songs and instruments, and especially because you could see this look in John Lennon 's face—and he looked like he was always saying: '--- you!'—I said: 'I know these guys, I can relate to these guys, I am these guys. This
756-417: A crucial English exam after playing a late-night gig the evening before. Although Joel was a comparatively strong student, at the end of his senior year, he did not have enough credits to graduate. Rather than attend summer school to earn his diploma, Joel decided to begin a music career: "I told them, 'To hell with it. If I'm not going to Columbia University , I'm going to Columbia Records , and you don't need
840-474: A family, and he proposes a quick Las Vegas marriage. They check into the Bally's Casino Resort . Before the wedding, however, a wealthy professional gambler, Tommy Korman, notices Betsy's striking resemblance to his beloved late wife, Donna. He arranges a crooked poker game that prompts Jack to borrow $ 65,000 after being dealt a straight flush, only to lose to the gambler's higher straight flush; Tommy offers to erase
924-473: A firm staple of his live shows, and " Vienna ", also one of Joel's personal favorites and as of 2022 one of his most streamed songs on the internet. Rolling Stone later ranked The Stranger the 70th greatest album of all time. Joel released 52nd Street in 1978, naming it after Manhattan's 52nd Street , which, at the time of its release, served as the world headquarters of CBS/ Columbia . The album sold over seven million copies, propelled to number one on
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#17328517798501008-536: A flight to Las Vegas. He joins a group about to depart for Las Vegas but discovers mid-flight that they are the Utah chapter of the "Flying Elvises" – a skydiving team of Elvis impersonators . Jack realizes he has to skydive from 3,000 feet to get to Betsy. Jack overcomes his fear. He lands and spots Betsy, ruining Tommy's plans. Jack and Betsy are married in a small Las Vegas chapel with the Flying Elvises as guests. Jack
1092-409: A good musical. He was distracted making movies but then had open heart surgery in 2001. "When you have open-heart surgery, you say, what do I really want to do? What haven't I done? I thought it'd be great to do a musical." Jason Robert Brown, a composer, had always wanted to do Honeymoon as a musical and wrote some songs on spec. He and Bergman agreed to collaborate. "We certainly were looking to do
1176-517: A high school diploma over there'." In 1992, he submitted essays to the school board in lieu of the missed exam. They were accepted, and he was awarded his diploma at Hicksville High's annual graduation ceremony 25 years after leaving. Influenced by early rock & roll and rhythm & blues artists, including Elvis Presley and The Everly Brothers , Joel favored tightly structured pop melodies and down-to-earth songwriting. After seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show , Joel decided to pursue
1260-509: A music career, Joel took part in two short-lived bands, The Hassles and Attila , before signing a record deal with Family Productions and embarking on a solo career with his debut album, Cold Spring Harbor (1971). In 1972, Joel caught the attention of Columbia Records after a live radio performance of " Captain Jack " became popular in Philadelphia , prompting him to sign a new record deal with
1344-586: A period of serious upheaval in his business affairs. In August 1989, just before the album was released, Joel dismissed his manager (and former brother-in-law) Frank Weber after an audit revealed major discrepancies in Weber's accounting. Joel subsequently sued Weber for US$ 90 million, claiming fraud and breach of fiduciary duty, and in January 1990, Joel was awarded US$ 2 million in a partial judgment against Weber; in April,
1428-437: A real book musical that isn't really done much anymore," said Bergman. We wanted the sound to be of the '60s and '70s—not that it's a throwback, but we wanted that sound. We wanted to be brassy, come and love us kind of show." A big change from the movie was the character of the mother was kept alive. "Having her recur is a great thing for the show," said Bergman. "It keeps her spirit alive and it keeps his mishigas alive. That
1512-509: A recording of the Shangri-Las' " Remember (Walking in the Sand) " but he is unaware of whether he played on the demo or master version. The released single included a co-producer credit for Artie Ripp , who later was the first to sign and produce Joel as a solo artist after Michael Lang , who had given Joel a monetary advance, passed Joel along to Ripp to focus his attentions elsewhere. In late 1965,
1596-637: A single, " New York State of Mind " became one of Joel's best-known songs; Barbra Streisand recorded a cover and Tony Bennett performed it as a duet with Joel on Playing with My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues . Other notable songs from the album include " Summer, Highland Falls "; " Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) " and " Prelude/Angry Young Man ", a concert mainstay. Columbia Records introduced Joel to Phil Ramone , who produced all of Joel's studio albums from 1977 to 1986. The Stranger (1977)
1680-482: Is attacked by Tommy and arrested. Jack's dentist friend, Sally Molars, bails Jack out of jail. Mahi Mahi meets Jack outside and admits that Tommy left for Las Vegas with Betsy and has convinced her to marry him. Mahi races Jack to the airport. Betsy decides she cannot go through with the wedding and escapes from Tommy. Meanwhile, after changing many planes and finding himself stuck in San Jose, Jack tries frantically to find
1764-627: Is one of the best-selling albums in American music history , according to the RIAA. Coinciding with the Greatest Hits album release, Joel released a two-volume Video Album that was a compilation of the promotional videos he had recorded from 1977 to that time. Along with videos for the new singles off the Greatest Hits album, Joel also recorded a video for his first hit, "Piano Man", for this project. Joel's next album, The Bridge (1986), did not achieve
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#17328517798501848-402: Is scored by David Newman . Shipments figures based on certification alone. Other tracks featured in the film but not included on the soundtrack include " Viva Las Vegas " by Bruce Springsteen , " Jailhouse Rock ", " That's All Right ", " It's Now or Never " by Elvis Presley , and "La Donna è Mobile" by Franco Bonisolli . Bergman says when he finished the film he thought it might make
1932-502: Is wearing a white illuminated jumpsuit and Betsy is in a stolen showgirl outfit. Director and writer Andrew Bergman said about the film, "It wasn't based on anything. I wanted to do a boy-girl story, and in my perverse fashion, it turned out to be this." The film's budget was $ 25 million. Filming began in August 1991, and was underway in Las Vegas by that September. Bally's Casino Resort
2016-596: Is what I'm going to do—play in a rock band'. At age 16, Joel joined the Echoes, a group which specialized in British Invasion covers. The Echoes began recording in 1965. Joel played piano on several records released through Kama Sutra Productions and on recordings produced by Shadow Morton . Joel played on a demo version of " Leader of the Pack ", which became a major hit for the Shangri-Las . Joel states that in 1964 he played on
2100-515: The Disney animated film Oliver & Company , performing the song "Why Should I Worry?", and contributed to the soundtracks to several films, including Easy Money (1983), Ruthless People (1986), and Honeymoon in Vegas (1992). Joel returned to composing new music with the 2024 single “ Turn the Lights Back On ”. Joel has had a successful touring career, holding live performances across
2184-521: The Doo Wop Live . The song became a worldwide hit upon its release. The music video of the song, originally written about then-girlfriend Elle MacPherson , featured Christie Brinkley as a high-society girl who pulls her car into the gas station where Joel's character is working. At the end of the video, Joel's "grease monkey" character drives off with his "uptown girl" on the back of a motorcycle. When Brinkley went to visit Joel after being asked to star in
2268-518: The Piano Man track " You're My Home ". In 1974, Joel recorded his second Columbia album in Los Angeles, Streetlife Serenade . His manager at the time was Jon Troy, an old friend from New York's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood; Troy was soon replaced by Joel's wife Elizabeth. Streetlife Serenade contains references to suburbia and the inner city . It is perhaps best known for " The Entertainer ",
2352-481: The Reagan administration meant that "all of a sudden you weren't going to be able to inherit [the kind of life] your old man had." He also tried to be more ambitious in his use of the recording studio. Joel said that he wanted to "create a sonic masterpiece" on The Nylon Curtain . So he spent more time in the studio, crafting the sound of the album, than he had on any previous album. Production of The Nylon Curtain began in
2436-511: The USA for Africa " We Are the World " project in 1985. Following An Innocent Man , Joel was asked about releasing an album of his most successful singles. This was not the first time this topic had come up, but Joel had initially considered "Greatest Hits" albums as marking the end of one's career. This time he agreed, and Greatest Hits Vol. 1 and 2 was released as a four-sided album and two-CD set, with
2520-518: The 1950s. There was a series of attempts to find—and a number of claimants to be—the "King of Rock 'n' Roll", a title that became most associated with Elvis Presley . This has been characterized as part of a process of the appropriation of credit for innovation of the then new music by a white establishment. Different honorifics have been taken or given for other leading figures in the genre, such as "the Architect of Rock and Roll", by Little Richard from
2604-488: The 1970s. In late 1975, Joel played piano and organ on several tracks on Bo Diddley 's The 20th Anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll all-star album. Disenchanted with Los Angeles, Joel returned to New York City in 1975 and recorded Turnstiles , the first album he recorded with the musicians with whom he toured . Produced by James William Guercio (then Chicago 's producer), Turnstiles was first recorded at Caribou Ranch with members of Elton John 's band. Dissatisfied with
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2688-692: The 1980s. Some nicknames have been strongly promulgated and contested by various artists, and occasionally disowned or played down by their subjects. Some notable honorific nicknames are in general usage and commonly identified with particular individuals. Honeymoon in Vegas Honeymoon in Vegas is a 1992 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Andrew Bergman and starring James Caan , Nicolas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker . Private eye Jack Singer swore to his mother on her deathbed that he would never marry. His girlfriend Betsy wants to get married and start
2772-421: The 1990s; this term, like many, is also used for other important figures, in this case including pioneer electric guitarist Les Paul . Similar honorific nicknames have been given in other genres, including Aretha Franklin , who was crowned the "Queen of Soul" on stage by disk jockey Pervis Spann in 1968. Michael Jackson and Madonna have been closely associated with the terms "King and Queen of Pop" since
2856-508: The Beatles asking them how to get started in the music industry. In response, he received a pamphlet about Beatles merchandise. This later led to the idea of Joel conducting Q&A sessions around the world answering questions that people had about the music industry. Joel's next release, Songs in the Attic , was composed of live performances of lesser-known songs from the beginning of his career. It
2940-651: The CBS Jazz All-Stars, the Trio of Doom , Fania All-Stars , Billy Swan , Bonnie Bramlett , Mike Finnegan, Weather Report , and an array of Cuban artists including Irakere , Pacho Alonso , Tata Güines and Orquesta Aragón . His performance is captured in Ernesto Juan Castellanos's documentary Havana Jam '79 . 52nd Street was the first commercially released album on the then-new compact disc format, in 1982. The success of his piano-driven ballads like "Just
3024-729: The Echoes changed their name to the Emeralds, and then to the Lost Souls. Joel left the band in 1967 to join the Hassles , a Long Island group that had signed with United Artists Records . Over the next year and a half, they released four singles and two albums ( The Hassles and Hour of the Wolf ). All were commercial failures. Joel and drummer Jon Small left the Hassles in 1969 to form the duo Attila , releasing an eponymous debut album in July 1970. The duo disbanded
3108-624: The Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male. It also won the American Music Award for Favorite Album, Pop/Rock category. The album's closing song, "Through The Long Night" ( B-side of the "It's Still Rock & Roll to Me" single), was a lullaby that featured Joel harmonizing with himself in a song he says was inspired by The Beatles ' " Yes It Is ". In a recorded Masterclass at the University of Pennsylvania , Joel recalled that he had written to
3192-504: The Mar Y Sol compilation album Mar Y Sol: The First International Puerto Rico Pop Festival . Nevertheless, interest in his music grew. During the spring of 1972, the Philadelphia radio station WMMR -FM began playing a concert recording of " Captain Jack ", which became an underground hit on the East Coast . Herb Gordon, a Columbia Records executive, heard Joel's music and introduced him to
3276-636: The US; he considered the people uneducated and materialistic. He settled in Vienna , Austria, and later remarried. Joel has a half-brother, Alexander Joel , born to his father in Europe, who became a classical conductor there and was the chief musical director of the Staatstheater Braunschweig from 2001 to 2014. Joel reluctantly began taking piano lessons at age four at his mother's insistence. His teachers included
3360-475: The Way You Are", "She's Always a Woman" and "Honesty" led some critics to label Joel a " balladeer " and " soft rocker ". He thought these labels were unfair and insulting, and with Glass Houses , Joel tried to record an album that proved that he could rock harder than his critics gave him credit for, occasionally imitating and referring to the style of new wave rock music that was starting to become popular. On
3444-528: The Way You Are"—written for Joel's first wife, Elizabeth Weber—was inspired by a dream and won Grammy awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year . On tour in Paris, Joel learned the news late one night in a hotel room. It also featured " Scenes from an Italian Restaurant ", an album-oriented rock classic, which has become one of his best-known songs. It is one of Joel's favorite of his own songs, which has become
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3528-660: The Year for 52nd Street . Joel was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2006. He received the 2001 Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and was recognized at the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors . Billy Joel was born on May 9, 1949, in The Bronx . When he was a year old, his family moved to Hicksville, New York in
3612-478: The album cover, Joel is pictured in a leather jacket, about to throw a rock at a glass house (referring to the adage that "people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones"). Glass Houses spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard chart and yielded the hits " You May Be Right " (No. 7, May 1980), " It's Still Rock and Roll to Me ", (No. 1, July 1980), " Don't Ask Me Why " (No. 19, September 1980) and " Sometimes
3696-597: The bright lights, flipped his electric piano and snapped a microphone stand while continuing to sing. He later apologized for the incident. The album КОНЦЕРТ (Russian for "Concert") was released in October 1987. Singer Pete Hewlett was brought in to hit the high notes on his most vocally challenging songs, like "An Innocent Man". Joel also did versions of The Beatles' classic " Back in the U.S.S.R. " and Bob Dylan 's " The Times They Are a-Changin ". It has been estimated that Joel lost more than US$ 1 million of his own money on
3780-463: The charts by the hits " My Life " (No. 3), " Big Shot " (No. 14) and " Honesty " (No. 24). A cover of "My Life" by Gary Bennett became the theme for the television sitcom Bosom Buddies . 52nd Street also won Grammy awards for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male and Album of the Year. In 1979, Joel traveled to Havana, Cuba to participate in the historic Havana Jam festival March 2–4, alongside Rita Coolidge , Kris Kristofferson , Stephen Stills ,
3864-494: The company, through which he released his second album, Piano Man (1973). After Streetlife Serenade (1974) and Turnstiles (1976), Joel achieved his critical and commercial breakthrough with The Stranger (1977). It became Columbia's best-selling release, selling over 10 million copies and spawning the hit singles " Just the Way You Are ", " Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) ", " Only the Good Die Young ", and " She's Always
3948-469: The company. Joel signed a recording contract with Columbia in 1972 and moved to Los Angeles; he lived there for the next three years. For six months he worked at The Executive Room piano bar on Wilshire Boulevard as "Bill Martin". During that time, he composed his signature song " Piano Man " about the bar's patrons. Despite Joel's new contract, he was legally bound to Family Productions. Artie Ripp sold Joel's first contract to Columbia. Walter Yetnikoff ,
4032-452: The country, including Elton John, James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt . Most of that audience took a long while to warm up to Joel's energetic show, something that had never happened in other countries he had performed in. According to Joel, each time the fans were hit with the bright lights, anybody who seemed to be enjoying themselves froze. In addition, people who were "overreacting" were removed by security. During this concert Joel, enraged by
4116-504: The court dismissed a US$ 30 million countersuit filed by Weber. The first single for the album, " We Didn't Start the Fire ", was released in September 1989 and it became Joel's third—and most recent—US number-one hit, spending two weeks at the top. Storm Front was released in October, and it eventually became Joel's first number-one album since Glass Houses , nine years earlier. Storm Front
4200-507: The debt in exchange for spending the weekend with Betsy. After Tommy states he will be a perfect gentleman, the desperate couple consents. Jack discovers that Tommy has taken Betsy to his vacation home in Kauai . The gambler asks his taxi driver friend, Mahi Mahi, to keep Jack as far as possible from him and Betsy. Jack discovers this and steals the taxi. He sees Betsy outside the Kauai Club where he
4284-501: The fall of 1971, touring with his band, consisting of Rhys Clark on drums, Al Hertzberg on guitar, and Larry Russell on bass guitar, throughout the mainland United States and Puerto Rico, opening for such artists as the J. Geils Band , The Beach Boys , Badfinger and Taj Mahal . Joel's performance at the Puerto Rican Mar y Sol Pop Festival was especially well-received; and although recorded, Joel refused to have it published on
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#17328517798504368-463: The fall of 1981. However, production was temporarily delayed when Joel was involved in a serious motorcycle accident on Long Island on April 15, 1982, severely injuring his hands. Still, Joel quickly recovered from his injuries, and the album ended up being delayed by only a few months. In 1982, Joel embarked on a brief tour in support of the album. From one of the final shows of the tour, Joel made his first video special, Live from Long Island , which
4452-404: The following October when Joel began an affair with Small's wife, Elizabeth. The pair later married. Joel signed a contract with the record company Family Productions, with which he recorded his first solo album, Cold Spring Harbor , named for a hamlet on his native Long Island . Ripp states that he spent US$ 450,000 developing Joel; nevertheless, the album was mastered at too high a speed and
4536-542: The globe. In 1987, he became one of the first artists to hold a rock tour in the Soviet Union following the country's alleviation of its ban on rock music. Joel has produced 33 self-written Top 40 hits in the U.S., three of which ("It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", "Tell Her About It", and " We Didn't Start the Fire ") topped the Billboard Hot 100. Joel has been nominated for 23 Grammy Awards , winning 6, including Album of
4620-462: The level of success of his previous albums, but it yielded the hits " A Matter of Trust " and " Modern Woman " (both No. 10) from the film Ruthless People , a dark comedy from the directors of Airplane! . The ballad " This is the Time " also charted, peaking at No. 18. On November 18, 1986, an extended version of " Big Man on Mulberry Street " was used on a Season 3 episode of Moonlighting . The Bridge
4704-591: The media; father or mother have been used for innovators , and royal titles such as king and queen for dominant figures in a field. In the 1930s and 1940s, as jazz and swing music were gaining popularity, it was the more commercially successful white artists Paul Whiteman and Benny Goodman who became known as "the King of Jazz" and "the King of Swing" respectively, despite there being more highly regarded contemporary African-American artists. These patterns of naming were transferred to rock and roll when it emerged in
4788-413: The most of any album in Joel's catalog. The album was well received by critics, with Stephen Thomas Erlewine , senior editor for AllMusic, describing Joel as being "in top form as a craftsman throughout the record, effortlessly spinning out infectious, memorable melodies in a variety of styles." At the time that the album was released, WCBS-FM began playing " Uptown Girl " both in regular rotation and on
4872-424: The noted American pianist Morton Estrin and musician Timothy Ford. Joel says that he is a better organist than a pianist. As a teenager, Joel took up boxing so he could defend himself. He boxed successfully on the amateur Golden Gloves circuit for a short time, winning 22 bouts, but abandoned the sport shortly after his nose was broken in his 24th match. Although Joel's parents were Jewish, he did not grow up in
4956-486: The president of CBS/Columbia Records at the time, bought back the rights to Joel's songs in the late 1970s, giving the rights to Joel as a birthday gift. Yetnikoff notes in the documentary The Last Play at Shea that he had to threaten Ripp to close the deal. Joel's first album with Columbia was Piano Man (1973). Despite modest sales, the album's title track became his signature song, ending nearly every concert. That year Joel's touring band changed. Guitarist Al Hertzberg
5040-564: The religion. "I was not brought up Jewish in any religious way. My circumcision was as Jewish as they got." He attended a Roman Catholic church with friends. At age 11, he was baptized in a Church of Christ in Hicksville . He now identifies as an atheist Jew . Joel attended Hicksville High School in Hicksville until 1967 but did not graduate with his class. He was playing at a piano bar to help support himself, his mother and sister, and missed
5124-560: The result, Joel re-recorded the songs and produced the album himself. " Say Goodbye to Hollywood " was a minor hit, covered by Ronnie Spector and Nigel Olsson . In a 2008 radio interview, Joel said that he no longer performs the song because singing it in its high original key "shreds" his vocal cords ; however, he did finally play it live for the first time since 1982 when he sang it at the Hollywood Bowl in May 2014. Although never released as
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#17328517798505208-458: The serious themes of The Nylon Curtain and struck a much lighter tone. An Innocent Man was Joel's tribute to R&B and doo wop music of the 1950s and 1960s and resulted in Joel's second Billboard number-one hit, " Tell Her About It ", which was the first single off the album in the summer of 1983. The album itself reached No. 4 on the charts and No. 2 in UK. It also boasted six top-30 singles,
5292-620: The son of merchant and manufacturer Karl Amson Joel , and educated in Switzerland . Billy's father had created a highly successful mail-order textile business, Joel Macht Fabrik. Escaping the Nazi regime , Howard and his family emigrated to Switzerland. Billy's father sold his business at a fraction of its value in order to emigrate. The family reached the United States via Cuba , because immigration quotas for German Jews prevented direct immigration at
5376-478: The songs in the order in which they were released. The new songs " You're Only Human (Second Wind) " and " The Night Is Still Young " were recorded and released as singles to support the album; both reached the top 40, peaking at No. 9 and No. 34, respectively. Greatest Hits was highly successful and it has since been certified double diamond by the RIAA , with over 11.5 million copies (23 million units) sold. It
5460-701: The time Joel was writing songs for An Innocent Man ; but "And So It Goes" did not fit that album's retro theme, so it was held back until Storm Front . Joel said in a 1996 Masterclass session in Pittsburgh that Storm Front was a turbulent album and that "And So It Goes", as the last song on the album, portrayed the calm and tranquility that often follows a violent thunderstorm. Honorific nicknames in popular music In U.S. culture , despite its republican constitution and ideology, royalist honorific nicknames have been used to describe leading figures in various areas of activity, such as industry, commerce, sports, and
5544-470: The time. In the United States, Howard became an engineer but always loved music. Billy Joel's parents met in the late 1930s at City College of New York at a Gilbert and Sullivan performance. He has said that neither of his parents talked much about World War II , which were such dark years; it was not until later that Joel learned more about his father's family. After Rosalind and Howard Joel divorced in 1957, Howard returned to Europe, as he had never liked
5628-561: The town of Oyster Bay on Long Island . He and his cousin Judy, whom his parents adopted, were raised in a section of Levitt homes. His mother, Rosalind (1922–2014), was born in Brooklyn to Jewish parents, Philip and Rebecca Nyman, who emigrated from England. Billy's father, Howard (born Helmut) Joel (1923–2011), a classical pianist and businessman, was born in Nuremberg, Germany to a Jewish family,
5712-549: The trip and concerts, but he has said the goodwill he was shown there was well worth it. The animated film Oliver & Company (1988) features Joel in a rare voice acting role as Dodger, a sarcastic Jack Russell based on Dickens 's Artful Dodger . The character's design is based on Joel's image at the time, including his trademark Wayfarer sunglasses. Joel also sang his character's song "Why Should I Worry?". The recording of Storm Front , which commenced in 1988, coincided with major changes in Joel's career and inaugurated
5796-518: The trip in July 1987. The entourage was filmed for television and video to offset the cost of the trip, and the concerts were simulcast on radio around the world. Joel's Russian tour was the first live rock radio broadcast in Soviet history. The tour was later cited frequently as one of the first fully staged pop rock shows to come to the Soviet Union, although in reality other artists had previously toured in
5880-435: The video, the first thing Joel said to her upon opening his door was "I don't dance". Brinkley had to walk him through the basic steps he does in the video. Their work together on this video shoot sparked a relationship between the two which led to their marriage in 1985. In December, the title song was released as a single and it peaked at No. 10 in the U.S. and No. 8 in the UK, early in 1984. That March, " The Longest Time "
5964-570: The world's best-selling music artists and the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States, with over 160 million records sold worldwide. His 1985 compilation album, Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II , is one of the best-selling albums in the United States . Joel was born in the Bronx in New York City and grew up on Long Island , where he began taking piano lessons at his mother's insistence. After dropping out of high school to pursue
6048-767: Was Joel's first album since Turnstiles to be recorded without Phil Ramone as producer. For this album, he wanted a new sound, and worked with Mick Jones of Foreigner . Joel is also credited as one of the keyboard players on Jones's 1988 self-titled solo album, and is featured in the official video for Jones's single "Just Wanna Hold"; Joel can be seen playing the piano while his then-wife Christie Brinkley joins him and kisses him. Joel also revamped his backing band, dismissing everyone but drummer Liberty DeVitto , guitarist David Brown, and saxophone player Mark Rivera , and bringing in new faces, including multi-instrumentalist Crystal Taliefero . Storm Front 's second single, " I Go to Extremes " reached No. 6 in early 1990. The album
6132-694: Was Joel's last album to carry the Family Productions logo, after which he severed his ties with Artie Ripp. Joel has also stated in many interviews, most recently in a 2008 interview in Performing Songwriter magazine, that he does not think The Bridge is a good album. In October 1986, Joel and his team started planning a trip to the Soviet Union. There were live performances at indoor arenas in Moscow, Leningrad and Tbilisi . Joel, his family (including young daughter Alexa), and his full touring band made
6216-757: Was a real change." A musical stage version of the movie was written by Jason Robert Brown (music and lyrics) and Andrew Bergman (book). A Broadway -bound production was expected to debut in Toronto in November 2012, starring Tony Danza as Tommy Korman. However, the Toronto premiere was canceled, and production was transferred to the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey instead with Danza remaining. The Paper Mill production opened on September 26, 2013, and ran through October 27. The musical began previews on Broadway at
6300-428: Was a technical and commercial disappointment. The popular songs " She's Got a Way " and " Everybody Loves You Now " were originally released on this album, but went largely unnoticed until being released as live performances on Songs in the Attic (1981). Columbia released a remastered version of Cold Spring Harbor in 1983, with certain songs shortened or re-orchestrated. Joel began his Cold Spring Harbor tour in
6384-407: Was also notable for its song " Leningrad ", written after Joel met a clown in the Soviet city of that name during his tour in 1987, and " The Downeaster Alexa ", written to underscore the plight of fishermen on Long Island who are barely able to make ends meet. Another well-known single from the album is the ballad " And So It Goes " (No. 37 in late 1990). The song was originally written in 1983, around
6468-766: Was among the filming locations in Las Vegas. Las Vegas' Chapel of the Bells wedding chapel was also used for filming. Other filming locations included New York, and Culver Studios in California. Filming in Kauai was concluded in November 1991. Among the filming locations in Kauai was the Inn on the Cliffs restaurant, located at the Westin Kauai Hotel. Filming also took place at Kauai's National Tropical Botanical Garden . A house on Anini Beach
6552-446: Was an enormous commercial success, yielding four Top-25 hits on the Billboard charts: " Just the Way You Are " (No. 3), " Movin' Out " (No. 17), " Only the Good Die Young " (No. 24) and " She's Always a Woman " (No. 17). Joel's first Top Ten album, The Stranger reached number two on the charts and was certified multi-platinum, besting Simon & Garfunkel 's Bridge over Troubled Water as Columbia's previous bestselling album. "Just
6636-512: Was recorded at larger US arenas and in intimate night club shows in June and July 1980. This release introduced many fans, who discovered Joel when The Stranger became a smash in 1977, to many of his earlier compositions. The album reached No. 8 on the Billboard chart and produced two hit singles: "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" (No. 17), and "She's Got a Way" (No. 23). It sold over 3 million copies. Although not as successful as some of his previous albums, it
6720-529: Was recorded at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York on December 29, 1982. It was originally broadcast on HBO in 1983 before it became available on VHS. The Nylon Curtain went to No. 7 on the charts, partially due to heavy airplay on MTV for the videos to the singles "Allentown" and " Pressure ", both directed by Russell Mulcahy . Joel's next album moved away from
6804-729: Was released as a single, peaking at No. 14 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. That summer, " Leave a Tender Moment Alone " was released and it hit No. 27 while " Keeping the Faith " peaked at No. 18 in January 1985. In the video for "Keeping the Faith", Brinkley also plays the "redhead girl in a Chevrolet". An Innocent Man was also nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy, but lost to Michael Jackson 's Thriller . Joel participated in
6888-464: Was replaced by Don Evans, and bassist Larry Russell by Patrick McDonald, himself replaced in late 1974 by Doug Stegmeyer , who stayed with Joel until 1989. Rhys Clark returned as drummer and Tom Whitehorse as banjoist and pedal steel player; Johnny Almond joined as saxophonist and keyboardist. The band toured the U.S. and Canada extensively, appearing on popular music shows. Joel's songwriting began attracting more attention; in 1974 Helen Reddy recorded
6972-463: Was still considered a success by Joel. The next wave of Joel's career commenced with the recording of The Nylon Curtain . With it, Joel became more ambitious with his songwriting, which included highly topical songs like " Allentown " and " Goodnight Saigon ". Joel has stated that he wanted the album to communicate his feelings about the American Dream and how changes in American politics during
7056-417: Was used as Tommy Korman's Hawaiian residence. The film was initially rated R for language, and was edited to instead receive a PG-13 rating. A premiere event was held for the film at Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on August 25, 1992. The film was released theatrically on August 28, 1992. In the United States and Canada, Honeymoon in Vegas grossed $ 35.2 million at the box office, against
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