Billy joel cds
Huge kudos to the author for his research and attention to detail! Fantastic job! I have loved him and his music for well over 40 years. The biggest pinch me night of my life! I could only get a scalpers ticket jerks they are! AND I had to go on my own! But, 2nd row…. Billy wore a Santa hat most of the evening too, Christmas spirit alive and well!
Some other people from the trip were there, scattered far and wide. Aahh… one of THE best nights of my life! Billy Joel is a musical genius, super entertaining to watch and is funny and gets involved with the audience. I adore him!! One can dream….. Nikki in Niagara. This is a good biography of Joel and in a way can be likened to an autobiography as it is mostly told in direct quotes from Joel himself.
The story is that Billy was working on his biography and at a certain point handed the material and job over to Schruers, his official biographer. Thus, this is a pro-Joel book and not the place to be if you are looking for the "dirt" or trash-talking. I found the beginning and ending of the book very good but the middle dragged.
Upon starting I was fascinated to find myself reading a thrilling Holocaust survival story as Billy Joel's family history is told. I hadn't expected this! I didn't even know he was Jewish, for some reason I thought he was Italian. The early days, and story right up to the early years of his marriage to Christie Brinkley was an interesting story for me.
I was actually captivated as the book really centred on the industry and told Joel's life through his songs which are all very autobiographical. I've read several books about rock stars, but this is the first one that has ever seriously been about the industry itself. Then Billy becomes involved in legal issues with his ex manager and counter suits, etc.
Now the impact of his music, his legendary status as a songwriter and his continued success as a performer and speaker take us up to the present. The book doesn't hold back on controversial subjects his alcoholism, rocky friendship with Elton John, etc but Joel speaks of them bluntly, of where he is with them now, not lingering on the demons or heartaches.
This is his general approach to life and a theme throughout the book. I recommend this biography if you want to know more about Billy Joel's music, the man who wrote the songs and why, the type of life he lived and where he is now, in mind and body. I don't recommend if you are looking for the juicy stuff about Joel's demons, his alcoholism, who he slept with etc, it's just not that type of book.
Fred Forbes. As an aging baby boomer hey don't knock the aging part, it beats the alternative I have some specific requirements in my musical taste. It must have a melody, it must have lyrics that one can understand, and it should have some meaning. That explains my love of the Beatles, Stones, Mommas and Poppas, Fleetwood Mac, and other bands of the "ancient" era whose songs continue to age well.
Some mellow jazz and a few classical pieces round out my preferences. Billy Joel has long been a favorite but I knew relatively little about his life other than the headline makers - marries the beautiful Christy Brinkly only to have it flame out, gets ripped off to the tune of millions by his financial manager, gets in automobile crashes with some regularity, closes down Shea Stadium with help of friends like Paul McCartney, sets record for performances in Madison Square Garden, has to undergo rehab, etc.
While those events are covered in detail, I think what I really enjoyed about this book is the insight into the creative process, the development of various songs and how they relate to his life and the continuous striving by the hard working kid from Long Island. Since the book was written by a contributor to "Rolling Stone" magazine, the author's insights carry much credibility.
Whether I am taking this to 5 stars because of my admiration for the subject, I can't be sure, but for me it was one of my more interesting reads of the year.
Definitely a must for any Billy Joel fan. Author Fred Schruers gives us an up close and personal view of the life of Billy Joel. It took me longer than expected to read the book because I kept listening to the songs and watching the music videos the funniest was no doubt "Uptown Girl" that I saw through a new lens after reading the behind-the-scenes scoop.
As a non-musician, this book gave me a whole new appreciation for how tough it is to make it in the music industry and the collateral damage that happens in building a career. Billy Joel has had four wives and spent so much time on the road that it left little time for his personal life. I learned that your manager can make or break your career in the music business.
You find out a bit about Billy Joel's suicide attempt, depression, alcoholism, motorcycle accident, and his spat with Elton John. Jo Jackson. Later this year my family and I are going to see Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden to attend one of his permanent monthly gigs. Before attending the show, and being a long time fan of Billy Joel's, I wanted to learn some more about the Piano Man.
Billy Joel so far has had an interesting life- whether it be from his early upbringing, to how show business has given him some great times and how those have taken advantage of him and his kindness in such a cut throat industry. I really enjoyed reading this book, although it took me longer than expected just due to the day to day needs of work and home life.
Songs of Billy's rang through my head as I read this book and I am now keen to listen to the box collection of his music before we see him in concert. I hope that Billy continues to provide a diverse performance in the show that we see later in the year. He may have matured, but no doubt his voice and engagement with the audience remains enthusiastic.
Oddly, I found the first quarter of Fred Schruers's biography of Billy Joel, which deals mainly with the singer's family history and youth, to be perhaps the most interesting—and revealing—part of the book. Part of this may have to do with the fact that the singer's years as a recording artist—which would generally be expected to constitute the meat of this kind of book—are covered relatively rapidly Schruers is largely done with them by the time we reach the biography's midpoint , but I suspect the problem really is that the book's second half is almost entirely devoted to Joel's love life in his 50s and 60s and is, frankly, a bore.
Images in this review. Top reviews from United Kingdom. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Verified Purchase. Seems to have been a library book previously, benefits are it came with a good plastic cover, excellent condition with 'DISCARD' stamped in ink on the inside front page but not obtrusive. Haven't finished reading all of it yet but so far very well written , informative with many black and white photos.
Overall a bargain offering a saving on the brand new item. Good read of the life of the Piano Man. Tells you about his families history and his early years and the challenges he has faced both personally and professionally. Many people would be surprised to read about the challenges he has faced. I have been a massive fan for over 30 years, and I learnt something from reading it.
One person found this helpful. Joel for sure has his demons but A Great Biog. Joel for sure has his demons but from this book comes a understanding of a warm, loyal person with a wonderful talent as a song writer of timeless memorable tunes and a great Live performer. Thanks Billy. Thanks Fred. A very personal account of the Billy Joel story. Took a little while to get going but once I was going I was hooked.
I love Bill's music but this work showed me another side of the man and provides a fascinating view into his songwriting. Highly recommended. Many speculate that Joel lives with depression ; however, he rejects the label. Joel left a suicide note and attempted to end his life by drinking furniture polish. Later he said, "I drank furniture polish.
It looked tastier than bleach. Joel checked into Meadowbrook Hospital , where he was put on suicide watch and received treatment for depression. In , Joel entered Silver Hill Hospital , a substance abuse and psychiatric center in New Canaan, Connecticut , where he underwent treatment for 10 days. Although Joel has donated money to Democratic candidates, [ ] he has never publicly affiliated himself with the Democratic Party.
Joel rarely publicly endorses political candidates; however, he did play a benefit with his friend Bruce Springsteen to raise money for Barack Obama 's presidential campaign in However, about celebrities endorsing political candidates, Joel has said, "People who pay for your tickets, I don't think they want to hear who you're going to vote for and how you think they should vote.
In , after his sarcastic dedication of "The Entertainer" to then- Republican candidate Donald Trump [ ] was taken as a serious endorsement, Joel told the New York Daily News in an email that he would be voting for Hillary Clinton. Joel graduated well after his high school peers because of a missed English exam. Seven members of the committee voted for the Hall to be located in San Francisco, and seven voted for Cleveland , Ohio; this tie was broken when Joel voted for Cleveland.
Joel was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in by one of his chief musical influences, Ray Charles , with whom he also collaborated on his song "Baby Grand" Joel was also named MusiCares Person of the Year for , [ ] an award given each year at the same time as the Grammy Awards.
Billy joel biography
In , Joel was the second entertainer out of thirty persons to be inducted into the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame. On December 12, , Joel became the first non-classical musician honored with a portrait in Steinway Hall. On December 29, , in Washington, D. The contestants that night sang songs by Joel. Contents move to sidebar hide.
Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikidata item. American singer, songwriter, and pianist born Elizabeth Weber Small. Christie Brinkley.
Billy joel collaborations: The all-access biography and unprecedented look at the life, career, and legacy of a pint-sized kid from Long Island who became a music legend. “A funny, revealing, and poignant look at [Billy] Joel’s long career.”—.
Katie Lee. Alexis Roderick. Alexander Joel half-brother Karl Amson Joel grandfather. Columbia Family Productions Sony Classical. Musical artist. Early life, family and education [ edit ].
Music career [ edit ]. Other ventures [ edit ]. Personal life [ edit ]. Marriages and family [ edit ].
Health issues [ edit ]. Politics [ edit ]. Tours [ edit ]. Discography [ edit ]. Main article: Billy Joel discography. Awards and achievements [ edit ]. Awards and nominations [ edit ]. See also [ edit ]. References [ edit ]. Archived from the original on September 9, Retrieved December 7, Concert Archives. Archived from the original on November 8, Retrieved October 18, Rip It Up.
Archived from the original on September 28, Retrieved January 26, Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 28, Retrieved December 28, Here's How to Get Tickets".
Billy joel autobiography released
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Archived from the original on July 26, Retrieved July 21, The Kennedy Center. Archived from the original on August 16, Here's The Thing. July 30, Archived from the original transcript on August 4, Retrieved August 3, I grew up on the Island, in the Levittown section of Hicksville. We had a Levitt house, Cape Cod, on the quarter acre.
My father was a classically trained pianist. He grew up in Nuremberg, Germany, and he also went to school in Switzerland. His father was quite well off. They had a mail-order textile business, Joel Macht Fabrik Retrieved October 3, Billy Joel: The Biography. Thunder's Mouth Press. ISBN The Charlie Rose Show Interview. Interviewed by Charlie Rose.
Archived from the original on March 13, Retrieved January 9, — via YouTube. The Villager. Alexander Joel. Archived from the original on March 21, Retrieved May 29, The New York Times. ISSN Archived from the original on June 30, Retrieved December 20, Billboard Books. December 17, Archived from the original on March 19, Retrieved March 19, Archived from the original on September 18, Retrieved October 6, August 23, Archived from the original on March 27, Retrieved March 27, Archived from the original on April 26, Retrieved May 22, Celebrity Atheists List.
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November 24, Archived from the original on December 1, Retrieved July 11, — via BluebirdReviews. December 3, Archived from the original on July 27, Retrieved October 28, August 15, Billy Joel: The Definitive Biography. New York: Crown Publishing.
Archived from the original on May 9, Retrieved January 14, Archived from the original on February 3, Spy : Retrieved October 22, Archived from the original on October 3, Retrieved September 10, Interview with Yetnikoff. Archived from the original on July 8, ISBN X. Archived from the original on May 25, Retrieved February 27, — via robertchristgau.
Archived from the original on May 3, Oct 28, Minutes Buy. The all-access biography and unprecedented look at the life, career, and legacy of a pint-sized kid from Long Island who became a music legend. His… More about Fred Schruers. Add to Bookshelf. Read An Excerpt. Nov 17, ISBN Add to Cart. Buy from Other Retailers:.