Early Life
William Martin "Billy" Joel was born on May 9, 1949, in the Bronx, New York, and he had a full-on New York City upbringing. Joel’s family history is one of trials and tribulations, as his father, Howard Joel, was a World War II holocaust survivor and his mother was from England. Ultimately, his parents divorced, and Joel’s father moved back to Europe afterwards.
Joel became fascinated with music at an early age, and his genre of choice was European classical. Even though he loved music, he was not happy at all that his mother forced him to take piano lessons. Despite his resistance, however, the piano skills Joel acquired during this time would serve him well in his career.
Joel’s interest in music also led to his being ostracized to an extent by his peers, as most of the children in his neighborhood were avid sports fans and participants. Joel’s pursuit of music led to several instances of being picked on and bullied, and Joel ultimately grew tired of this treatment. He decided to do something about it by taking up boxing, and enjoyed a successful amateur stint on the Golden Gloves circuit before breaking his nose during a fight and deciding to dedicate himself to music.
Musical Beginnings
As Joel began high school, he also began to put his musical talents on display. He joined his first band, The Echoes, at the age of 14, and three years later he moved on to The Hassles, and this band released two albums before disbanding in 1969. Joel’s next band was a duet with Hassles drummer Jon Small called Attila.
Attila released its debut album in 1970, but disbanded a few months later, and this created great distress for Joel. He fell into a deep depression, and even attempted suicide by ingesting furniture polish. He stayed in the hospital for months, and was ultimately released in 1971.
Upon his release, Joel decided to embark on a solo career. He signed his first recording contract later in 1971 and began to record and release albums. Although it took some time for his work to become a commercial success, his live act was already widely renowned, and Billy Joel tickets were a hot item immediately.
Period of Success
Joel released his first solo album, Cold Spring Harbor, in 1971, and it was a moderate success that gained air play on the radio. However, this only set the stage for his next release, which would instantly make him a legend. In 1973, Joel released Piano Man, and the album remains one of the most beloved and respected musical works in the world today. Since then, he has released more than two dozen additional works, and almost all of them sold over one million copies.
In all, he has sold over 100 million records, won six Grammy Awards, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. He has also been married to super models like Christie Brinkley and continues to play his live acts as if he was in an intimate cocktail lounge.
All in all, Billy Joel tickets will expose you to an artist who knows all about struggle, failure and success, and every night with him is a night to remember.
