Billy Joel
Sign in to saveAmerican singer, songwriter, and pianist (born 1949)
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Billy Joel is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist born in 1949 who became one of the most commercially successful musicians in rock and pop history. He is known for his distinctive piano-driven songs and has had a lasting influence on popular music for decades.
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William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is known by the nickname “Piano Man”, derived from his 1973 song of the same name, and has maintained a career as a solo artist since the 1970s. Between 1971 and 1993 he released 12 studio albums in the pop and rock genres, followed by a studio album of classical compositions in 2001. With global record sales exceeding 160 million, he is among the best-selling <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Billy+Joel">
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William Martin Joel (/dʒoʊl/; born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Piano Man", after his 1973 signature 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 entirely self-written studio albums spanning the genres of pop and rock, and in 2001 released a one-off studio album of classical compositions. With over 160 million records sold worldwide, Joel is one of the world's best-selling music artists and is the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States. His 1985 compilation album, Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II, is one of the best-selling albums in the U.S.
Joel was born in the Bronx in New York City and grew up in the Levittown portion of Hicksville on Long Island, where he began taking piano lessons at his mother's insistence. After dropping out of high school to pursue 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 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 a Woman", as well as the concert staples "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and "Vienna".
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1949 births20th-century American classical composers20th-century American Jews20th-century American keyboardists20th-century American male composers20th-century American organists20th-century American singer-songwriters21st-century American classical composers21st-century American Jews21st-century American keyboardists21st-century American male musicians