Grammy Legend Award winner, Billy Joel, is a world-famous singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer. He’s considered one of the most popular recording artists of all time, Billy has received several Grammy Awards and other accolades during his time.
With a career spanning more than five decades, he has released a number of albums in different genres and stopped releasing songs/albums after 1993’s hit River of Dreams. His variety of songs has impacted big-time among millions of his fans, and apparently his all-time hit number, Piano Man made him reach a greater height at its time. Though he stopped working on new releases, he’s currently embarking on world tours.
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Billy Joel Biography
Joel was born on the 9th of May 1949, in The Bronx, New York City, United States of America. He was raised in Levittown, New York in the town of Oyster Bay. He’s currently 73 years old.
| Birth Name | William Martin Joel |
| Nickname | Billy Joel |
| Date of Birth | May 9, 1949 |
| Place of Birth | The Bronx, New York City, U.S. |
| Age | 73 years old |
| Sun Sign | Taurus |
| Profession | Singer, Songwriter, Composer, Pianist |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Ashkenazi Jewish |
| Religion | Judaism |
Family
- Father – Helmut Joel (Pianist)
- Mother – Rosalind Nyman
- Siblings – Judy Joel (Sister), Alexander Joel (Half-brother )
Education
Joel attended Hicksville High School until 1967, but he did not graduate from high school, as he left his studies to embark a career in music.
Billy Joel Wife
Billy Joel was married to his first wife, Elizabeth Weber, from 1973 to 1982. He, then, married model Christie Brinkley, in March 1985, with whom he had a daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, born December 29, 1985. They divorced on August 26, 1994.
Joel married his third wife, Katie Lee, on October 2, 2004. She was 32 years younger than him. The couple divorced in 2009.
He has been married to his fourth wife, Alexis Roderick since 2015. She is an equestrian and former Morgan Stanley executive. They married at his estate on Long Island. Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo conducted the ceremony. They have two daughters together, Della Rose Joel (born August 12, 2015) and Remy Anne Joel (born October 22, 2017).
Physical Statistics
| Height | Feet – 5 feet 6 inches Centimeters – 167 cm Meters – 1.67 m |
| Weight | Kilograms – 66 kg Pounds – 144 lbs |
| Body Build | Average |
| Eye Color | Green |
| Hair Color | Bald |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Shoe Size | Unknown |
Career
Singing
Billy Joel’s music career started off when he joined the band, The Lost souls (formerly, The Echoes) in 1963 and later moved to a couple of different bands. In 1969, he formed a duo ‘Attia’ with drummer Jon Small and released their eponymous debut album in July 1970. They split after a clash over personal issues.
The following year, he signed a recording contract with Artie Ripp’s Family Productions and released his first debut solo album, “Cold Spring Harbor”. In 1973, he recorded his signature hit “Piano Man” about the bar’s patrons, and subsequently, Billy released an album under the same name with Columbia Records. Its lead single became his signature song, ending nearly every concert.
Since then, Billy Joel has released thirteen studio albums, five live albums, fifteen compilation albums, ten video albums, singles, promotional singles, and fifty music videos. Joel had Top 40 hits in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, achieving 33 Top 40 hits in the US, all of which he wrote himself. He has sold more than 150 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.
Some of his popular singles include “Piano Man”, “Just the Way You Are”, “She’s Always a Woman”, “The Stranger”, “My Life”, “You May Be Right”, “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me”, “Tell Her About It”, and “We Didn’t Start the Fire”.
Billy Joel Net Worth
As of 2024, Billy Joel’s net worth is estimated at $225 million US dollars. His impressive net worth is a result of his music sales, tours, singing, lucrative brand endorsements, and also has several other business endeavors.
In 1996, he co-founded the Long Island Boat Company along with the Long Island boating businessman Peter Needham. In November 2010, Joel launched a shop in Oyster Bay, Long Island, to manufacture custom-built, retro-styled motorcycles, and accessories.
Billy owns several real estate properties across the country. He bought a 14,000 square foot, castle-like waterfront home, in Centre Island, New York in 2002 for $22 million. He also owns an 8,881-square-foot Mediterranean-style Miami Beach Mansion, which he purchased for $13.5 million in 2006. The mansion features a luxurious bar with a wine cellar, gourmet kitchen, 165 feet of waterfront, seven-bedroom, and 8.5-bathroom.
He is passionate about cars and motorcycles and has an extensive collection of exotic cars from luxury car manufacturers, including a 1973 VW Beetle.
Billy Joel Facts
Joel took piano classes at this young age from noted American pianist Morton Estrin and musician Timothy Ford.
He is an accomplished boxer and 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 boxing match. Bullies were his greatest inspiration to learn boxing.
Billy Joel has had no bone in the top of his left thumb, since his 1982 motorcycle accident.
In 2011, he announced that he will release his autobiography but scrapped his plan stating “It took working on writing a book to make me realize that I’m not all that interested in talking about the past, and that the best expression of my life and its ups and downs has been and remains my music.”
Joel has received many honorary doctorates.
Billy Joel was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in 1999 by one of his chief musical influences, Ray Charles.
In 2002, Joel was also named MusiCares Person of the Year.
Billy Joel has won five Grammys, including Album of the Year for 52nd Street and Song of the Year, and Record of the Year for “Just the Way You Are”.
On September 20, 2004, Joel received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for his work in the music industry.
Joel is the only performing artist to have played both Yankee and Shea Stadium.
On December 12, 2011, Joel became the first non-classical musician honored with a portrait in Steinway Hall.
On December 29, 2013, in Washington, D.C., Billy Joel received Kennedy Center Honors, the nation’s highest honor for influencing American culture through the arts.