Billy Joel is a world-famous rock & roll legend known as the “Piano Man,” a nickname he earned for his signature classic song of the same name. Joel began his music career in 1965, influenced by acts such as The Drifters, The Four Seasons, and The Beatles. Early on, he favored tightly structured pop melodies as well as down-to-earth lyrics. After watching the Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show, Joel knew that he wanted to pursue music as a career. He noted later in an interview how the performance changed his life and how up until seeing that performance, he never thought about a career in music. However, he said that when he saw four men who did not look as though they came out of central casting in Hollywood and played their own instruments, he knew that he could do that too.
From 1965 to 1972, Joel continued to slowly climb up the ladder in the music industry until he wrote his breakthrough hit Piano Man while working at The Executive Room piano bar in Los Angeles, California. The song was released on his first album with Columbia Studios titled “Piano Man.” And in 1976, Joel wrote another song honoring the city of New York called “New York State of Mind.” In this 2008 video, Joel commemorates the closing of the New York Mets stadium (Shea Stadium) with a special performance of “New York State of Mind,” featuring the legendary Tony Bennett.
Image via YouTube
Back in 2001, Joel also performed “New York State of Mind” at a benefit concert for the New York City Police and Fire Departments as well as the loved ones of the first responders who lost their lives during the 9/11 attacks.
Image via YouTube
You can watch Billy Joel and Toney Bennet deliver a very special rendition of “New York State of Mind” in the video below.
