New York’s quintessential son is one of the greatest musicians of our time. Billy Joel ranks as one of the most popular recording artists and respected entertainers in history.
The singer/songwriter/composer is the sixth best-selling recording artist of all time and the third best-selling solo artist Joel’s songs have acted as personal and cultural touchstones for millions of people across five decades.
Joel is one of the biggest concert draws in the world, selling out arenas and stadiums across the globe., with songs like ‘Uptown Girl’, ‘Just The Way You Are’, ‘The Longest Time’ and ‘Vienna’ - amongst countless others - inciting singalongs the world over. Having sold 150 million records over the past quarter century, the hits have continued for almost five decades, scoring 33 consecutive Top 40 hits, with three of Joel’s Top 40 songs ‘It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me’, ‘Tell Her About It’ and ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ - peaking at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts and 23 Grammy nominations awarded to Joel since he signed his first recording contract in 1972.
In December 2013, Billy Joel was named Madison Square Garden’s first-ever music franchise, joining the ranks of the storied venue’s other original franchises – the New York Knicks and Rangers. The record-breaking residency began in January 2014 with Joel playing one show every month at The Garden, “as long as the demand continues,” says Joel.
In 2016, the Library of Congress selected "Piano Man" for preservation in the National Recording Registry for its “cultural, historic, and artistic significance.”
In November 2014, Billy Joel received both The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song which honors living musical artists’ lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of cultural understanding; entertaining and informing audiences; and inspiring new generations, and the once-in-a-century ASCAP Centennial Award, which is presented to American music icons in recognition of their incomparable accomplishments in their respective music genres and beyond. He is also the recipient of six GRAMMY® Awards, including the prestigious Grammy Legend Award. Joel has received the RIAA’s Diamond Award twice for Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II and The Stranger, presented for albums that have sold over 10 million copies. Joel has been inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame including the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award, into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by his idol Ray Charles in1999 and has received numerous industry awards including a TONY AWARD for "Movin' Out," a Broadway musical based on Joel’s music. For his accomplishments as a musician and as a humanitarian, Joel was honored as the 2002 MusiCares Person Of The Year by the MusiCares Foundation and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Joel was inducted by Barack and Michelle Obama at the 36th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, with Tony Bennett, Don Henley, Garth Brooks, Rufus Wainwright and Brendan Urie all paying tribute to Joel with performances at the ceremony.
Joel has also performed alongside other music greats at two of Madison Square Garden’s most extraordinary benefit concerts – “12-12-12, The Concert For Sandy Relief,” which raised awareness and money for those affected by Hurricane Sandy and “The Concert for New York City,” which was held to help aid 9/11 victims and heroes. Billy Joel received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, adding another milestone to his brilliant career.