St John's C of E Primary School
"Use your God-given gifts to serve others." 1 Peter 4: 10
Billy Joel 20.11.23
Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter and pianist. He is given the nickname of the "Piano man” after his 1973 song. Joel has had a successful music career as a solo artist since the 1970s.
After seeing The Beatles, Joel decided to pursue a career in music. In an interview he said of the group's effect on him:
That one performance changed my life ... Up to that moment I'd never considered playing rock as a career. And when I saw four guys who didn't look like they'd come out of the Hollywood star mill, who played their own songs and instruments, I said: 'I know these guys, I can relate to these guys, I am these guys. This is what I'm going to do—play in a rock band'.
At 16 he joined the band the Echoes and played piano. By the time he was 21, he was writing and releasing his own songs as a solo artist.