Iconic Celebrity #6: Billy Joel

Born in the Bronx and raised on Long Island, everyone's favorite piano man was, in the beginning, a wanna-be tough kid who didn't want to take piano lessons, despite a musical background. His father, a German immigrant, escaped the Nazis to come to this country and further his own career as a classical pianist. As a child, Joel preferred boxing to playing the keys, a sport he would continue to pursue as a teen. At the insistence of his very wise mother, he capitulated to those disliked piano lessons at an early age. The rest is, as they say, musical history.

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A Rock and Roll Influence

It was 1963 and Joel was on the cusp of high school when the Beatles made their famous American debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show." The group's music, appearance and on-stage attitude sparked Joel's desire to pursue rock and roll as a career, and at that moment he decided to find a band. Those early years were less than a musical triumph for Joel and his British rock cover band, the Echoes, but he was on his way to greater things.

Hello and Goodbye to Hicksville High

For a while, Joel pursued a music career and his education simultaneously. He did well at Hicksville High, but the piano gigs he played often kept him out late, causing him to miss school. As a senior he was absent for a crucial English exam, lost one credit and could not graduate. He opted to pursue rock and roll full time instead of going to summer school, and technically remained a high school dropout for 25 years. Finally, at the tender age of 43, he finally acquiesced and submitted some English essays to Hicksville High in lieu of the exam and was awarded his High School diploma. Donning a graduation gown, he joined the ranks of his graduating class, taking his place among them and giving a speech during closing ceremonies.

A Prolific Career

Joel's career took off in 1973 when his song "Captain Jack," an underground, cult favorite which Joel has called an anti-drug anthem, came to the attention of Columbia Records, who bought the rights to his songs from another label. His first album with Columbia was "Piano Man," a song he would come to be identified with throughout his life. The song is a highly personal take on his early days playing in Long Island and New York City piano bars.

His second album for Columbia, "Streetlife Serenade," required a move to Los Angeles, where he remained, unhappily, for three years. Missing his roots, he returned to New York, going on to record "Say Goodbye to Hollywood," and years later, a flowing multitude of hits including "She's Always a Woman" and "Uptown Girl," which linked Joel with wife and supermodel Christie Brinkley for the first time, from whom he is now divorced.

Joel's hits continued to top the charts for decades. A musical innovator able to pay homage to the greats, as well as forge new ground, Joel is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend, whose contribution to music is multi-faceted and unique. A highly personal storyteller, Joel's songs combine musical sophistication and an artistry clearly influenced by a love for diverse forms of music ranging from rock, to rhythm & blues, to Broadway. His obvious, Long Island bar band roots over time have come to compliment and ground influences as wide-ranging as Beethoven, George Gershwin and Ray Charles. A perfectionist at his craft, who at heart simply loves making music, Joel ties the Beatles for the most multi-platinum albums in the U.S.

A Long Island boy at heart, Joel's meshing of suburban and New York City urban experiences has shaped much of his music and his life. He continues to make the Island his home, and owns property in Sag Harbor and Centre Island, as well as a motorcycle shop in Oyster Bay.

Corey Whelan is a freelance writer in New York. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.