Billy Joel

**William Martin "Billy" Joel** (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter. He produced successful pop songs for two decades, from 1973's _Piano Man_ to 1993's _River of Dreams_ which marked his retirement. As well as writing classical music, he has frequently been on the road, usually with Elton John.

Joel was born in the Bronx, New York City. He grew up in Hicksville, New York. He joined his first band The Echoes (Later known as The Lost Souls) at age fourteen, and in the late 1960s he teamed up with The Hassles. The Hassles when on to release two albums. In 1970 After parting ways with The Hassles Joel and Hassles Drummer Jon Small Formed a two-man duo Attila. In 1971 his solo debut, _Cold Spring Harbor_, was released. (The title takes its name from a town in Long Island.)

He is good friends with both Donald trump and Hilary Clinton. However, Joel is a Democrat. He kept his political views private for many years but became more vocal during Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, even performing at events to support him. However, he generally prefers not to mix his music career with politics, believing that fans come to his shows for the music, not political opinions

## Health

In May 2025, Joel was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, leading to problems with his hearing, vision, and balance.

## Acting

In 1988, Mr Joel played a New York City dog named Dodger in the Disney animated movie, _Oliver & Company_.

Joel has been married four times. The first three ended in divorce. His first marriage was from 1973 to 1982. His second marriage, from 1985 to 1994, was to supermodel Christie Brinkley. Their daughter, Alexa Ray Joel (born 1985) is one of his three children. His daughter's middle name is taken from one of his musical influences, Ray Charles. His third marriage began in 2004. His fourth marriage with Alexis Roderick began in 2015. They had one child; Della Rose Joel, who was born on the 12th of August 2015. Baby Remy was born 2017. He released his first song in years, called Turn the Lights Back On.

## Discography

- Studio albums
- _Cold Spring Harbor_ (1971)
- _Piano Man_ (1973)
- _Streetlife Serenade_ (1974)
- _Turnstiles_ (1976)
- _The Stranger_ (1977)
- _52nd Street_ (1978)
- _Glass Houses_ (1980)
- _The Nylon Curtain_ (1982)
- _An Innocent Man_ (1983)
- _The Bridge_ (1986)
- _Storm Front_ (1989)
- _River of Dreams_ (1993)
- _Fantasies & Delusions_ (2001)

## Other websites

- The official site

## Infobox (musical artist)

- **embed**: yes
- **background**: solo_singer
- **origin**: Hicksville, New York, U.S.
- **years active**: 1965–present
- **associated acts**: * Josh Groban (Gershwin Prize)
* Olivia Rodrigo


## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Billy Joel
- **image**: Billy Joel Shankbone NYC 2009.jpg
- **caption**: Billy Joel at the opening night of the 2009 season at the Metropolitan Opera
- **alt**: A close-up of Joel smiling
- **birth name**: William Martin Joel
- **birth place**: The Bronx, The Bronx, New York, U.S.
- **nationality**: American
- **education**: Hicksville High School (New York), Hicksville High School
- **spouse**:

- **children**: Alexa Ray Joel
Della Rose Joel
Remy Anne Joel
- **parents**: Howard Joel
Rosalind Nyman