Billy Joel Born: Piano Man of American Pop
He grew up on Long Island and taught himself to play piano by ear in his parents' garage. Billy Joel was born in the Bronx in 1949 but raised in Levittown, a place he spent his career trying to write honestly about. Piano Man came out in 1973 after he'd already failed once, changed his name, and nearly given up. It became one of the most recognizable songs ever recorded. He sold 150 million records. He played Madison Square Garden 150 times over the next five decades. Nobody else has done that.
May 9, 1949
77 years ago
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