Billy Joel

Billy Joel was born William Martin Joel on May 9, 1949 in Bronx, New York. As a young child, his family moved to Levittown, a suburban housing development on Long Island in New York State. Billy discovered classical music at the age of four, a love that has stayed with him to the present day. Billy's early classical piano training provided him with a strong foundation for his future career.

Among his early influences, Billy lists Ray Charles, The Beatles, Dave Brubeck, Sam Cooke, the Rolling Stones, and Otis Redding. His ambition to become a professional musician began to take shape after seeing the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show. At age 14, Billy joined his first band,...

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