Talk:Billy Joel

Geographical References

I've added a "citation needed" link to the part about Angelo's Restaurant. There are numerous claims to Christiano's in Syosset as being the restaurant in "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" including, if I remember correctly, a note on the menus themselves. I'll be visiting the area next week and I'll double-check to see if this is still the case, but does anyone know for sure? Claude (talk) 16:32, 10 February 2008 (UTC)

Billy joels child hood

Many of you know about the famous Billy Joel. He is in fact stil playing today. Most people said he was the new Ray Charles. However Billy joel wasn't his real name which is William Martin Joel.

Billy, While he was a kid at the age of four took up piano lessons until he was 14. Billy told us that his dad and mom both had musical influeneces in his life.Billy said that his dad although being an electrician with General electric wouldn't let him Quit his piano lessons.

After a long period of time Billy's parents Divorced and their mom was granted custody of both him and his sister Judy. His mom was now stuck with supporting them both so she became a secretary/book keeper. Joel not having a father figure in his life looked to his grandfather as one. [[Image:<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rZ1_M_L_RSI"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rZ1_M_L_RSI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>]]

A biased and poorly worded short worded summary with no refrences to reliable sources isn't appropriate for Wiki. Eatspie (talk) 11:32, 14 April 2008 (UTC)

Joel's intrests

Joel stated the fact that he liked to read and both write books. He at first wanted to become a history teacher. Billy was also in trouble a lot of school for skipping. Billy said that he was doing that because of bullies. Billy told us that he also Idolized bands such as the beatles.

Their is alot more about billy joel but i'm too tired to write any more but you cna find out about him at this URL http://billyjoel.8k.com/billyjoel.htm

Pipe organ

Billy also plays pipe organ. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.145.240.19 (talk) 00:08, 1 March 2008 (UTC)

Early Years

Never heard of "deposessed" nor could I find it in the dictionary. It seems that the intended word might be "dispossessed". —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.81.226.30 (talk) 05:47, 3 March 2008 (UTC)

Family Productions

The section of the article about the Piano Man album states: Joel's experiences in Los Angeles connected him with record company executives, who bought out his contract with Ripp with the condition that the "Family Productions" logo be displayed alongside the Columbia logo for the next five albums. The next five albums would have been Piano Man, Streetlife Serenade, Turnstiles, The Stranger, and 52nd Street. But the section about The Bridge says: It was also the last Billy Joel album to carry the "Family Productions" logo. That would seem to mean that the Family Productions logo was kept on Joel's albums for eleven releases instead of the originally scheduled five. Does anyone have an explanation for this? --Metropolitan90 (talk) 01:31, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

Metropolitan90, While it's true Billy was signed to Columbia Records however Family Productions (Artie Ripp) still retained the publishing rights to Billy's songs until 1986-7 thus the family logo's on his releases until then

Politics

I added the bit about his politics based on his campaign donations. 18986486545 16:13, 23 August 2008 user:Wesley M. Curtus

Citation for Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

This is my first foray into Wikipedia, so be kind until I get the hang of this.

I noticed that there is a note for a citation needed at 20, for the location for Scenes in an Italian Restaurant. I've got a good source, sort of. See, many years ago, one of my buddies who was a DJ at our college found a bootleg tape from one of Joel's concerts. In it, Joel not only premiered the song, but also said it about Christiani's. The problem is, because it's a bootleg, it wasn't labeled as to a date or place, but there is no doubt it's Joel. He and the band were practicing for "The Stranger."

So, is this info good enough for the citation or is it still heresay? I mean, it's a first source, but only kind of.

Sionell89 (talk) 02:40, 26 August 2008 (UTC)Sionell

I have corrected the reference - as per this from an article in USA Today July 9, 2008:

"There was a restaurant right across the street from Carnegie Hall called Fontana di Trevi. It was for the opera crowd, but the Italian food was really good. They didn't really know who I was, which was fine with me, but sometimes you would have a hard time getting a table. Well, I went there when the tickets had gone on sale for (my dates at) Carnegie Hall, and the owner looks at me and he goes (in an Italian accent), 'Heyyy, youra that guy!' And from then on, I was always able to get a good spot."

NVM.

Where does it say he played trumpet?

The only thing I've ever seen or heard of Joel and Trumpet is his picture on the cover of 52nd Street. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.206.239.241 (talk) 13:43, 6 October 2008 (UTC)

I agree. I will remove from infobox. WWGB (talk) 00:05, 7 October 2008 (UTC)

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs

There's no note of Chuck Klosterman's analysis of Billy Joel in Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. He essentially said that music critics were inaccurate since because he had no cool or un-cool image and his songs were so radio-friendly, he came off as edgeless light rock. Any of the regular editors object to adding something along these lines?--Loodog (talk) 14:57, 22 October 2008 (UTC)

What would that add to the article? Asher196 (talk) 21:22, 22 October 2008 (UTC)

Insight into Billy Joel.--Loodog (talk) 21:46, 22 October 2008 (UTC)

Please be more specific. Asher196 (talk) 03:03, 23 October 2008 (UTC)

Insight into the public perception of Billy Joel as light pop rock.--Loodog (talk) 03:12, 23 October 2008 (UTC)

Riverside in "New York State of Mind" is a Manhattan Reference, not a Queens Reference

I always took the line in "New York State of Mind" that goes "Don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside" to mean Riverside Drive in Manhattan, not Riverside Queens like the author of this article suggests. Joel is making references to Manhattan with Chinatown, not to the other boroughs in that part of the song.

Katie Lee- Culinary Artist?

Seriously? A "culinary artist"? Her page names her as a "chef", as well as television personality. The term "culinary artist" to describe Mrs.Joel is inappropriate, misleading, and pretentious. its not as the term "chef" has any negative connotations that would invite euphamy, or isn't an accurate reflction of either what she does, or for describing one who practices culinary arts. Im changing it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.187.251.194 (talk) 04:47, 27 January 2009 (UTC)

Introduction

There is way Billy Joel is 89 years old! Where did you get this information? He is al least in his 60's thought. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cooly123 (talk • contribs) 19:41, 30 January 2009 (UTC)

Concerts

No list pof any of his concerts? Why? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cooly123 (talk • contribs) 22:04, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Fantasies and Delusions

the style of music in this album is mostly classical/romantic. i'm not a wikipedia expert and i worry i might format it wrong... could someone else add Romantic Music to his genres? ~♫☆PianoWizzy☆♫~ that Elton John obsessed insano (talk) 02:42, 4 July 2009 (UTC)

Phil Woods

Phil Woods played the sax solo on "Just the Way you are" in all its incarnations. It's a famous jazz world story; it was a first take, and Phil was offered either a percentage of the song or $600, and took the latter (he'd never heard of Billy Joel, having been called in as a session guy.). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.6.159.136 (talk) 06:00, 11 July 2009 (UTC)

genres

Billy also composes classical music, alright if I add that to his bio? Tmmulv (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 23:29, 16 July 2009 (UTC).

Greatest Hits Vol 1 + 2

You say in the article, and you are right, that a couple of the songs ("My life" "Just the Way You Are" etc.) are shortened in the set. However, the included booklet does not provide the full-length lyrics.Tmmulv (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 23:36, 16 July 2009 (UTC).

Photo

Can someone find a more flattering photo of the man? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zpql (talk • contribs) 05:03, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

"Flattering" is not a term one normally associates with photos of Billy Joel ;-) WWGB (talk) 05:47, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

There are plenty of good recent photos on the web. Including on his own site. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zpql (talk • contribs) 13:59, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
But why do we want a recent photo? Doesn't it just reinforce the image everyone has of this guy who wrote soft rock songs once, and is now a nostalgia act with big white teeth and a big round belly? Joel was a rocker when he was younger, and I feel it would be more appropriate to have a picture from the late seventies. (82.36.196.108 (talk) 01:09, 30 August 2009 (UTC))

Joel is only 60, and the standard on Wikipedia is to put current, decent photos at the top until he passes away. Only then will we reflect on his life and may come to the conclusion that the 1970's Billy Joel is the one that mattered the most; but we shouldn't be making that determination while he is still young (see WP:CRYSTAL). Additionally, we only may use what photos are available in the creative commons. -->David Shankbone 13:46, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

New alternative photos for article

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categories

does anyone know why there are categories called "Category:Billy Joel songs" and "Category:Songs written by Billy Joel"? seems kinda redundant... --Viennaiswaiting (talk) 02:35, 6 January 2010 (UTC)

Pronunciation

I've variously heard Billy's surname pronounced as /ˈdʒəʊ^əl/, matching the usual pronunciation of the name, or as /dʒəʊˈɛl/. Can we find a credible source on which is correct? -- Smjg (talk) 00:07, 25 June 2010 (UTC)

Weren't healthy young amateur boxers draft eligible during the Vietnam War?

Any first question that needs to be asked and addressed about Billy Joel is: Weren't healthy, young, virile amateur boxers eligible for the draft during the Vietname war, and if so, how did this walking morsel of crap -- boarded by the heartfelt charity of his manager and who screwed his manager's wife while others Joel's age and educational status were fighting and dying in 'Nam -- dodge his military obligation?

Although I really like Billy Joel's music and acknowledge his enormous talent, throughout my four year enlistment and thirteen month Tet Offensive tour in Vietnam (1967-68), I've met dozens of talented American musicians in pickup bands -- marines, sailors, airmen and soldiers alike -- on R&R in Hong Kong and Singapore that were as good as or even better than Billy Joel...some of them dead at the tender ages of between 18 and 21.

Billy Joel's layabout shiftlessness as a high school dropout in particular is what has me going here. I think there should be something mentioned in here about Joel's draft status (dodged or exempted) showing that John Fogarty's music of the same genre and same era might not see totally eye-to-eye with Joel's Favorite Son fortune in Levitt Town.

97.100.162.215 (talk) 13:12, 19 November 2010 (UTC) Carlo Rossi

    Deltona, Florida