Billy Joel

Bio:
Billy Joel (born Wiliam Martin Joel on May 9, 1949 in The Bronx, New York) is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. Growing up in Hicksville, New York, Billy leaned to play the piano from an early age. Billy left high school to pursue a musical career. He played around with multiple bands throughout the 1960s. In 1971, Billy released his first solo record. Despite it being a commercial failure, his music attracted the ear of Herb Gordon, a Columbia Records executive, who signed him to the record label. During the early 1970’s, Billy recorded some of his most known songs, including “Piano Man,” “The Entertainer” and “New York State of Mind.” In 1977, Billy’s found commercial and critical success with his album, The Stranger. It won him him the Grammy awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Billy continued to find success throughout the next four decades, including a series of Face To Face tours in 1994 with Elton John, the longest running and most successful concert tandem in pop music history. In 1999, Joel was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. Though he hasn’t released an album since 1993’s River of Dreams, Billy continues to tour and perform to fans across the world.

Best Known For:
Billy is best known as a musician with hits “Piano Man,” “Uptown Girl,” “New York State Of Mind” and “Movin’ Out”

Personal Life:
Billy Joel’s first wife was Elizabeth Weber Small, marrying in 1973. They divorced in 1982. He dated Elle Macpherson in the 1980s, prior to his relationship with Christie Brinkley. Joel and Christie married in 1985. They had a daughter together, Alexa Ray. They divorced in 1994 and remain friendly. Billy married cook and television personality Katie Lee in 2004. Five years later, the couple split. Since 2009, Billy has been dating Alexis Roderick, a senior risk officer for Morgan Stanley. On April 14, 2015, the couple announced Alexis’s pregnancy.