Billy Joel - The Russia period 1987–1989

William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949, Bronx, NY) better known as Billy Joel, is a pianist, singer and songwriter. He recorded a staggering amount of pop music hits from 1973 (beginning with the single "Piano Man") to his retirement from the genre in 1993. Joel could be considered, with Elton John, as being the father of piano rock. He has sold well over 100 million albums worldwide and is the sixth best selling artist in the United States. Joel's induction into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame (Class of 1992), and the Rock and Ro ...

Including:

• Billy Joel - Career
• Billy Joel - Early Years
• Billy Joel - Early albums 1970–1976
• Billy Joel - Becoming a superstar 1977–1981
• Billy Joel - Building on success 1982–1986
• Billy Joel - The Russia period 1987–1989
• Billy Joel - Later albums 1989–1994
• Billy Joel - Semi-retirement 1994–present
• Billy Joel - Songwriting
• Billy Joel - Influences
• Billy Joel - Marriages
• Billy Joel - Alcohol problems
• Billy Joel - Master Classes
• Billy Joel - Discography
• Billy Joel - Albums
• Billy Joel - Hit singles
• Billy Joel - Credits on Broadway

Read more here: » Billy Joel: Encyclopedia - Billy Joel

Billy Joel - Early Years. Joel was born in The Bronx, New York. From an early age, he had an intense interest in music, especially classical music. He began piano lessons at an early age, and his interest in music instead of sports was the source for much teasing and bullying in his early years. As a teenager Joel took up boxing so that he would be able to defend himself. He fought under the amateur Golden Gloves schedule for a short time, but abandoned the sport when he becam ...

See also:

Billy Joel, Billy Joel - Career, Billy Joel - Early Years, Billy Joel - Early albums 1970–1976, Billy Joel - Becoming a superstar 1977–1981, Billy Joel - Building on success 1982–1986, Billy Joel - The Russia period 1987–1989, Billy Joel - Later albums 1989–1994, Billy Joel - Semi-retirement 1994–present, Billy Joel - Songwriting, Billy Joel - Influences, Billy Joel - Marriages, Billy Joel - Alcohol problems, Billy Joel - Master Classes, Billy Joel - Discography, Billy Joel - Albums, Billy Joel - Hit singles, Billy Joel - Credits on Broadway

Read more here: » Billy Joel: Encyclopedia II - Billy Joel - Career

Billy Joel - Albums. Cold Spring Harbor (1971) #158 US Piano Man (1973) #27 US, US sales: 4,000,000 Streetlife Serenade (1974) #35 US, US sales: 1,000,000 Turnstiles (1976) #122 US, US sales: 1,000,000 The Stranger (1977) #2 US, #25 UK, US sales: 10,000,000 (certified Diamond in 2003) 52nd Street (1978) #1 US, #10 UK, US sales: 7,000,000 Glass Houses (1980) #1 US, #9 UK, US sales: 7,000,000 Son ...

See also:

Billy Joel, Billy Joel - Career, Billy Joel - Early Years, Billy Joel - Early albums 1970–1976, Billy Joel - Becoming a superstar 1977–1981, Billy Joel - Building on success 1982–1986, Billy Joel - The Russia period 1987–1989, Billy Joel - Later albums 1989–1994, Billy Joel - Semi-retirement 1994–present, Billy Joel - Songwriting, Billy Joel - Influences, Billy Joel - Marriages, Billy Joel - Alcohol problems, Billy Joel - Master Classes, Billy Joel - Discography, Billy Joel - Albums, Billy Joel - Hit singles, Billy Joel - Credits on Broadway

Read more here: » Billy Joel: Encyclopedia II - Billy Joel - Discography

Joel entered the Betty Ford Center in March of 2005 for treatment of alcohol abuse after what his publicist called "a recent bout of severe gastrointestinal distress". He checked out of the center in April of 2005. A friend who saw him after he checked out said that Joel has completely sworn off all alcohol. Joel was treated previously for alcohol abuse in 2002 when he spent two weeks at Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut. Joel has a history of car accidents, including several that occurred while h ...

See also:

Billy Joel, Billy Joel - Career, Billy Joel - Early Years, Billy Joel - Early albums 1970–1976, Billy Joel - Becoming a superstar 1977–1981, Billy Joel - Building on success 1982–1986, Billy Joel - The Russia period 1987–1989, Billy Joel - Later albums 1989–1994, Billy Joel - Semi-retirement 1994–present, Billy Joel - Songwriting, Billy Joel - Influences, Billy Joel - Marriages, Billy Joel - Alcohol problems, Billy Joel - Master Classes, Billy Joel - Discography, Billy Joel - Albums, Billy Joel - Hit singles, Billy Joel - Credits on Broadway

Read more here: » Billy Joel: Encyclopedia II - Billy Joel - Alcohol problems

Joel married his business manager, Elizabeth Weber, on May 20, 1971. The marriage ended in divorce on July 20, 1983. Joel went on to marry supermodel Christie Brinkley on March 23, 1985. Their marriage produced one child, daughter Alexa Ray Joel, born December 30, 1985. This marriage ended with divorce on August 25, 1994. In 2004, Joel married 23 year-old Katie Lee. Lee is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. At the time of the wedding, Joel was 54. Joel's daughter, Alexa Ray, 18, served as maid of honor. Joel's ex-w ...

See also:

Billy Joel, Billy Joel - Career, Billy Joel - Early Years, Billy Joel - Early albums 1970–1976, Billy Joel - Becoming a superstar 1977–1981, Billy Joel - Building on success 1982–1986, Billy Joel - The Russia period 1987–1989, Billy Joel - Later albums 1989–1994, Billy Joel - Semi-retirement 1994–present, Billy Joel - Songwriting, Billy Joel - Influences, Billy Joel - Marriages, Billy Joel - Alcohol problems, Billy Joel - Master Classes, Billy Joel - Discography, Billy Joel - Albums, Billy Joel - Hit singles, Billy Joel - Credits on Broadway

Read more here: » Billy Joel: Encyclopedia II - Billy Joel - Marriages

Joel's songwriting cannot be separated from the life that inspired so much of his work. Joel "was born in '49, a Cold War kid in McCarthy time," as he wrote in his song "Leningrad." Joel first lived in the modern-day South Bronx, an ethnically white neighborhood at the time. His family then moved to Long Island, to Levittown and then to Hicksville, both working class towns in Nassau County [1]. His father, Howard Joel, was a Jewish refugee from Germany and his mother, Rosalind Hyman, was born in England, to an agnostic Jewish family. His parents later divorced, and his father moved back to Eastern Europe. His ...

See also:

Billy Joel, Billy Joel - Career, Billy Joel - Early Years, Billy Joel - Early albums 1970–1976, Billy Joel - Becoming a superstar 1977–1981, Billy Joel - Building on success 1982–1986, Billy Joel - The Russia period 1987–1989, Billy Joel - Later albums 1989–1994, Billy Joel - Semi-retirement 1994–present, Billy Joel - Songwriting, Billy Joel - Influences, Billy Joel - Marriages, Billy Joel - Alcohol problems, Billy Joel - Master Classes, Billy Joel - Discography, Billy Joel - Albums, Billy Joel - Hit singles, Billy Joel - Credits on Broadway

Read more here: » Billy Joel: Encyclopedia II - Billy Joel - Songwriting

Billy Joel's music has been influenced by many periods in history, from European classical composers to '60s doo wop, and music of the gospel genre to Russian folksongs. This has, in part, lead to his broad success over a long period of time. Some of his main individual musical influences included: Ray Charles Traffic, and Steve Winwood Dave Brubeck Sam Cooke The Rolling Stones The Beatles Otis Redding Ludwig van Beethoven ...

See also:

Billy Joel, Billy Joel - Career, Billy Joel - Early Years, Billy Joel - Early albums 1970–1976, Billy Joel - Becoming a superstar 1977–1981, Billy Joel - Building on success 1982–1986, Billy Joel - The Russia period 1987–1989, Billy Joel - Later albums 1989–1994, Billy Joel - Semi-retirement 1994–present, Billy Joel - Songwriting, Billy Joel - Influences, Billy Joel - Marriages, Billy Joel - Alcohol problems, Billy Joel - Master Classes, Billy Joel - Discography, Billy Joel - Albums, Billy Joel - Hit singles, Billy Joel - Credits on Broadway

Read more here: » Billy Joel: Encyclopedia II - Billy Joel - Influences