Billy Joel, who’s life is peppered with personal trials, broken friendships and bad luck, has overcome it all time and time again and uses every experience he has to shape his life as a musician. His broken friendships became songs, his personal depression lyrics themselves and his family used to represent who he was throughout his career. You don’t just listen to Billy Joel, you know Billy Joel because he is his music and his music is his life.
He became synonymous with the word “piano” with his hit “The Piano Man” which classified a generation and continues to touch old and young alike. The song will live on for ages because it is so relatable to how many of us feel about day to day life.
Joel’s musical background and influence are far and wide; his style over the decades just as varried. He has toured, written and produced music with many present day musicians that I admire. Before that, his early musical style was influenced by legendary classical and jazz musicians that helped shape the nation and the world as we know it.
The goal I will take from Billy Joel’s life is to write a song in 2011 that represents myself.