Musician and Pianist Billy Joel

          Billy Joel is a singer-songwriter and pianist. He had his first hit, Piano Man in 1973. According to RIAA Joel is the sixth best selling recoding artist and the third best selling solo artist in the United States. He has had 33 top hits in the United States all which were written by himself. Joel is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well as the Long Island Music hall of Fame.

            Billy Joel was raised in Hicksville, New York. His debut solo album was titled Cold Spring Harbor as a reference to the village on Long Island near where he grew up. Many of Joel’s songs reference his life on Long Island, mostly while growing up. Examples of this can be found in many songs including “Keepin’ the faith”, “Captain Jack”, “Its Still Rock and Roll to Me”, and “Scenes from an Italian Restraint”  which all name local establishment and hangouts on Long Island. The song “Moving Out” references specifically to the high cost of living on Long Island and the hard work it takes to move up in that atmosphere, something that is indefinable by many Long Islanders.