#SHOWBIZ: Documentary reveals Billy Joel attempted suicide twice in the past
NEW YORK CITY: American singer Billy Joel "at one point wanted to end it all," according to the documentary 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes.'
The new film, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival in New York City last week, revisits some of the singer's struggles, including two suicide attempts that followed an affair with his bandmate's wife, People magazine reports.
The first part of the documentary recounts how Joel was in the band Attila with his best friend, Jon Small. Joel eventually moved in with Small, his wife, Elizabeth Weber, and their son.
Weber reportedly states in the film that there was a "slow burn" between her and Joel.
Joel admitted he "felt very, very guilty" about their subsequent affair.
It ended in a fight, and the band split after he confessed to Small that he was in love with Weber.
"They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker," Joel told the filmmakers.
"I was just in love with a woman and I got punched in the nose, which I deserved. Jon was very upset. I was very upset."
After Weber left, Joel said he spiralled into drinking, became homeless, and was "depressed, I think to the point of almost being psychotic."
He recalled thinking, "That's it. I don't want to live anymore. I was just in a lot of pain and it was sort of like why hang out, tomorrow is going to be just like today is and today sucks. So, I just thought I'd end it all."
His sister, Judy Molinari, then a medical assistant, gave him sleeping pills, all of which Joel took.
He ended up in the hospital in a coma for days.
"I went to go see him in the hospital, and he was lying there white as a sheet," she said in the film. "I thought that I'd killed him."
During his second suicide attempt, Joel said he drank a bottle of cleaning fluid.
Ironically, it was Small who took him to the hospital. "Even though our friendship was blowing up, Jon saved my life," Joel said.
He sought help, which Joel credits with helping him channel his emotions into the music that brought him success.
Years later, Joel and Weber reconnected and were married from 1973 to 1982.
She continues to admire him and has been supportive as the superstar musician recently cancelled tour dates to seek treatment for normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a condition affecting the brain.
"He's worked so hard all of his life," she told E! News at the premiere.
"I've never known anybody who worked harder than he did in all those years we were together and working together."
'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' is set to air on HBO next month.
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#SHOWBIZ: Documentary reveals Billy Joel attempted suicide twice in the past
NEW YORK CITY: American singer Billy Joel "at one point wanted to end it all," according to the documentary 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes.' The new film, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival in New York City last week, revisits some of the singer's struggles, including two suicide attempts that followed an affair with his bandmate's wife, People magazine reports. The first part of the documentary recounts how Joel was in the band Attila with his best friend, Jon Small. Joel eventually moved in with Small, his wife, Elizabeth Weber, and their son. Weber reportedly states in the film that there was a "slow burn" between her and Joel. Joel admitted he "felt very, very guilty" about their subsequent affair. It ended in a fight, and the band split after he confessed to Small that he was in love with Weber. "They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker," Joel told the filmmakers. "I was just in love with a woman and I got punched in the nose, which I deserved. Jon was very upset. I was very upset." After Weber left, Joel said he spiralled into drinking, became homeless, and was "depressed, I think to the point of almost being psychotic." He recalled thinking, "That's it. I don't want to live anymore. I was just in a lot of pain and it was sort of like why hang out, tomorrow is going to be just like today is and today sucks. So, I just thought I'd end it all." His sister, Judy Molinari, then a medical assistant, gave him sleeping pills, all of which Joel took. He ended up in the hospital in a coma for days. "I went to go see him in the hospital, and he was lying there white as a sheet," she said in the film. "I thought that I'd killed him." During his second suicide attempt, Joel said he drank a bottle of cleaning fluid. Ironically, it was Small who took him to the hospital. "Even though our friendship was blowing up, Jon saved my life," Joel said. He sought help, which Joel credits with helping him channel his emotions into the music that brought him success. Years later, Joel and Weber reconnected and were married from 1973 to 1982. She continues to admire him and has been supportive as the superstar musician recently cancelled tour dates to seek treatment for normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a condition affecting the brain. "He's worked so hard all of his life," she told E! News at the premiere. "I've never known anybody who worked harder than he did in all those years we were together and working together." 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' is set to air on HBO next month.
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Late last month, Billy Joel announced that he'd been diagnosed with a brain condition known as hydrocephalus, which can lead to symptoms such as vomiting, vision problems, difficulty walking and cognitive impairment. Photo: TNS In his upcoming documentary for HBO, Billy Joel reveals that he twice attempted suicide, even landing in a coma, following a messy affair with his best friend's wife that left him wracked with guilt. The 76-year-old Piano Man recalls the painful period — and the love triangle involving his former bandmate Jon Small and Small's then-wife, Elizabeth Weber — in Billy Joel: And So It Goes , which premiered last week at the Tribeca Festival. Joel says he was in his early 20s and living with the couple when he fell 'in love' with Weber, who would later become his first wife. 'I felt very, very guilty about it. They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker,' Joel says. 'I was just in love with a woman and I got punched in the nose, which I deserved. Jon was very upset. I was very upset.' The fallout led to the end of their band, Attila, while Weber severed her relationships with both men. Left grieving and without a place to live, Joel says he fell into a downward spiral of heavy drinking, depression and sleeping in laundromats. 'I was depressed, I think, to the point of almost being psychotic. So I figured, that's it. I don't want to live anymore,' the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer says of wanting to 'end it all.' Joel then overdosed on sleeping pills and wound up in a coma for days on end. His sister, Judy Molinari, a medical assistant at the time, provided him with the pills thinking they'd help him sleep — not knowing he planned to 'take all of them.' 'I went to go see him in the hospital, and he was laying there white as a sheet. I felt that I killed him,' she tearfully recounts in the documentary. That unsuccessful suicide attempt was followed by another when Joel drank a bottle of furniture polish, Molinari says. Despite his fractured relationship with Small at the time, Joel credits his former bandmate for saving his life, saying he was the one who took him to the hospital after the second attempt. The gesture ultimately helped them repair their friendship. Joel eventually moved back into his mother's home and then checked into an observation ward, where he says he realised he could channel his emotions into music. The songs he wrote as a result would become his first solo album, 1971's Cold Spring Harbor . The album produced tracks including Tomorrow Is Today, Why Judy Why and She's Got A Way , the latter of which was inspired by Weber. Joel and Weber also reconciled their relationship and got married, which lasted from 1973 to 1982. She also served as his manager. The raw recollections in the documentary, which is scheduled to hit HBO in July, come amid another difficult period in Joel's life. Late last month, the New York State Of Mind crooner announced that he'd been diagnosed with a brain condition known as hydrocephalus, which can lead to symptoms such as vomiting, vision problems, difficulty walking and cognitive impairment. As a result of the diagnosis, Joel was forced to cancel all of his upcoming performances scheduled through July of next year. SiriusXM host Howard Stern said earlier this week that he'd had dinner with Joel, who told him he could assure his listeners he's 'not dying.' – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service Those contemplating suicide can reach out to the Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 / 014-322 3392); Talian Kasih (15999 / 019-261 5999 on WhatsApp); Jakim's family, social and community care centre (011-1959 8214 on WhatsApp); or Befrienders Kuala Lumpur (03-7627 2929 /email sam@ centres in malaysia).
