Billy Joel Says Elton John's Rehab Comments Were ‘Rock Bottom' For Him in HBO Documentary: ‘There Was Bad Blood For a Little While'

Yahoo

26-07-2025

Billy Joel is opening up about a tough moment with longtime friend and tourmate Elton John.
In the second part of the new two-part HBO Documentary, 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes,' the 'New York State of Mind' singer shared how John's public comments that he needed rehab strained their friendship.
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'Elton had made a comment that he thought I needed real rehab,' Joel said in the film, referencing an interview he did with 'Rolling Stone' in 2011. 'He chalked it up to, 'Oh, he's a drunk.' And that really hurt me.'
He added, 'I said, wait a minute? Don't you know me better than that? And there was bad blood for a little while. There was a dovetailing of things that happened during that time.'
Joel and John first co-headlined a stadium together in 1994 during their 'Face to Face' tour. In the first part of the documentary, Joel admitted that he once 'resented' the comparisons to the 'Your Song' singer but eventually grew to embrace it as they continued to perform onstage together.
According to People, John told Rolling Stone that they had 'so many cancelled tours because of illnesses and various other things, alcoholism' coming off their joint tour in 2010.
John said of Joel in the film, 'He's going to hate me for this, but every time he goes to rehab, they've been light… I love you, Billy, and this is tough love.'
In 2005, Joel went to rehab at the Betty Ford Center after his then-wife Katie Lee issued an 'ultimatum.' The couple divorced in 2009. After rehab, the 'Piano Man' singer took a break from the spotlight and stopped touring.
In the documentary, Joel described John's comments as making him feel 'clobbered' and noted it was 'rock bottom' for him.
'I was disillusioned with what I thought it was all supposed to mean,' he said. 'It was like all the signs were pointing to me: Enough. And I wrote this letter to the band. 'I don't want to do this anymore. I'm gonna stop.'
The second part of 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' premiered on Friday, July 25.
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