Billy Joel reveals exactly what Sir Elton John said that sparked 'bad blood' fallout
Billy Joel has revealed he was left "really hurt" by comments from Sir Elton John, despite their once friendly relationship. The Piano Man, 76, once toured with Sir Elton but things turned sour.
A rift came between Billy and the Rocketman hitmaker, 78, that took years to heal. Billy has now revealed he was hurt by Elton's comments in his new documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes.
The pair headed out on their Face to Face tour in 1994 but they suffered a number of cancelled shows. Sir Elton decided to address the reason for the shows not taking place, with Billy feeling he went a step too far.
"Elton had made a comment that he thought I needed real rehab," Billy said in the documentary. "He chalked it up to, 'Oh, he's a drunk.' And that really hurt me."
At the time, Sir Elton told the Rolling Stone: "He's going to hate me for this, but every time he goes to rehab they've been light." He said he had given Billy some "tough love".
Billy had been struggling with alcoholism and once admitted it destroyed his 10 year marriage to Christine Brinkley. The couple officially divorce around the same time as the Face to Face tour.
Speaking of the fallout with Sir Elton, Billy shared: "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."
He revealed he felt "clobbered" after the comments and hit rock bottom. His relationship with Sir Elton also suffered as a result.
"I was disillusioned with what I thought it was all supposed to mean," Billy 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'."
In 2005, Billy went to rehab at the Betty Ford Clinic after his wife Katie Lee insisted. They split up four years later but Billy decided to resume the Face to Face tour.
Billy performed throughout the 00s, with a stint in 2009 before wrapping again in 2010. He managed to patch things up with Sir Elton while on stage at the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013.
While on stage Sir Elton reached out to Billy as he said: "Mr. Joel, I haven't seen you tonight, but I love you dearly." When Billy took the stage he decided to do the same as he said: "Is Elton still here? By the way, we're ok. Call me, it's the same phone number."
Billy recently confirmed he has now given up alcohol as he blamed his addiction for his normal pressure hydrocephalus diagnosis. According to the NHS, NPH is an uncommon and poorly understood condition that most often affects people over the age of 60.
It can sometimes develop after an injury or a stroke, but in most cases the cause is unknown. The main symptoms are mobility problems, dementia and urinary incontinence.
Billy was forced to cancel all his scheduled shows earlier this month due to the condition. He has been suffering with hearing, vision and balance problems following a number of previous performances.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Billy Connolly's early brushes with law before fame to be highlighted in new book
Bestselling author Colin MacFarlane has written a take on the celebrities Billy has befriended over the years. Comedy legend Billy Connolly's early brushes with the law before he found fame are set to be highlighted in a new book. Bestselling author Colin MacFarlane has written a take on the celebrities Billy has befriended over the years. Sean Connery, Andy Murray, Michael Parkinson, Judi Dench, Steve Martin, Rod Stewart and Michael Caine are among the 200 names who feature in Sir Billy Connolly: King of Comedy and his Famous Pals. But during his 18 months of research Colin discovered Billy had racked up a number of criminal convictions and even spent a night in the cells in his pyjamas before he became an international superstar. Colin has given Billy's brushes with the law its own chapter and says underworld figures – including safecracker Johnny Ramensky and Glasgow hardman Colin Beattie – had an impact on the comic. The author discovered Billy's criminal past in a series of interviews the comic gave journalist Duncan Campbell almost 50 years ago for a forgotten 1976 biography titled Billy Connolly – the Authorised Version. It came out out a year after Billy had made his big breakthrough with his first appearance on the Michael Parkinson show. Colin said: ' Billy's criminal record appeared to have started when he was caught playing football and was fined half a crown (25p) at the Marine Police Court in Partick. After that he got done for siphoning petrol. Billy ran out of petrol for his bike but had no money on him. 'Local garages would not give him credit and he was faced having to push his bike back to his home in Drumchapel in Glasgow. So he was left with no alternative. He siphoned it off using a hose and can and was fined £15 in court.' Colin added: 'He then assaulted a guy in Bearsden and spent a night in jail at a police station in Milngavie. He thought it was very funny as the police came to arrest him at his house and he was already in pyjamas. 'He looked out of the window and saw the police coming so he put on his shirt and jeans over the pyjamas. When he was taken away and put in a police cell he took off his clothes and lay on the bed getting ready to sleep when a policeman came and looked through a spy hole in the door. The police officer then said: 'Well I've seen them come and go but never in pyjamas'.' In the same 1976 book Billy described how he was fined £15 and given a year's suspended sentence when he was 18 after another fight when he came to the rescue of a young woman who was being assaulted. Colin added: 'As a young man Billy was also amazed at how the judicial system treated the working classes compared to the middle classes. The working classes seemed to get done for everything but the middle classes seemed to get off with it.' In 1976 interviews Billy also admits being in court for several breaches of the peace for 'shouting and bawling' and getting various £2 fines. But the Big Yin was soon one of the country's most recognisable people. Another big name in Glasgow at this time was Arthur Thompson Snr, who ruled the city's underworld. Colin said: 'There was a story that Arthur Thompson had met Billy in a pub and had said, 'They call you the Big Yin, do you know I am the Big Yin?' No one knows if the story is actually true but it was a measure of Billy's growing fame that these kinds of stories were beginning to circulate.' Billy has previously spoken of his admiration for Ramensky, who escaped five times from prison in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. In the Second World War Ramensky parachuted behind enemy lines to steal documents. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Colin said: 'Billy sees Ramensky as a loveable rogue and a working-class hero. Despite being a notorious thief, Ramensky had a strict code of personal ethics, which included never resorting to violence when caught, earning him the nickname 'Gentle Johnny.'' Another underworld figure who appears to have impressed Billy was hardman Beattie. Billy once said good-looking Beattie – who was said to run Partick, where Billy once lived – was like an 'escapee from Hollywood'. Colin said: 'To Billy he was a legendary figure in Partick.' The 62-year-old author is a lifelong fan of Billy and has met him several times. ● Sir Billy Connolly: King of Comedy and his Famous Pals is available in paperback from Amazon at £10.95.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Lola Young is overcome with emotion as she reveals she has bought her first house amid huge success ahead of second album
She soared to fame last year when her hit song Messy went viral and she made history after becoming the youngest British female artist to score a solo number-one single since Dua Lipa in 2017. Since then Lola Young's career has gone from strength to strength with the star preparing to release her second album in September. And the singer has now celebrated a huge milestone as she shared the news with fans that she has bought her first house. Taking to Instagram on Friday, Lola, 24, was overcome with emotion as she gushed how proud she is of herself after years of hard work. She told fans: 'I am currently sitting on the floor in one of the bedrooms of my new house that I have just bought. I am so proud of myself and emotional to be honest. 'I am so excited to start a new chapter of my life here and make memories, make so memories.' She added: 'So yeah working hard does pay off, it really does.' The star took to the stage at Glastonbury in June and is set to embark on shows across the UK and US in the autumn. Her latest single d£aler was released last week, with Elton John already 'betting his house' that it is going to be a number one single. 'It's unbelievable, it's the biggest smash I have heard in years,' said the legendary musician during a chat on Apple Music. He added: 'You are going to have the most incredible career, because you can sing live, you are just the whole deal.' Earlier this year Lola was forced to address allegations she is a 'nepo baby' or an 'industry plant ' after fans discovered her aunt is Julia Donaldson, the author behind the beloved children's book The Gruffalo. People also hit out, calling Lola an 'industry plant,' which is someone who presents as organically growing their fame but have actually been set up by a label. Appearing on Capital Buzz, host Sam Pearce asked the rising star: 'Something that happens any time an artist blows up, the term industry plant gets thrown around, and obviously people have no idea that you've been working since 2019. How do you feel about that term?' She continued: 'I am so excited to start a new chapter of my life here and make memories, make so memories' Hitting back at the 'losers that comment rubbish,' Lola quipped: 'No, they don't know, otherwise they wouldn't be saying that. I think it is just the most stupid term. 'I think there are cases of industry plants but so what? It doesn't mean they're not talented and it doesn't take away from anything. 'People are saying I'm a nepo baby because my great Aunt wrote The Gruffalo. I mean what kind of rubbish is that?' She continued: 'I have so much to say on that which I can't even talk about. But I'm not a nepo baby, I'm not an industry plant, there we go I said it. 'I've cleared that up for all those losers that want to comment rubbish on the internet. Just find something better to do, you're sad, you're lonely. 'The thing is industry plant is just a term for other artists and other people to use who just don't know what they're doing in life and feel upset that someone else is having their moment. 'And if you are an industry plant, you're not going to have your moment for that long, unfortunately. 'And maybe sometimes you will, it just doesn't matter, none of these things matter. If someone's got talent, then they've got talent.' She then clarified: 'Yeah, and I'm also not an industry plant at all by the way.'
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Married At First Sight's Awhina breaks silence on Billy romance after pair went ‘Instagram official'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MARRIED At First Sight's Awhina has broken her silence on fellow show co-star Billy Belcher and their relationship since departing the programme. Awhina Rutene and Billy Belcher have been hit with rampant romance rumours after they went 'Instagram official' with one another after their series of MAFS Australia came to an end earlier this year. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Awhina has spoken exclusively to The Sun about her bond with Billy Credit: Instagram 5 The pair have been very close since November Credit: Instagram 5 They have been on holiday together and spent time with one another's families Credit: Instagram Just last month, the fan-favourite pair seemingly went official after teasing their new relationship on social media. Paired up with Adrian Araouzou on the hit Channel 9 and E4 series, things were not rosy for Awhina with it ending on bad terms by the end of the experiment. Meanwhile, Billy was coupled with Sierah Swepstone before she and Adrian revealed they had a connection. After leaving the show, Awhina and Billy got close, with their "romance" leaving fans stunned last month. But despite reports saying that the pair are together after they went Instagram official, The Sun can reveal this is not the case. Speaking exclusively to The Sun about her relationship with Billy, Awhina got candid and opened up about their bond. "Billy and I are really close, like, I've done so many podcasts on our relationship. We are extremely close, like, I'm seeing him on Thursday," she told us in our chat this week. She added: "We speak a lot over the phone he calls me. I've gone to the movies with his mum. "I've hung out with his sister multiple times, hung out with his brother. "He's hung out with my family a lot. We've been very close since November last year. MAFS groom slammed over 'misogynistic' post as he shares 'high standards' for future girlfriend after bitter show split "But the thing with our relationship is sometimes it can get confusing, because the world's heavily involved," she explained. She later added: "I think that you can still have a beautiful relationship without being romantic and without ruining anything." Awhina noted that their "friendship line can be a bit blurred" but affirmed that she loves him. Opening up about why their relationship likely won't progress into anything romantic, she said that their life's trajectories look quite different. Married At First Sight Australia Couples 2025 Lauren, 37, Business Owner, and Clint, 43, Pro Golfer Eliot, 35, Business Owner, and Veronica, 32, Personal Trainer/Actor Beth, 28, Salon Manager, and Teejay, 28, Business Development Manager Jacqui, 29, Consultant, and Ryan, 36, Project Manager Morena, 57, DJ/Fitness Instructor, and Tony, 53, Charter Captain Rhi, 34, Account Manager, and Jeff, 39, Electrician Ashleigh, 34, Dance Studio Owner, and Jake, 30, Teacher Awhina, 30, Aged Care Worker, and Adrian, 30, E-Commerce Business Owner Sierah, 31, Financial Associate Advisor, and Billy, 31, Plasterer Jamie, 28, Account Manager, and Dave, 36, Builder Katie, 37, CEO and Tim, 38, Primary School Teacher Carina, 31, Digital Marketing Manager and Paul, 30, Wellness Advisor "I love Billy. He's such a family man, but I also know what the next 5 years looks like for him," she added, explaining his love for travelling. "I generally hope Billy gets everything he wants out of life... but the next 5 years look very different, like what I want versus what he wants. "So it's kind of like... as much of those lines can be blurry... If we were to cross that line we'd probably lose our friendship down in like a year or two." She then explained how she is keen to start dating again and expand her family even more. "I truly want to get back into a relationship because I was in one for so long. Like 14 years," she told us. "I like being a partner to someone, and I still want to grow my family like I'm not one and done. I want at least 3 kids. "So my next 5 years looks like, when I'm ready to get back out there and start dating, grow my family, and probably go offline." 5 Awhina was paired with Adrian on the hit show Credit: E4
