Latest news with #AndSoItGoes
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Elizabeth Weber reemerges after decades for Billy Joel's HBO documentary
Elizabeth Weber, Billy Joel's first wife and longtime former manager, made headlines this week by publicly speaking for the first time in 43 years. The 82-year-old appeared at the premiere of And So It Goes, HBO's new two-part documentary on the music icon, during the 2025 Tribeca Festival in New York. Weber, often referred to as Joel's muse and the inspiration behind several of his classic songs, attended the event with her son Sean Small. Reflecting on her eight-year marriage to Joel, she told People, 'It was great then, it's great whenever I think about it, and it's great now.' The documentary dives deep into Billy Joel's early struggles, creative rise, and personal pain — much of which centered around Elizabeth. The two had a controversial beginning, with Elizabeth initially married to Joel's bandmate Jon Small. Despite the rocky start, she and Joel married in 1973, with Weber becoming a strategic force behind his success. She reportedly pushed him to release 'Just the Way You Are' — a decision that won him two Grammys. Weber also inspired iconic songs such as 'She's Always a Woman' and 'The Stranger.' However, their marriage ended in the early 1980s amid Joel's growing substance issues and a near-fatal motorcycle accident. Now, re-entering public life, Weber says she joined the project after encouragement from her granddaughters and co-director Susan Lacy. Notably absent was Joel, 75, who is recovering from normal pressure hydrocephalus. According to Lacy, he is undergoing physical therapy and is expected to recover fully. Weber's return offers rare insight into a pivotal yet misunderstood chapter of Billy Joel's career and personal life.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Billy Joel shares 1st message to fans since brain disorder diagnosis
Billy Joel is sharing a message with fans for the first time since revealing he was diagnosed with a rare brain condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus. Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, the directors of Joel's new documentary, "Billy Joel: And So It Goes," passed along the 76-year-old's message at the film's world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on Wednesday. "Getting old sucks, but it's still preferable to getting cremated," Joel's note to fans stated. Lacy added that Joel is determined to return and "will be back." The "Piano Man" singer-songwriter announced in late May that he would be canceling his scheduled concerts under doctor's orders as a result of his diagnosis. "This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance," his team said in a statement on Joel's Instagram page at the time. "Under his doctor's instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period." Billy Joel cancels all scheduled concerts due to diagnosis with normal pressure hydrocephalus Normal pressure hydrocephalus is one of two types of hydrocephalus, an "abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid deep within the brain," according to the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Cerebrospinal fluid is the fluid that lives in the ventricles, or cavities, of the brain that helps cushion the brain and the spinal cord. When the flow of CSF is somehow blocked and fluid builds up in the ventricles, it causes normal pressure hydrocephalus, according to the agency. The extra fluid in the brain can cause pressure and lead to brain damage, as well as issues with walking, bladder control and thinking and reasoning. The May announcement followed an earlier postponement of Joel's tour in March, which had initially been scheduled to resume in July. At the time, Joel said in a statement on social media that he had a medical condition and he was recovering from surgery, would undergo physical therapy and was expected to make a full recovery. Billy Joel documentary kicks off Tribeca Film Festival "While I regret postponing any shows, my health must come first," he said then. "I look forward to getting back on stage and sharing the joy of live music with our amazing fans. Thank you for your understanding." The "Billy Joel: And So It Goes" documentary features never-before-seen footage of some of Joel's performances and offers fans a glimpse into the legendary artist's private life through home videos and more. The documentary will air later this summer on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. Billy Joel shares 1st message to fans since brain disorder diagnosis originally appeared on
USA Today
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Billy Joel's documentary digs deep into past but he's 'not finished yet'
Billy Joel's documentary digs deep into past but he's 'not finished yet' Show Caption Hide Caption Billy Joel's wife gives health update after singer cancels tour Billy Joel has canceled all upcoming tour dates after revealing he's been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a rare brain condition. unbranded - Entertainment NEW YORK – Billy Joel describes "And So It Goes" as his most definitive song. Fitting, then, that the sparse, pensive piano ballad that was never a huge hit but embodies Joel's world-weary vibe would title his new documentary, "Billy Joel: And So It Goes." The first 2 ½-hours of the two-part film premiered at opening night of the 24th edition of the Tribeca Film Festival on June 4. The Beacon Theatre crowd included not only festival co-founder Robert De Niro and producer Tom Hanks, but actresses Whoopi Goldberg and Mariska Hargitay and Joel's peak recording era band members Liberty DeVitto (drums), Richie Cannata (saxophone) and Russell Javors (guitar). The documentary is slated to hit HBO in July. Its second half, covering Joel's "An Innocent Man" period in 1983 through his record-breaking Madison Square Garden residency that ended last year, is about the same length as the front half shown at the festival. There is no shirking thoroughness here. While Joel, 76, was initially expected to attend the screening, his recently disclosed issues with normal pressure hydrocephalus nixed those plans. Joel's health struggles, which led to the cancellation of all of his stadium-filling concerts this year, made some of his commentary as filmed by directors Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin all the more poignant. At the start of the film, Joel marvels at the Long Island estate he gaped at as a kid while "New York State of Mind" plays in the background. In his voiceover, he talks about how he used to wonder about the residents of the stately mansion. "I own that house now. It's not finished yet," he continues in a tone both matter-of-fact and awed. "But neither am I." More: Billy Joel turns 75: His 75 best songs, definitively ranked Billy Joel almost ended his life twice The film adeptly combines recent sit-downs with Joel – always at a piano, often with a cigar in one hand – with requisite photos and film of his earliest days as a shaggy musician with a prominent mustache and heavy bangs over lidded eyes. Whether harmonizing like the Beatles in The Lost Souls, grooving with The Hassles or forming what musical partner Jon Small calls "probably one of the worst bands ever" in Attila (the album cover featured Small and Joel dressed as Huns and surrounded by hanging slabs of meat), Joel formed an extensive musical foundation. But with any great artist comes great emotional turmoil, and Joel's metastasized in the form of love toward Elizabeth Weber, who happened to be Small's wife. "I got punched in the nose, which is what I deserved," Joel says in the film of Small's reaction to their affair. Weber also appears extensively in the documentary, clear-eyed and definitive about the roles she played in Joel's life, essentially igniting a 45-year-career with one decision. But before he could get swindled by producer Artie Ripp, record his production-marred (thanks to Ripp) debut, "Cold Spring Harbor" in 1971 and embark on a Los Angeles adventure with Weber and her son, Sean, Joel attempted to take his life, twice. His sister, Judy Molinari, recalls getting him sleeping pills to help with insomnia. Joel ingested the entire bottle and was in a coma for days. He awakened with the grimly sardonic thought, "I can't even do this right." So he made a second attempt, drinking a bottle of furniture polish. It was Small, his estranged friend, who took him to the hospital. Joel, whose mother likely suffered from bipolar disorder as discussed in the film, soon checked into a mental observation hospital and left "chagrined" a couple of weeks later, realizing his emotional tumult didn't equal the "real problems" of the other patients. Bruce Springsteen says Billy Joel has better songs Joel's growth as a songwriter and performer (footage of his early concerts in dank clubs, tie loosened around his collar and cigarette tapping into an ashtray atop his piano are a delight) is heralded as he moves through career obstacles with a combination of grit, talent and luck. Musical peers, including Jackson Browne, Garth Brooks, Nas, John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen, pop in sparingly to offer commentary about Joel's evolution and longevity. "He was a bridge and tunnel artist. As am I," Springsteen says with a grin. "But Billy is more identified with New York and that Tin Pan Alley influence is why his songs are better than mine." Joel's sound was almost irrevocably altered when it came time to record his fourth studio album, "Turnstiles." The album that produced fan-adored album tracks "Prelude/Angry Young Man" and "Summer, Highland Falls" as well as concert staples "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out On Broadway)" and "New York State of Mind," was recorded at Caribou Ranch in Colorado with members of Elton John's band. "It sounded horrible," Joel says. So he fired John's group and assembled a street-savvy New York crew of musicians, including DeVitto, Cannata and Javors and appointed Weber, then his wife, his manager. More: From Billy Joel to Miley, Tribeca Film Festival goes all in on music movies How Billy Joel's first wife is responsible for his success Without the influence of Weber, Joel might never have elevated from scrappy club singer in sneakers and a blazer to worldwide musical titan. After recording "The Stranger" in 1977, Joel and Weber sat in a room full of record label suits only to be told, "It's nice," but the execs couldn't identify an obvious hit single among the album tracks. Weber asserted herself and told the label they could choose the first single from the album if she had authority to choose the second. "Movin' Out," a quintessential Joel song stocked with Italian-American-New-York imagery, came first. Weber, who divorced Joel in 1982, partially because of his worrisome drinking, chose "Just The Way You Are," a song Joel disliked then as much as he's said he does now. The gooey, Grammy-winning ballad was "the turning point of my career," Joel says. It's also the song Paul McCartney wishes he had written, as the Beatle and longtime Joel pal reasserts in the documentary. Billy Joel knows life isn't about happy endings As the film tapers to a close, Joel is steering his boat – the Alexa, named for his daughter with ex-wife Christie Brinkley – with a cigar in his mouth and his eyes focused on the water of Oyster Bay. He reflects on the good fortune that resulted from his tireless recording and touring not with the gloating air of a multi-millionaire, but with realism. "I realize life doesn't always have a happy ending," he says. Or as the song says, "Every time I've held a rose, it seems I only felt the thorns / And so it goes, and so it goes."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Billy Joel Cancels Upcoming Tour Amid Lingering Health Issues
Billy Joel has canceled all scheduled tour dates so he can deal with a health issue that may have stemmed froman onstage fall during a concert in February. After the fall, Joel originallypostponed all shows until his July 5 concert planned for Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On Friday, Joel's team released a statement on social media announcing that a recent diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus has required him to cancel all upcoming concerts through July 3, 2026. Seventeen dates have been canceled, including shows scheduled for Yankee Stadium, Metlife Stadium and Citi Field ― whichBillboard noted would have made Joel the first artist to play all three New York City-area stadiums in one summer. A post on Joel's Instagram says recent concerts have 'exacerbated' the condition, 'leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance.' 'Under his doctor's instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health.' The condition involves cerebrospinal fluid that builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain. It can affect thinking and concentration, memory, movement and other brain functions, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Treatment typically involves implanting a shunt to drain excess fluid. Joel won't be completely out of sight as he goes through physical therapy. A two-part documentary, 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes,' will premiere at theTribeca Film Festival next month before airing on HBO Max later this summer. You can read the full statement below. Billy Joel Says His 'Health Must Come First' As He Postpones Tour
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Billy Joel documentary ‘And So It Goes' to open Tribeca Festival
NEW YORK — Early attendees at this year's Tribeca Festival will be in a 'New York State of Mind' with the premiere of HBO's Billy Joel documentary set as the opener. Helmed by Emmy winners Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, the two-part film, officially titled 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes,' is scheduled to run at the Beacon Theatre on June 4. 'For nearly 25 years, the Tribeca Festival has celebrated the artists who give New York its heart and soul, and on the opening night of the 2025 festival, we are thrilled to honor Billy Joel – an artist who has embodied that very spirit,' co-founder Jane Rosenthal said in a statement on Sunday. The film producer, who established the festival in 2002 with Robert De Niro, said the project 'is a perfect way to kick off this year's celebration of creativity and inspiration.' Described as 'an expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting,' the documentary promises 'unprecedented access to never-before-seen performances, home movies, and personal photographs' of the five-time Grammy winner known as 'The Piano Man.' Slated to stream this summer, 'And So It Goes' also features extensive interviews with the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer behind hit songs like 'Just the Way You Are,' 'It's Still Rock and Roll to Me' and 1983's 'Uptown Girl.' 'We are beyond appreciative of Billy Joel's trust in us to bring his story to the screen,' Lacy said. 'There is no better place for this film to premiere than at the Beacon Theatre, the venue for so many historic musical events for decades, and in the city so important to Billy Joel.' Tribeca Festival 2025 is scheduled to run June 4-15 throughout New York City. _______
