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Washington Post
31 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
The Billy Joel movie premiere was sad, sweet and yet incomplete
NEW YORK — A documentary about the life and career of Billy Joel, premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival at the legendary Beacon Theatre — it's hard to get more New York than that. Yet what was long planned as a night of career celebration took on unexpected poignance after Joel, 76, revealed two weeks ago that he has been diagnosed with a brain disorder — and canceled all of his concerts scheduled over the next 13 months. He also had to miss the opening night of the festival, which kicked off its 24th year Wednesday with a screening of Part 1 of 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes,' a sprawling film airing on HBO in July. Festival co-founders Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal made a brief appearance praising the singer-songwriter for five decades of capturing the rhythm and spirit of the city. De Niro dubbed the Long Island native as the 'poet laureate of New York.' 'Billy wanted to be with us tonight. But as you may have heard, he is dealing with a health issue and had to postpone his performances, including this one tonight. We know you join us in wishing him a speedy recovery,' Rosenthal said. A few moments later, directors Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin read a message from Joel that he wanted to convey to the audience in his classic wry manner: 'Getting old sucks, but it's still preferable to getting cremated.' 'He will be back,' Lacy said, to loud applause from the crowd. In an increasingly fractured culture, Joel's music and lyrics unite the generations, the filmmakers said, with a relatability that made him one of the top-selling musical acts in history. Just ask his ex-wife. 'Bill can take a kernel of something that happened and create a story that is universal, and he would get to the DNA of the human experience,' Elizabeth Weber, who was also the star's manager back in the day, says in the film. Nearly 55 years after his debut album, Joel was still filling stadiums — before the tour cancellation, he was scheduled to play another 17 shows in the United States and Britain, alongside a rotating crew of partner acts: Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks and Sting. And for a decade, fans packed his monthly concerts at Madison Square Garden, until the unique residency ended this past summer. He never had to change up the act much. The familiarity of the repertoire — 'Piano Man,' 'New York State of Mind,' 'Uptown Girl' — was the big draw for attendees who hollered along to every word. 'There's a handful of folks that can both play and compose and write the lyrics to these songs that, I'm sorry, as soon as you hear a couple of phrases, you're singing the whole damn thing,' Tom Hanks, one of the executive producers of the documentary, told the AP at the screening. The rigorous tour schedule took its toll. Joel's recent diagnosis, normal pressure hydrocephalus, was 'exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance,' his team said in a statement. During his last show in February, he took a startling fall. Joel is a more complicated celebrity than fans might expect from his songbook of karaoke staples. Levin told the audience that when she met him, she proudly told him how much she loved his lesser-known 'Streetlife Serenade' record from 1974, confident that he would clock her as a true fan. Instead, he said, 'That's probably my least favorite album.' 'His response was my first clue that there was a lot more to Billy Joel,' Levin said. Lacy, who said she had a 'cursory knowledge' of him before the film, found Joel to be a complex and layered figure. Part 1 — which ran about 2½ hours, with interviews with Joel's family, friends, band members and fellow stars, including Bruce Springsteen and Garth Brooks — chronicles his struggle to break through as a solo artist, his move to California and then back to his beloved New York. When he experienced life-changing fame with the 1977 smash album 'The Stranger,' he found himself mocked for being too popular, an uncool 'balladeer' in an era of anti-authoritarian punk rock. The criticism stung Joel, who saw himself as a scrappy kid from Hicksville, Long Island, scratching his way out of a tough childhood. He always felt like he was struggling, he says in the film, even while enjoying astonishing success. 'I learned life is a fight,' he says. The Beacon audience cheered every New York reference in the documentary — such as the introductions of Joel's Long Island-bred backup musicians — as well as moments when the hometown hero triumphed over the music-label suits. Like the time he declined to work with a Beatles producer because it would have meant replacing his band. Or when then-manager Weber insisted that unenthused record executives release 'Just the Way You Are' as a single. It went on to win record and song of the year at the 1979 Grammy Awards. Joel famously endured some dark moments — depression, rehab, divorce — and his loved ones describe them unflinchingly. While in the late-1960s duo Attila with his close friend Jon Small, Joel had an affair with the drummer's wife. That was Weber. When the love triangle self-destructed, the piano player was so consumed by guilt and heartbreak that he tried to end his life. After a stint in a psychiatric facility, he recovered by channeling his emotion into songs — and reconnected with Weber, who helped guide him to superstardom. Small, who has moved past the affair debacle, joins their mutual ex-wife as one of the primary talking heads interviewed in the film. Part 1 ends with Weber and Joel's own explosive breakup in the early 1980s, after he started drinking heavily and using drugs to cope with the pressures of fame. But Joel has always been candid about his mistakes and trying to learn from them — another reason fans have remained so devoted for so long, and why it's difficult to imagine him out of the spotlight. The film opens with Joel talking about his early days working on an oyster boat, when he would gaze with envy at an enormous beachfront mansion. Years later, he bought that very house, though it was still undergoing construction. 'It's not finished yet,' Joel said. 'But neither am I.'
USA Today
6 hours 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."
New York Post
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Billy Joel cracking jokes about ‘getting old,' ‘cremated' after brain disorder diagnosis, Tribeca doc director shares
When the lights went up on Broadway for the world premiere of the documentary 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' — at New York's Beacon Theatre for the opening night of the Tribeca Festival — the hometown hero was not in the house. As exclusively revealed to The Post last week, the 76-year-old music legend sat out his big night after revealing that he was diagnosed with a brain disorder called normal pressure hydrocephalus. But the 'New York State of Mind' crooner still received plenty of local love from Tribeca Festival co-founders Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro as the 24th edition of the festival that started in 2002 kicked off with the first half of Joel's two-part documentary before it premieres on HBO and HBO Max later this summer. Advertisement 8 Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal at the 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' opening night at Tribeca Film Festival. Getty Images for Tribeca Festival 8 (L-R) Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal at Tribeca Film Festival 2025. Getty Images for Tribeca Festival De Niro, 81, called Joel 'the poet laureate of New York,' while Rosenthal, 68, addressed the music man's ongoing health battle. 'Billy wanted to be with us tonight, but as you may have heard, he's dealing with a health issue and had to postpone his performances, including this one tonight. We know you will join us in wishing him a speedy recovery,' Rosenthal said after the pair quoted lyrics from Joel's 'New York State of Mind.' Advertisement 'He's our piano man, a wonderful, integral part of the heartbeat of our city,' De Niro told the crowd. 'Tonight, we fit to see the man behind the music and behind the legend. You're in for a real treat.' Directors Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin also spoke about Joel in the wake of his absence, revealing a joke about death that the singer told them. 'We know Billy wishes he were here tonight, and he asked us to convey that to you all. In fact, he said, 'Getting old sucks, but it's preferable to getting cremated,'' one of them recalled before assuring the crowd, 'He will be back.' Advertisement 8 Co-directors and producers Susan Lacy (L) and Jessica Levin at Tribeca Film Festival. AFP via Getty Images And So It Goes' features rare, previously unseen footage and candid, intimate interviews while charting the five-time Grammy winner's rise from Long Island to international pop stardom. Taking its title from a deeply personal piano ballad from Joel's 1989 album 'Storm Front,' the documentary also features classics such as 'Piano Man,' 'Just the Way You Are,' and, of course, 'New York State of Mind.' Rosenthal and De Niro gave a show of support in a statement after Joel's health crisis was announced. Advertisement 8 The two-part documentary 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' will premiere on HBO and HBO Max later this summer. Art Maillett/Sony Music Archives/Courtesy HBO 8 Billy Joel told Howard Stern that he was 'not dying' after recently revealing his brain disorder diagnosis. Getty Images 8 After starting in 2014, Billy Joel ended his historic 10-year Madison Square Garden residency last July. Getty Images 'Our hearts are with Billy Joel and his family following today's announcement,' they said in a statement. 'As a New York icon and global music legend, he has profoundly shaped the cultural fabric of this city and touched audiences around the world. We send our love and full support and wish him strength and a healthy recovery.' 'We're deeply honored that this year's Opening Night celebrates his remarkable legacy and enduring influence on New York's cultural landscape,' the statement continued. 'This is the perfect moment to recognize a creative force whose work reflects the very soul of our city — and the heart of Tribeca.' Although Joel was not in attendance, he has let it be known that you haven't seen the last of him yet. 8 Billy Joel traded the piano for guitar during one of his Madison Square Garden residency shows in 2016. Getty Images In fact, Howard Stern shared a positive update about the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer on Tuesday, assuring listeners that the hitmaker is 'not dying.' Advertisement 'I saw Billy Joel two weeks ago,' he told co-host Robin Quivers on SiriusXM's 'The Howard Stern Show.' 'We had dinner together.' 'Yeah, he does have issues,' Stern continued. 'But he said, 'Yeah, you can tell people, you know, I'm not dying.' You know, he wants people to know that. He just, he's gotta deal with some medical stuff, but he was delightful.' 8 Billy Joel had already rescheduled several concerts earlier this year. Instagram/@billyjoel Normal pressure hydrocephalus is a brain disorder where cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain, disrupting cognitive functioning. Advertisement Due to his condition, Joel also canceled all of his upcoming tour dates, which were to include a 'Triple Play' summer series of concerts at all three New York area stadiums: Yankee Stadium (July 18, with Rod Stewart), MetLife Stadium (Aug. 8, with Stevie Nicks) and Citi Field (Aug. 21, with Sting). But thankfully, Joel — who ended his historic Madison Square Garden residency last July after 10 years, 104 sold-out shows and 1.9 million tickets scanned — isn't ready to hang up his piano. 'He is happiest while performing,' a music industry insider told People last week. 'Music is, has been and will always be his life. He's not ready to retire.'
New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Billy Joel insists he's ‘not dying' after brain disorder diagnosis, Howard Stern says
Howard Stern has shared a positive update on Billy Joel's health after the singer's shocking brain disorder diagnosis. On Tuesday, during an episode of SiriusXM's 'The Howard Stern Show,' the 71-year-old shock jock revealed that Joel is 'not dying' after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus. 'I saw Billy Joel two weeks ago,' he told co-host Robin Quivers. 'We had dinner together.' 8 8 'Yeah, he does have issues,' Stern continued. 'But he said, 'Yeah, you can tell people, you know, I'm not dying.' You know, he wants people to know that. He just, he's gotta deal with some medical stuff, but he was delightful.' Stern added that he and the 'Piano Man' singer had a 'great conversation' and that he even 'brought out the guitar' to celebrate Joel's 76th birthday, which was on May 9. 'We had a great time with the wives. We had a great conversation,' the Sirius XM host said. 'I was telling him I'm enjoying playing classical music on the guitar.' 8 8 'Then it was his birthday. I even brought out the guitar and sang 'Happy Birthday' to him, then he threw up,' Stern joked. 'He didn't seem real impressed.' Stern's relieving update on Joel's health comes after the 'New York State of Mind' musician revealed that he was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus last month and canceled all his tour dates through next year. The rare disorder, which reportedly affects about 0.2% of people between the ages of 70 and 80, occurs when cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up inside the skull, presses on the brain and disrupts cognitive functioning. 8 'Billy Joel has announced that he will be cancelling all scheduled concerts following a recent diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH),' the 'Only the Good Die Young' crooner's team said in a lengthy Instagram announcement on May 23. 'This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance,' it continued. 'Under his doctor's instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.' 'I'm sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience,' Joel added, 'and thank you for understanding.' 8 Joel's wife, Alexis Roderick Joel, 43, broke her silence on her famous hubby's startling diagnosis days later. 'Thank you for the outpouring of love and support,' she wrote on his Instagram account alongside a shot of herself, Joel, and their daughters Della, 9, and Remy, 7. 'We are so grateful for the wonderful care and swift diagnosis we received.' 'Bill is beloved by so many, and to us, he is a father and husband who is at the center of our world,' she added. 'We are hopeful for his recovery. We look forward to seeing you all in the future.' 8 Despite the 'Scenes From an Italian Restaurant' music legend's health issues, sources close to Joel insisted he is 'not ready to retire.' 'He is happiest while performing,' a music industry insider told People last week. 'Music is, has been and will always be his life. He's not ready to retire.' 'He is not retiring and hopes to be able to resume performing as his recovery progresses,' another insider told the outlet. However, The Post exclusively reported that Joel will not be attending the Tribeca Festival opening night world premiere of his new documentary, 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes,' on Wednesday, June 4, in the wake of his diagnosis. 8 'Our hearts are with Billy Joel and his family following today's announcement,' the film festival's co-founders, Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro, said in a statement. 'We send our love and full support and wish him strength and a healthy recovery.' 'We're deeply honored that this year's Opening Night celebrates his remarkable legacy and enduring influence on New York's cultural landscape,' they added. 'This is the perfect moment to recognize a creative force whose work reflects the very soul of our city – and the heart of Tribeca.'
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Howard Stern explains what friend Billy Joel wants everyone to know about his brain disorder diagnosis
Howard Stern has shared a positive update on Billy Joel's health after the singer's shocking brain disorder diagnosis. On Tuesday, during an episode of SiriusXM's 'The Howard Stern Show,' the 71-year-old shock jock revealed that Joel is 'not dying' after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus. 'I saw Billy Joel two weeks ago,' he told co-host Robin Quivers. 'We had dinner together.' Advertisement 8 Howard Stern recently shared a positive update on Billy Joel's health after the singer's brain disorder diagnosis. Instagram/@sternshow 8 Stern revealed that Joel is 'not dying' after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus. Getty Images for ABA 'Yeah, he does have issues,' Stern continued. 'But he said, 'Yeah, you can tell people, you know, I'm not dying.' You know, he wants people to know that. He just, he's gotta deal with some medical stuff, but he was delightful.' Advertisement Stern added that he and the 'Piano Man' singer had a 'great conversation' and that he even 'brought out the guitar' to celebrate Joel's 76th birthday, which was on May 9. 'We had a great time with the wives. We had a great conversation,' the Sirius XM host said. 'I was telling him I'm enjoying playing classical music on the guitar.' 8 'But he said, 'Yeah, you can tell people, you know, I'm not dying,'' the shock jock said on Tuesday. 'You know, he wants people to know that.' Getty Images 8 Stern and Joel with their wives at Stern's Sirius XM studio on February 14, 2024. Getty Images Advertisement 'Then it was his birthday. I even brought out the guitar and sang 'Happy Birthday' to him, then he threw up,' Stern joked. 'He didn't seem real impressed.' Stern's relieving update on Joel's health comes after the 'New York State of Mind' musician revealed that he was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus last month and canceled all his tour dates through next year. The rare disorder, which reportedly affects about 0.2% of people between the ages of 70 and 80, occurs when cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up inside the skull, presses on the brain and disrupts cognitive functioning. 8 The 'Piano Man' singer revealed that he was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus last month and had to cancel all his tour dates through next year. Instagram/@billyjoel Advertisement 'Billy Joel has announced that he will be cancelling all scheduled concerts following a recent diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH),' the 'Only the Good Die Young' crooner's team said in a lengthy Instagram announcement on May 23. 'This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance,' it continued. 'Under his doctor's instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.' 'I'm sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience,' Joel added, 'and thank you for understanding.' 8 'I'm sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience,' Joel told his fans on May 23, 'and thank you for understanding.' Getty Images Joel's wife, Alexis Roderick Joel, 43, broke her silence on her famous hubby's startling diagnosis days later. 'Thank you for the outpouring of love and support,' she wrote on his Instagram account alongside a shot of herself, Joel, and their daughters Della, 9, and Remy, 7. 'We are so grateful for the wonderful care and swift diagnosis we received.' 'Bill is beloved by so many, and to us, he is a father and husband who is at the center of our world,' she added. 'We are hopeful for his recovery. We look forward to seeing you all in the future.' 8 Normal pressure hydrocephalus affects about 0.2% of people between the ages of 70 and 80. Getty Images Advertisement Despite the 'Scenes From an Italian Restaurant' music legend's health issues, sources close to Joel insisted he is 'not ready to retire.' 'He is happiest while performing,' a music industry insider told People last week. 'Music is, has been and will always be his life. He's not ready to retire.' 'He is not retiring and hopes to be able to resume performing as his recovery progresses,' another insider told the outlet. However, The Post exclusively reported that Joel will not be attending the Tribeca Festival opening night world premiere of his new documentary, 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes,' on Wednesday, June 4, in the wake of his diagnosis. Advertisement 8 Sources close to Joel insisted that he is 'not ready to retire' despite his rare brain disorder diagnosis. Getty Images 'Our hearts are with Billy Joel and his family following today's announcement,' the film festival's co-founders, Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro, said in a statement. 'We send our love and full support and wish him strength and a healthy recovery.' 'We're deeply honored that this year's Opening Night celebrates his remarkable legacy and enduring influence on New York's cultural landscape,' they added. 'This is the perfect moment to recognize a creative force whose work reflects the very soul of our city – and the heart of Tribeca.'
