Latest news with #SusanLacy
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Billy Joel says he's 'spent life looking' for dad who knocked him unconscious at age 8 and abandoned the family
Billy Joel says he's 'spent life looking' for dad who knocked him unconscious at age 8 and abandoned the family Have YOU got a story? Email tips@ Billy Joel's biggest revelation after filming his new documentary was uncovering the truth that his absentee father Howard Joel was a driving force behind his music and life. In the HBO film Billy Joel: And So It Goes, the 76-year-old Grammy winner lays bare a life marked by turmoil — from a rocky start to his marriage with Elizabeth Weber, once married to his bandmate Jon Small, to battles with addiction and, now, a relentless brain disorder that's forced him to cancel concerts. But it's his father's shadow that looms largest. In the documentary, Joel recalls Howard 'knocking me out' at age 8 over a piano mistake and eventually abandoning the family to move to Europe. Although they would later reconnect, Joel reflected in a new interview that searching for his father remained a driving force throughout his life. '[Co-director] Susan Lacy pointed out that a lot of the things I was searching for were my father in my life, and I recognized that in the documentary,' Joel told People on Wednesday. Billy Joel 's biggest revelation after filming his new documentary was uncovering the truth that his absentee father Howard Joel was a driving force behind his music and life; (seen in 2024) In the documentary, Joel recalls Howard 'knocking me out' at age 8 over a piano mistake before eventually leaving the family for Europe, and says that even after they reconnected, searching for his father remained a driving force in his life; (Joel with father Howard Joel in 1986) 'I said, "You know what? I think that's true. I was looking for my dad."' Billy's father Howard (born Helmut), who died in 2011 at age 87, hailed from a Jewish family in Nuremberg, Germany. As the son of a successful merchant and manufacturer, Howard grew up in a privileged environment and was educated in Switzerland. In addition to his business career, he was a skilled amateur classical pianist, a talent that likely influenced Billy's early interest in music. In 1957, Howard divorced Billy's mother Rosalind and returned to Europe, choosing to settle in Vienna, Austria. The separation meant that Billy and his sister grew up largely without a close relationship with his father. Though they eventually reconnected when Billy was in his early twenties, the years apart left a lasting impact. During his life in Vienna, Howard remarried and had another son, Alexander Joel, who carved out his own path as a pianist and conductor. '[Co-director] Susan Lacy pointed out that a lot of the things I was searching for were my father in my life, and I recognized that in the documentary,' Joel said;; (seen in 1986) 'One thing I remember, I was supposed to be playing the 'Moonlight Sonata,'" Billy said in the documentary, 'Must have been about eight years old. And rock & roll was around at that point 'He came down the stairs. Bam! I got whacked And I got whacked so hard, he knocked me out. I was unconscious for like a minute' Billy Joel acknowledged that his 1977 song Vienna' was about his father during the People interview. He added of making the documentary, 'There was some stuff I found out about myself. There was some self-revelatory stuff.' In the film, Joel opened up about his father in deeper detail, recalling a moment from childhood when he was punished for making a mistake on the piano. 'One thing I remember, I was supposed to be playing the 'Moonlight Sonata,'" Billy said. 'Must have been about eight years old. And rock & roll was around at that point.' 'He came down the stairs. Bam! I got whacked,' Billy continued. 'And I got whacked so hard, he knocked me out. I was unconscious for like a minute. 'And I remember waking up going, 'Well, that got his attention.' And that was my memory of his piano lessons. So, he didn't teach me much.' The interview follows an emotional health update from Billy Joel, who recently revealed he's battling a brain condition known as normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). Back in May, the 76-year-old music icon announced his diagnosis and canceled several upcoming concerts after struggling during recent live performances. In May, music icon Joel, 76, revealed his diagnosis and announced the cancellation of his upcoming concerts, following recent onstage struggles - Joel seen performing in February 2025 The condition has affected his hearing, vision, and balance — symptoms he opened up about on Monday's episode of Bill Maher's Club Random podcast. 'I feel fine. My balance sucks. It's like being a boat,' Joel said, noting that doctors still aren't sure what's causing the disorder. 'They don't know… I thought it must be from drinking.' Over the years, Joel has spoken openly about his past struggles with alcohol, substance abuse, and mental health — including a suicide attempt brought on by intense career pressure. 'I feel good. They keep referring to what I have as a brain disorder, so it sounds a lot worse than what I'm feeling,' he said. According to the Mayo Clinic, hydrocephalus is the buildup of fluid in the brain that enlarges the ventricles and puts pressure on brain tissue, potentially leading to neurological damage. Joel is currently undergoing targeted physical therapy and has been advised by his doctors to hold off on performing during his recovery.
Geek Tyrant
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Trailer for HBO's BILLY JOEL: AND SO IT GOES - "A Raw, Candid Look at a Music Icon" — GeekTyrant
HBO Max has dropped the trailer for Billy Joel: And So It Goe s , a two-part documentary that promises a deeply personal and unfiltered look into the life of one of music's most enduring icons. Directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, the doc pulls from a treasure trove of never-before-seen footage unreleased performances, home videos, and behind-the-scenes clips that have remained under wraps until now. The film is 'crafted around in-depth, exclusive interviews with Billy Joel, illuminating all the key moments that forged his character and the events and muses that inspired his music for more than six decades. 'Exploring revelatory new territory and enriched by dynamic video & performance clips from his musical oeuvre, many never before seen, it's a window into his process and chronicles his monumental successes, while diving into the hidden complexities of his life. 'From his childhood on Long Island, shaped by the absence of his father, to his first bands, the women he loved, and colleagues & collaborators who both supported & betrayed him, Joel's decades of songwriting mirror his rich, complicated autobiography. 'Sharing origin stories about chart hits like 'Just the Way You Are,' an ode to his first love, and 'Uptown Girl,' famously about second wife Christie Brinkley, the film points to the close symbiosis between his life and art, revealing truth in the music that transformed his career, sculpted his legacy, and saved his life.' The film will explore the messiness behind the melodies and showing just how closely his life and lyrics intertwine. Directed by Lacy (who also helmed Spielberg and Jane Fonda in Five Acts ) and first-time director Levin, And So It Goes boasts a powerhouse producing team that includes Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Sean Hayes, and Todd Milliner. It's a heavy-hitting lineup for a documentary that seems determined to do justice to Joel's complexity. Part 1 premiered July 18th on HBO Max, with Part 2 following on July 25th.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Billy Joel Doc Director Gives Update on Singer's Health: ‘He's Doing Physical Therapy, He's Healing'
One of the directors of the upcoming two-part Billy Joel documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, gave an update on the singer's health two months after the 76-year-old 'Piano Man' legend revealed that he'd been diagnosed with the brain disorder normal pressure hydrocephalus. Co-director Susan Lacy told Good Morning America on Wednesday (July 16) that Joel has been 'doing physical therapy, he's healing, he's working on getting better.' In May, Joel canceled all his planned summer shows due to the condition, which can affect vision, hearing and balance. More from Billboard Billy Joel Details Two Suicide Attempts After Affair With Bandmate's Wife in 'And So It Goes' Documentary Iconic Los Angeles Venue the Mayan Theater Announces Closure Billy Strings Goes Death Metal With Cryptopsy Collaboration At the time of the cancelations, Joel said that the decision came after the condition was 'exacerbated by recent concert performances, 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.' According to Cleveland Clinic, the condition occurs when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull, pressing on the brain, affecting the ability to think and concentrate, as well as impacting memory and movement; treatment can involve implanting a shunt to drain the excess fluid. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer had first delayed a number of shows planned throughout the summer to undergo treatment following surgery and originally planned to resume his dates on July 5 with a show in Pittsburgh. But in May he canceled all his shows for 2025, which had included stops at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field in New York and MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, as well as shows in Cincinnati, New Orleans, Santa Clara, Calif., Hollywood, Fla. and Washington D.C. The first part of the documentary — which was co-directed by Jessica Levin — is slated to debut on HBO Max on Friday (July 18); the second part will debut on July 25. The film follows Joel's path from his childhood through his rise to fame, chronicling a number of difficult periods in the singer-songwriter's life, as well as telling the stories behind such beloved songs as 'River of Dreams' and 'New York State of Mind,' among others. Check out a preview of the doc below. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Billy Joel ‘And So It Goes' Directors on 'Vienna,' Nas and the One Legendary Artist Who Turned Down an Interview for the Doc
'Music saved my life,' Billy Joel admits in HBO's And So It Goes. 'It gave me a reason to live.' That stark, emotional admission sets the tone for the powerful two-part documentary premiering July 18 and 25, offering an intimate portrait of the six-time Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. Directed by Emmy winners Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, the film traces Joel's journey from his childhood in Long Island through his slow and steady rise as a hitmaker — ultimately revealing the 'heart and soul' behind decades of iconic songs. More from The Hollywood Reporter Alan Bergman, Oscar-Winning Lyricist, Dies at 99 With His New Album, Alex Warren Isn't Broken Anymore KCON L.A. Returns - How to Secure the Best Ticket Deals (and Stream the Festival Online for Free) 'Our abiding principle was to let the music lead so that people could understand what made this artist tick, and what went into his music, and to get a peek behind his process but also an understanding of how his real-life experiences fed his music and his lyrics,' Levin tells The Hollywood Reporter. Joel has written 121 songs, and the film includes 110 of them, Levin says. 'One of the things that we are really proud of is that the entire film is scored,' Lacy says. 'Including much of his classical music.' And So It Goes explores the forces that shaped Joel's artistry: his deep roots in classical music, the trauma of his father's family and their flight from Nazi Germany and the often volatile dynamics behind the scenes. Rare archival footage, home movies and candid interviews paint a fuller, more complicated picture of the Piano Man — brilliant, driven, combative, sometimes conflicted and ultimately enduring. The women closest to Joel in his life like ex-wife and former manager Elizabeth Weber, his daughter Alexa Ray Joel and his current wife Alexis Roderick opened up about the family man behind the spotlight, while legends like Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne and Don Henley reflect on Joel's legacy as a songwriter. Ahead of Part One's Friday release, Lacy and Levin spoke with THR about getting Joel to open up, exploring his influence on contemporary music and reframing his catalog. Billy Joel is famously private. How did you get him to trust you with his life story? Lacy: He actually said to me, 'it's not my film, it's yours. The only thing I ask is tell the truth. Just tell the truth.' And he came to the table with that, and I did about 10 very long interviews with him, and he delivered. I don't know that he was actually really ready at the beginning to tell his story, but he came to realize that we were making a very deep film, a very serious film, the one that was really going to explore his music and how it connected with his life. We were interested in his craft and his process and where his inspirations came from, and where his musical training came from. And, it wasn't a fly-by-night, drive-by portrait, as many people do. He recognized that this was serious, it was also going to be long. So at one point, he said to me, 'You going deep?' And I said, 'Yeah, and you know you're going to go deep too.' You brought on a lot of stars, the biggest names in music. What was the outreach process like? Were they immediately on board, or did it take persuasion? Lacy: I think musicians love Billy, and they recognize his genius. The only person who turned us down was Elton John. You had Nas in there, and Pink and Garth Brooks. Nas sampled 'Stiletto' in a song. How important was it to have artists from different generations and genres? Levin: We are always interested in how an artist permeates culture on different levels and in different generations. We were doing some research and I just came across the fact that Billy's music had been sampled a lot — and I'm not surprised because he's written a lot of great hooks, he's written some incredible melodies that are very hummable. We had the idea to interview Nas because he sampled Billy, and we thought maybe he would talk about Billy's music being sampled in rap — which he did talk about but didn't quite make it into the film. Instead, we discovered a really eloquent talker about Billy Joel's music. You focused on some of the critics — like Dave Marsh — who were negative about . Then you cut from that review to a funny comment from Bruce Springsteen. Was that intentional? Lacy: We actually wanted to interview some of the critics of Billy, and most of them turned us down. I guess they just didn't want to go on record for the definitive piece. But also, I think that a lot of the critics came around. I think it was hard for critics to understand Billy because he wasn't typically rock and roll. I mean, as Bruce says, he didn't have that 'rock-and-roll-y stuff.' You also addressed his psychology — his search in Vienna, discovering his father and his family history dating back to the Holocaust. How did that feed into 'Vienna?' Lacy: It speaks to that underlying rage, the thought that 'I would've liked to have known my family, they were wiped out in the Holocaust.' Many of them were in Auschwitz. He didn't know most of that. He had complicated feelings about going to Vienna because it was a seat of Nazism, but it was also the home of the composers he loved, and it's a city surrounded by music. I think people will not hear that song the same way again after they see this film, when they see the connections to his history, to that city and his own connection to his father, or lack of connection to his father. In the film, Howard Stern says he thinks that the driving force in Billy's life was trying to connect with his father through music. I think Billy's story is way deeper psychologically than Billy wants to know. You structured the doc chronologically by album but slipped in emotional flashbacks. How did that work? Lacy: I didn't want to go completely linear. So that's why the childhood — the real childhood, the mother, the father, the abandonment, his mother's bipolar issue, all that — doesn't come in until he comes back to New York writing 'New York State of Mind.' I think once you start with the baby pictures, you kind of lose people. But by the time we got there, I think people would be interested in knowing that early childhood, and because it's so intrinsic to who Billy became. And the other thing that's really completely nonlinear was when he did The Nylon Curtain — when he began to write about things other than himself, about the steel mills closing and Vietnam vets. And even though it's traumatic, that's the moment where he walks out on stage wearing a yellow star. He never wanted to be particularly political, but that this was a bridge too far, and he had to begin to comment on it. And that takes us back to his ancestors' story. Have you talked to Billy since the revelation of his ? Lacy: I haven't spoken to him. He did write to me when he saw the film to express his feelings about it, which were very positive and very nice to thank me for 'connecting the dots of his life.' What do you want people to take away from watching? Levin: The takeaway for a fan is going to be a completely new lens on his catalog, and a revisiting of many of the songs and seeing them in a completely new way. The takeaway maybe for a non-fan is maybe to understand and appreciate who Billy is as a musician, even if you don't love his pop songs. That he's a really gifted musician who is influenced by so many different genres of music, and he followed his heart musically. They'll get a glimpse into why people connect with Billy so much, and why he's an enduring and important part of American musical history. Best of The Hollywood Reporter From 'Party in the U.S.A.' to 'Born in the U.S.A.': 20 of America's Most Patriotic (and Un-Patriotic) Musical Offerings Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Forbes
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Billy Joel Documentary Filmmakers on Exploring the Life and Music of the Piano Man
From the HBO documentary 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes.' There is a very touching moment near the end of Billy Joel: And So It Goes, a new two-part documentary about the famed musician that premieres on HBO this Friday. It shows Joel sitting behind his piano during his long-running 2014-2024 residency at New York's Madison Square Garden, about to perform his signature song 'Piano Man.' But just as he starts to hit the keys, the scene abruptly shifts to footage from 1973 of a 24-year-old Joel playing 'Piano Man' on his Columbia Records signing day. It's a fitting reverse bookend to an extraordinary life and career. 'I don't know what I would've been had I not been a musician,' Joel says in the film. 'I don't know where I would've been in this life if it had not been for the piano.' At a total of five hours, And So It Goes, directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, is truly the definitive documentary about Long Island's favorite son: from one of his earliest forays into music as a member of the mid-1960s group the Hassles; through his spectacular run as a hitmaker beginning in the late 1970s with such songs as 'Movin' Out,' 'Just the Way You Are,' 'My Life,' 'It's Still Rock and Roll to Me, 'Tell Her About It,' "We Didn't Start the Fire' and 'The River of Dreams'; to his present status as beloved pop culture icon who can still pack arenas. But the documentary, which previously screened at the Tribeca Film Festival last month, is not hagiography. It candidly addresses the challenging and difficult aspects of Joel's personal and professional life. Among them: his suicide attempt when he was a young man; his complicated relationship with his father, Howard; his near-fatal motorcycle accident in the early 1980s; and the breakup of his first three marriages, including his famous one to model Christie Brinkley. Billy Joel circa 1980. Through archival footage and, of course, his music, And So It Goes more than succeeds in addressing Joel's genius in tackling various musical genres and writing insightful yet relatable lyrics. In addition to Joel's participation, the documentary features interviews with his former and current bandmates and longtime associates; his ex-wives and current wife; and his family members, including his sister Judy and daughter Alexa. There's also commentary from such music luminaries as Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, John Mellencamp, Don Henley, Garth Brooks, Sting, Pink and Nas. The arrival of the documentary is all the more poignant as Joel, 76, recently canceled his scheduled concert dates due to the health condition Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH). In this interview, which has been edited for length and clarity, directors Lacy and Levin discuss the origins of the film, what they learned about Joel along the way, and what they wanted to convey to fans and viewers about the Piano Man. How did the film come about? Susan Lacy: Well, it's such a very long story. I had approached [working on a Billy Joel doc] a long time ago when I created this series called American Masters. That didn't go anywhere. Then, probably about five years ago, I started talking to his management. They weren't quite ready for that yet. They wanted to tie this to the end of the [Madison Square Garden] residency, and they didn't know when that was going to be. Then I got a call from Sony asking about it, and then that didn't go anywhere. And then I got a call from Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman's company, Playtone, and they asked me if I wanted to make a film about Billy Joel. And I said, 'What's in the water here? It's destiny. I'm going to make a film about Billy Joel.' HBO got excited about it. They've worked with both me and Playtone for a long time. So it came together in the end very quickly. Billy, I think, was encouraged by his management to do this. They felt it was the right time, finally, for this film to happen. At the time, I don't think anybody knew that the residency was going to end. That happened midway along making this film. It was a long process because it's a long film. Was there one particular revelation or aspect of Joel that you didn't know about until you started working on this film? Billy Joel, circa 1962. Lacy: I did not know about his Jewish history and the Holocaust story. I really didn't know about the classical music element of it. And those two elements are something that we shared. My mother was a classical pianist. We shared a Holocaust story. Our fathers came [to America] in the same year from Germany as Jewish immigrants. Both became American soldiers and went back to Germany. So there was a lot of that. And the fact that he's so not like his public persona — all those things were big surprises to me. I think Jessica knew his catalog a lot better than I did. Jessica, what do you feel about what you discovered about Joel through this film? Jessica Levin: I learned a tremendous amount by working on this project, even as somebody who was really a deep catalog fan. When you're a fan of Billy Joel, you already feel like you know him because he's such a relatable guy and his lyrics are so universal. OAKLAND, UNITED STATES - APRIL 09: Billy Joel performing at the Oakland Coliseum on April 09 1990 ... More (Photo by Clayton Call/Redferns) You listen to the songs, and you're like, "This is for me," and you put on your headphones, and you get lost in it. In the process of making the film, I learned how deeply autobiographical the music was. And that really cast an entirely new light on the catalog and even the songs that I knew well — having the understanding of what Billy was going through at that time, very much ripped from the pages of his life. That's what's so remarkable about Billy. He can write a song about anything and turn it into this incredible universal piece of songwriting that connects with so many people. I would say one funny revelation is I really didn't know about the Attila years at all [Joel's hard rock band from 1969]. I just could not in my mind figure out how Billy went from loving Led Zeppelin to becoming who he was on [the 1977 breakthrough album] The Stranger. Billy Joel and Wife Elizabeth Weber (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images) Part one of the documentary is particularly noteworthy for your interviews with Elizabeth Weber, Joel's first wife and former manager, who played a pivotal part in his career. It's not often discussed about until now. Lacy: It wasn't easy to get her to participate in this film, which is hard to believe because she's so good in the film. When she left Billy, she didn't mention his name for 40 years. Nobody even knew. I had to really convince her. She had been sort of maligned on social media a great deal. Nobody understood what she had done to make Billy Joel Billy Joel. It's really a feminist story in a lot of ways. We are two women who wanted to tell that story. So she was convinced to do it after many long conversations and dinners. And then we did four interviews. Levin: Billy trusted two women to tell his story. We are really proud of the way that we were able to unfold his inner emotional story side by side with the story of his artistic growth. I don't know what another two filmmakers would have done, but we knew that was important to us. He has a series of incredibly strong women who have been in his life: Elizabeth Weber, his mother and Christie Brinkley. Lacy: He has three daughters [Alexa, Della and Remy]. NEW YORK - APRIL 25: (L-R) Christie Brinkley, Alexa Ray Joel and Billy Joel attend the premiere of ... More "Last Play At Shea" during the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival at the Tribeca Performing Arts Centre on April 25, 2010 in New York City. (Photo byfor Tribeca Film Festival) Los Angeles, CA - February 04: (L-R) Alexis Roderick, Della Rose Joel, Billy Joel, and Remy Anne ... More Joel arrive on the Red Carpet at the Arena in Los Angeles, CA, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Levin: And his current wife, Alexis, who's an absolute force of nature in and of herself. So I think it's really interesting that he said, "I'll trust you guys to tell." Obviously, it was based on a lot more than just the fact that we're women. I mean, Susan has an incredible track record, and we've been making films together for 25 years. So it's not like we're newbies. I do think it's interesting that he trusted women to tell his story. And we're really proud of that. We're also very proud of the fact that out of Billy's catalog of 121 songs, there are over 110 songs in this film. Lacy: It enabled us to basically score the film entirely with Billy's music, including the classical music and some instrumental variations based on melodies. To underscore what Jessica was saying about trusting women, he trusted a woman to manage him. He was accused of misogyny in some of his songs. And Elizabeth said, "I'm proof that that's not the case." I mean, nobody else was hiring women to manage rock bands at the time, and he trusted her to do that. Levin: And he poured out their entire story of their relationship in songs, from 'Just the Way You Are' and 'She's Got a Way' to 'Stiletto.' NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 25: Billy Joel performs onstage during the last show of his residency at ... More Madison Square Garden on July 25, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by) What did you want to tell viewers and fans who will be watching this documentary about Joel's life and career? Lacy: From the very beginning, this film has got to satisfy the fans. But it also has to satisfy and provide revelations and surprises to people who were like, "Why Billy Joel?" And as I began to explore his music and read about him, I realized that there was a very, very deep and complex and interesting person beneath the public persona of this funny, straightforward kind of guy — that there were deep wells of emotion and vulnerability inside that man. So the idea was to understand the origins of these songs, which is Billy's way of expressing himself and dealing with his own history. And because of the sort of everyman aspect that he gives the impression of, he's telling everybody's story in a certain way. That's why everybody relates to him. But there's so much more beneath the surface of Billy than what people think about Billy. That was really the aim. And also to really delve into his musicality — he's a musical savant. And to understand where these songs came from, what inspired him, how he composed them, how much he drew on the wells of many different musical genres from Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, the American songbook, jazz, the oldies, and classical music — all of which is imbued in his albums, which reflect the various changes in his own life and what he was experiencing. So it was a big, complex task. And it's a Shakespearean tale of love, loss and woe. Billy Joel: And So It Goes, directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, premieres on HBO, Friday, July 18, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
