The all-access biography and unprecedented look at the life, career, and legacy of a pint-sized kid from Long Island who became a music legend.Exhibiting unparalleled intimate knowledge, Schruers chronicles Joel’s rise to the top of the charts, from his working-class origins in Levittown and early days spent in boxing rings and sweaty clubs to his monumental success in the seventies and eighties. … the seventies and eighties. He also explores Joel’s creative transformation in the nineties, his dream performance with Paul McCartney at Shea Stadium in 2008, and beyond.
Along the way, Schruers reveals the stories behind all the key events and relationships—including Joel’s high-profile marriages and legal battles—that defined his path to stardom and inspired his signature songs, such as “Piano Man,” “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” “New York State of Mind,” and “She’s Always a Woman.” Throughout, he captures the spirit of a restless artist determined to break through by sharing, in his deeply personal lyrics, the dreams and heartbreaks of suburban American life.
Comprehensive, vibrantly written, and filled with Joel’s memories and reflections—as well as those of the family, friends, and band members who have formed his inner circle, including Christie Brinkley, Alexa Ray Joel, Jon Small, and Steve Cohen—this is the definitive account of a beloved rock star’s epic American journey.
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I loved every single minute of this book. It was so interesting getting an insiders look into Mr. Joel’s life both pre and post stardom. My fellow Long Islander, atheist and all around music lover, has had an amazing life. I loved the connection to LI and being able to connect with the locations he mentioned. Not only will you get LI history, you get Mr. Joel’s family history during the Nazi invasion, which I found beyond interesting. It was thought provoking. My jaw dropped multiple times. If you’re looking for a great biography, this is it.
This book is for fans. I grew up in Levittown as a baby boomer, too. Schruers did get one thing wrong. The local hangout wasn’t the Parkway Green. It was the Village Green as Joel mentions in one of his older songs, specifically the West Village Green (there was more than one). I haven’t read any other bios of Billy Joel and this one was pretty comprehensive going back to his grandparents. It went through the early days of struggle, his relationships, friendships with other musicians, the inspiration for many of his popular songs, and up to 2016. There were lots of insights from Billy himself and pictures. It’s obvious that he loves what he does and is a gifted songwriter and musician. Rock on, Bill!
I thought I knew a lot about Billy but I was wrong. The book goes into depth about Bill’s early struggle to become a known singer. It makes Bill come across as a very human and humble man.
The book was so easy to read and I had difficulty putting it down. It also had pictures of Billy as a young boy that I had never seen before.
You’ll listen to this artist with a “new” ear
I loved this biography because it dealt primarily with the art of Billy Joel and his creative process and avoided the gossip that other biographies focus on. A very interesting character and a very interesting background.
Love him, love his book.
I have admired Billy Joel’s music but didn’t know much about his background or life (other than marriage to Christie Brinkley). This book put it all in context, and gave me a much broader/deeper appreciation for his talent and musicality. He made a lot of mistakes through the years, but certainly has left a hefty musical legacy. Great read!
I’ve read many books about superstars and usually come away feeling a bit betrayed. Often the star is , down deep, a poor example of humanity, often just a spoiled brat, enjoying drugs and sex as ends in themselves and clawing up the entertainment ladder by running over those below and ignoring any semblance of responsibility in the ego-driven monomania to succeed. Not so, Billy Joel. I was impressed with his respect for his humble Jewish roots, his climb to success neither quick
not easy; he wrote his own songs ; each had a message. A saint, he isn’t but his acceptance of life’s failures without whining or getting even impressed me no end. One agent stole millions from him, lawsuits lasting for years, and yet when Billy bumped into the man years later, Billy spoke to him without rancor or malice. When Billy fell in love , it was real, despite several divorces ; his devotion to his daughter is heart-warming. I came away with respect for this artist whose songs always spoke to me, like Piano Man. Allentown, and For the Longest Time. I think you’ll enjoy it too.
Billy Joel is my all time singer/song writer so it was wonderful to read about his life
Great read if you are a Billy Joel fan. Lots of depth in family and relationships and how his music is inspired by the life around him.
Just another so-so biography about talent gone amok.
The writer was a bit too wordy for me, he often went on about things that really had no bearing on the subject. It felt like he wanted you to know he knew useless trivia, which I found boring. on the bright side, I did learn facts about Billy Joel that were very interesting, I just had to weed them out.
Boring so didn’t finish