Billy Joel

Did you know?!

1. First role

   Joel played piano on a demo of "Leader of the Pack," a song that turned into a major hit for the Shangri-Las in 1964.

2. Getting ready for a role

   For six months Joel performed as "Bill Martin" at The Executive Room, a piano bar on Wilshire Boulevard. During that time he wrote his signature song "Piano Man", which was about the bar's patrons.

3. A first

   Joel's 12 sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden in 2006 broke the venue's record for most consecutive sold-out shows on a single tour, earning him the arena's first retired number given to a non-athlete.

4. Big break

   Joel caught Columbia Records' attention after a 1972 live radio broadcast of him performing in Philadelphia made "Captain Jack" the station's most requested track, leading to his signing with the label.

5. A first

   The Stranger was Joel's first album to reach the Top Ten. It got to number 2 on the charts and went multi-Platinum, surpassing Bridge over Troubled Water, which had been Columbia's bestselling album.