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Billy Joel

Globally-Recognized Pianist, Singer-Songwriter and Composer

Billy Joel
Travels From Travels From:
New York, NY, USA
Speaking Fee Speaking Fee:
Live Event: $200,000 and above
Virtual Event: Please Contact
More Fee Info
Categories Categories:
Categories Categories:
Faith & Religion, Health, Jewish Heritage, Mental Health
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Billy Joel Biography

He produced pop music hits from 1973 (beginning with the single "Piano Man") to his retirement from the genre in 1993. He has continued to tour occasionally (usually with Elton John) in addition to writing and recording classical music.

Joel's songwriting cannot be separated from the life that inspired so much of his work. Joel "was born in '49, a Cold War kid in McCarthy time," as he wrote in his song "Leningrad". Joel first lived in the modern-day South Bronx, a ethnically white neighborhood at the time. His family then moved to Long Island, to Levittown and then to Hicksville, both working class towns in Nassau County [1]. His father, Howard Joel, was a Jewish refugee from Germany and his mother, Rosalind Hyman, was born in England, to an agnostic Jewish family. Joel was not raised very religiously, and in fact attended Roman Catholic mass with his Catholic friends, inspiring some of his religion-themed lyrics. He has made many references in his lyrics to locations in the New York City metropolitan area, particularly the Island, in his songs. For example, the Miracle Mile line in "It's Still Rock & Roll to Me" refers to the affluent shopping district that's located on Northern Boulevard in the community of Manhasset. Also, in his early song Billy the Kid, he describes a certain "Billy" as being from the Town of Oyster Bay, the municipality in which the hamlet of Levittown is located.

Joel has always relied heavily on his own experiences in writing his songs; perhaps the best examples are "Piano Man", which he wrote out of his experience of regularly playing at a piano bar in the early 1970s, and "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," purportedly written about either the Syosset mainstay Christiano's or a similar eatery in New York City's Little Italy. His song "New York State of Mind"—a track from 1976's Turnstiles album that has since become a standard—also demonstrated his affinity for his home state.

Joel also is known for his depiction of life in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, which he paid tribute to in one of his most popular songs, "Allentown," released in 1982. The song depicts living in industrial Allentown, Pennsylvania in the early 1980s.

Joel's daughter Alexa has also been a motivation for lyrical content; he penned "Lullabye" for her. Similarly, his song "The Downeaster Alexa" combined his love for his daughter with a depiction of the plight of boat captains in the offshore fishing industry. "Uptown Girl" was a love song about the seemingly mismatched romance between himself and Christie Brinkley, Alexa's mother and his second wife.

Joel has always had a trusting, open attitude in both his business and personal relationships. This attitude was manifested as advice in the song "Tell Her About It", as well as in an expression of his own needs in "Honesty" and "And So It Goes". It can also be found in his description of the elements needed to make a relationship work in "A Matter of Trust".

The song "We Didn't Start the Fire" lists historical events from his birth in 1949 through the mid-1980's—the first thirty-five years of Joel's life, reflecting his fascination with culture and history. The song "Leningrad" shows Joel's appreciation for the history of the Soviet Union and his feelings about the Cold War in which he was raised. Before Joel went into the music business, he always wanted to become a history teacher; later in his career, he earned a New York state teaching license.

In addition, having attempted suicide earlier in his life, Joel composed a song on request called "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" specifically to strengthen those contemplating suicide to choose life instead.

Joel has recently been returning to his fascination with classical music and has been experimenting in that area. Fantasies and Delusions, his first album of classical pieces, got a tepid response from critics but went to #1 on the classical charts.

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Billy Joel Books

  • Billy Joel - Fantasies & Delusions: Music for Solo Piano, Op. 1-10
    Billy Joel - Fantasies & Delusions: Music for Solo Piano, Op. 1-10

FAQs on booking Billy Joel

  • How do I book Billy Joel to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Billy Joel for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Billy Joel, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Billy Joel or any other speaker of your choice.

  • What are the speaker fees for Billy Joel

    Speaking fees for Billy Joel, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Billy Joel are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Billy Joel, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

  • What topics does Billy Joel speak about?

    Billy Joel is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Faith & Religion, Health, Jewish Heritage, Mental Health.

  • Where does Billy Joel travel from?

    Billy Joel generally travels from New York, NY, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.

  • Who is Billy Joel’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Billy Joel for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Billy Joel for your next private or corporate function.

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    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Billy Joel or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

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    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Billy Joel is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Billy Joel for your event is $200,000 and above. Billy Joel generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Mandy Patinkin, Jason Alexander, Debra Messing, Howie Mandel and Dan Abrams. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Billy Joel for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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