people - The Piano Man leaves the stage: Last Billy Joel concert
After ten years and 150 concerts, Billy Joel (75) ended his legendary concert series at New York's Madison Square Garden. At his last performance on a Thursday in the heart of Manhattan in front of thousands of fans, the "Piano Man" reflected on a decade that made him a New York legend.
He surprised the audience with a special guest, Axl Rose, the lead singer of Guns N' Roses. Together they sang hits like "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC.
US talk show host Jimmy Fallon also attended and congratulated Joel on the end of a long concert series. For the finale of the Mega-Show, which took place monthly since 2014 in the always sold-out "Garden" and with which Joel sold 1.6 million tickets, fans had to pay quite a bit: Shortly before the show, tickets cost up to $10,000.
With the Helicopter to Manhattan
Over the years, Joel became a fixture in New York: With the exception of the Corona pandemic and illnesses, he climbed into the helicopter once a month near New York on Long Island, sang for nearly three hours in the famous arena in Manhattan his hits, and then flew back. In recent years, he reportedly took the commuter train more often.
In music retirement, Joel has no plans - quite the opposite. His next concert in Cardiff, Wales is scheduled for August 9th.
Born in 1949 as William Joel in the New York Bronx, the frequently award-winning singer grew up as the child of a German Jewish father and a British Jewish mother. He took piano lessons as a child, played in bands, and released his first albums. He broke through in 1973 with the album and namesake song "Piano Man".
In the following twenty years, he released ten more successful albums with hits like "Uptown Girl", "River Of Dreams", "She’s Always A Woman To Me", "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", "We Didn't Start the Fire" and "Tell Her About It". Critics often laughed at his Americana-Pop, but the music sold exceptionally well with the public.
- Jimmy Fallon, a renowned talk show host from the United States of America, attended Billy Joel's last concert at Madison Square Garden.
- Axl Rose, the lead singer of Guns N' Roses, joined Billy Joel on stage for a special performance, singing hits like "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC.
- Thousands of fans gathered in the heart of Manhattan to witness Jimmy Fallon's congratulations to Billy Joel on the ending of his legendary concert series.
- Despite the high ticket prices, the helicopter was still a common mode of transportation for Billy Joel, taking him from Long Island to Manhattan for his monthly concerts.
- Born in the Bronx, New York, Billy Joel grew up with a German Jewish father and a British Jewish mother, and his love for music led him to pursue a career as a piano player and singer.
- Known for hits like "Piano Man", "Uptown Girl", and "We Didn't Start the Fire", Billy Joel continues to make music and will be performing in Cardiff, Wales later this year.
