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.
тАЬA funny, revealing, and poignant look at [Billy] JoelтАЩs long career.тАЭтАФBoston Globe
Exhibiting unparalleled intimate knowledge, Fred Schruers chronicles JoelтАЩs 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. He also explores JoelтАЩs 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 relationshipsтАФincluding JoelтАЩs high-profile marriages and legal battlesтАФthat defined his path to stardom and inspired his signature songs, such as тАЬPiano Man,тАЭ тАЬScenes from an Italian Restaurant,тАЭ тАЬNew York State of Mind,тАЭ and тАЬSheтАЩs Always a Woman.тАЭ 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 JoelтАЩs memories and reflectionsтАФas 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 CohenтАФthis is the definitive account of a beloved rock starтАЩs epic American journey.