ORLANDO, Fla. — After more than 50 years and hundreds of concerts, Piano Man Billy Joel is still dazzling audiences from coast to coast in packed houses with thousands of fans singing along to every word.
Central Floridians and visitors will file into Camping World Stadium this Saturday to hear “The Entertainer” perform his first show at the venue since his 1994 Face to Face tour with Elton John.
Joel’s outdoor concert represents his only Florida stadium show in 2022 and the first time an artist has played Camping World Stadium since Beyonce and Jay-Z graced the venue in August 2018. The 2022 calendar year brings six big-name acts to the stadium, which recently received $60 million in construction upgrades and enhancements.
In November, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer appeared at a Camping World Stadium news conference announcing Joel’s concert, giving nods to the musician’s more than 150 million albums sold and 23 Grammy nominations.
Ahead of this weekend’s performance, Joel talked with the Sentinel by phone about his musical influences, his more than 50-year career and giving back through his foundation.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: When do you first remember falling in love with music?
A: I don’t remember a time when I didn’t. I was hearing music from a very early age. My mom would always have the radio on or be playing records, my dad was always playing the piano. And both families were very musically oriented. It was always in my life.
Q: Who are some of your biggest musical influences that you’ve drawn inspiration from?
A: We used to listen to WQXR; both my parents loved classical music. But my mom loved Broadway shows, too, so I got to hear a lot of that. The only kind of music I wasn’t really exposed to very much was country music. But once in a while, you’d hear a Johnny Cash song on pop radio. You could hear jazz on the radio, you could hear classical, you could hear blues and pop.
Q: Can a lot of those influences be heard in your music?
A: I would imagine so. The first album I ever purchased with my own money was Dave Brubeck’s “Time Out.” I think it was like $3.99, this was back in the 60s. I was fascinated with that album, with the different time signatures. Then I started getting into pop.
When I was a teenager, I was on United Artists. And I was also on Mercury Records with one of my first bands. I would go to the headquarters of the record company in New York City and I would just take as many albums as they would let me take. I got to pick up a lot of Thad Jones and Mel Lewis albums. I became a fan of Jimmy Smith and the Hammond organ, too. I was pretty lucky to be exposed to all of that.
Q: Especially with the recent Madison Square Garden residency (which has sold out 77 monthly shows in New York), I imagine you love performing. What happened when that went away for a while with the pandemic?
A: That was a weird time. When musicians can’t perform, you’re kind of a lost soul. We need an audience. It’s not just about selling records, it’s really about having contact with people who are listening. The most enjoyable part of performing live is the feeling that you’ve created a community, right there and then. Not having that was kind of a strange, disconnected feeling. Fortunately, we’re able to work a little more now.
Q: How does it feel to have this triumphant return to the stage after we’ve all been hunkered down for so long?
A: It is a great feeling. When we came back to the Garden and played again, it was almost like I had forgotten what a great gig it was. When we played so many shows there, we were starting to take it for granted like, “Yeah, we’re the house band.” It’s dangerous to think like that because when it’s gone, you really miss it.
I have a great job. I never want to lose sight of that. I don’t know whether I picked the job or the job picked me, but it was a great choice because I’ve loved every second of it.
Q: You have a few stadium shows lined up on this tour. What’s that feeling like going from an indoor arena to a giant outdoor stadium?
A: Stadium gigs are great. It doesn’t really make sense to me that people would come and see this static piano player stuck behind a big concert grand in the middle of a stadium, but they do. I hear this huge crowd of people singing the words to my songs and it’s fantastic. It’s such a great sensation as if I’m almost floating above this wonderful sound. But it wasn’t something I ever thought I would be doing. But people keep coming.
Q: There are even people on TikTok now listening to your music. It seems like good music will always find a way to persist regardless of what year it came out.
A: I keep being asked, you know, “What do you think the reason is for your longevity?” My answer is, “Well, I haven’t died.” That’s all I can think of. I continue to sell tickets, I enjoy what I do. The band is great, the audiences are great. What’s not to love?
Q: You haven’t had an album of new music since the ‘90s. Is there a worry that you don’t want to write new material if the inspiration isn’t there?
A: The main reason that someone should write is because they want to. If you’re writing music, and you don’t really want to, it’s not going to be any good. It’s going to be manufactured. I feel like I’ve kind of fulfilled my role as a songwriter, to the extent that I’m content with what I’ve produced to date. I didn’t want to dilute what I’ve done. I became more comfortable with instrumental music rather than songs, so that’s what I’ve continued to write.
Q: At the end of the day, it’s about being happy with what you do, right? Whatever form that comes in — filling Madison Square Garden, performing for audiences who sing all the words. It sounds like that’s where the real joy is.
A: That was the original enjoyment. The first time I ever played a gig in a band, it was for a church dance in Hicksville, Long Island. I was just knocked out by the dynamic of the whole thing. The people were watching us, they were dancing, they were cheering. At the end of the gig, the priest came over and gave us each 15 bucks. That was like $1,500 back in the 60s. I hadn’t even thought about getting paid for that. That’s what I’m doing, and that feeling has never left.
Q: Over the arc of your more than 50-year career, what have you learned in that time span? What are some of the things you’re most thankful for?
A: I learned that I picked the right job. Sometimes I would question myself, “Are you really good enough to do this? Do you have what it takes? Is this what you want to do?” And the answer always ended up being, “Yes.” It takes a while to prove it to yourself, but I picked the right job — or maybe it picked me.
I come from a musical family. My brother is an opera conductor. My daughters are musical. Alexa is a very good pianist and songwriter. My six-year-old, Della, is a very good singer and she has a very good musician’s ear. The youngest one is four and she’s starting to sing, too. It’s probably genetic.
Q: I wanted to ask about The Joel Foundation. Recently, you gave $250,000 to the BStrong Foundation to help Ukrainian refugees. Can you touch on the idea of an artist’s social responsibility?
A: What’s going on now in Ukraine is tragic, it’s just awful. Those people need help. Normally we would make donations to help musical organizations and music education for kids. This is a special situation, and sometimes we can pivot and direct money toward humanitarian efforts, which is very much needed now in Ukraine.
I have a brother who lives in Vienna and he is seeing a lot of refugees coming into Eastern Europe from that part of the world. I found out recently that my grandmother’s family was from Kyiv. My aunt, who is now 102 years old, is kind of filling in the blanks for me. I’m finding out a lot about my own family history right now.
Q: Do you have any plans for spending time in Orlando other than performing? Any other thoughts or hopes for the show this weekend?
A: When I usually think about Orlando, it’s because I’m taking my kids to Disney World. They’ll be there this time, too. They’re so excited.
I hope it doesn’t rain. We play rain or shine unless it’s dangerous for the audience. I’m hoping for good weather and that people bring their singing voices with them.
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