Billy Joel by Fred Schruers - ★★★★

Always been a fan of his music, pretty sure I was introduced to it without my knowledge through it’s inclusion in the Alvin and the Chipmunks cartoon, but regardless of where it comes from, for me, Billy has always been there. I was fortunate enough to see him in concert during one of his Face-to-Face shows with Elton John. It was a magical experience. Reading about Joel’s troubles with women, troubles with money and how he grew up in a home without a television only made me like him more as he continues to make music and overcome these obstacles. Personally I’m still sad that he stopped making pop songs after River of Dreams, especially as he was being rediscovered by all those who had dismissed him early on and was really starting to have mainstream success. I was surprised to learn of the Joel family history which included many factories and a large business stolen from them by Nazi Germany. Lucky to escape with their lives, Billy Joel’s life could have been very different as World War II raged on. America was once a truly great place for immigrants where anyone, even Billy Joel could do what he wanted and achieve towering success. I hope it will be again.