William Martin Joel is a famous American musician and is considered one of the most successful solo recording artists of all time. 

Most notable of his many accomplishments in music are his five Grammy Awards. He is also ranked as the seventh best-selling recording artist by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 85 million certified album units sold. 

The Piano Man is an apt nickname for Billy as he is most known to tickle the ivories in live performances and his recordings.

Billy Joel mainly plays the piano but has been seen performing with a guitar.

What we know about Billy Joel’s family

Billy Joel was born to Jewish parents, Howard and Rosalind. He has a sister, Julie, and a half-brother, Alexander Joel.

His father was a classical pianist from Germany but became an engineer upon fleeing to the United States during World War II. His mother was a New York native.

Birth of the Piano Man

Billy’s musical background started when he was four years old, growing up in Long Island, New York.

In an interview with Charlie Rose, he mentioned that his mother would drag him “kicking and screaming” to his piano lessons. He admitted that he would rather play outside than stay in and practice, but he kept at it for his love of music. 

“I got kicked around a little because of it, but I really did like the music. I was always enchanted by the music.”

Why did Billy Joel decide to quit his education?

Billy Joel was a student at Hicksville High School. During this time, his family fell into financial troubles as his parents got divorced and his father moved back to Europe.

To help his mother earn some money, he played night gigs in a piano bar in Long Island. 

Due to his late nights, his academic performance declined significantly as he missed out on attending important classes and a most crucial English exam. 

He was not allowed to graduate high school because of the missing English credit.

In 1992, Billy finally graduated by submitting his works to fulfill the subject requirements.

He addressed his graduating class and poked fun at his musical career, stating, “I can finally pull myself out of this dead-end job I have and start working on a career with a real future.”