Billy Joel Q&A

[photo2010]

Clips from this Billy Joel Q&A in 1996 have been popping up on FB lately. I was

a photojournalist at the time and took stills at the event. A favorite memory ;)

 

 

<p><a href="http://vimeo.com/20438977">Billy Joel Q&A</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/photo2010">photo2010</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

[NatureJunkie]

The first time I ever heard of Billy Joel was December 7, 1974, the night I attended a Loggins & Messina concert in Berkeley. Billy was the opener. He seemed kind of bitter; he kept saying things like "this is the last time I play small time like this, from now on it's only gonna be the big time, baby." For sure, he went on to bigger things, but to this day, The Berkeley Community Theater remains the best venue I've ever visited.

 

This got me to reminiscing and I looked up that concert on Wolfgang's Vault, which I'm now listening to as I write this. So to Billy I would say, too bad the moment wasn't as sweet for you as it was for me. And be careful what you say on stage, because people can remember your bullshit for a long, long time, lol.

[photo2010]

Don't be too hard on Billy, he went through some rough stuff in his career. Early on, when he was starting to get big, his brother-in-law, who was also his manager, stole millions of dollars from him. Basically he had to start over. Then he was screwed again by different management I believe. Maybe that's why he was mad. Anyway, I got to meet him and talk with him a little and he was very cool. I also got to see him do a concert in a small venue, a college auditorium. What an amazing performer! :)

[JustAnotherUserName]

I think he's awesome.  I saw him in Portland, OR when I was 17.  I had just gotten out of the hospital from having my tonsils out and went with my friends and of course we were drinking and smoking cigarettes and I got really sick, which I NEVER do anymore...well, smoking anyway.

 

But Billy was awesome...he felt bad for the people in the seats behind him when he was playing the piano and would make really exaggerated attempts to turn around so they could see him.  

I have (well, had) all his albums and probably know all the words to all his songs.  

 

He's iconic to me.

[photo2010]

The night I saw him play, he said to the crowd: "I'll bet a lot of you are here because you couldn't get tickets for Elton John in New York tonight. This is for you." He then played and sang an Elton John song, and if you closed your eyes, you would have sworn it was him! I think it was 'Take Me to the Pilot' Just amazing. You're right, he would do just about anything to make his audience happy.

 

He also spoke at a commencement where I worked. He was still married to Christie Brinkley then. I did family portraits of them with their daughter Alexa. His Mother was there too. I did an album of pictures of them all and sent it off to him. I was disappointed that I didn't get a thank you note..oh well.

[photo2010]

Another clip from the same event:

 

<p><a href="http://vimeo.com/19883080">A memory found me.</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/photo2010">photo2010</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>