Billy Joel Marks 100th Show At Madison Square Garden
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - After playing in residence at Madison Square Garden for four and a half years, Billy Joel marked his 100th lifetime performance at the venue when he took the stage Wednesday night.
The 69-year-old "Piano Man" star broke the record for most performances by an artist at Madison Square Garden with his 65th show back on July 1, 2015, beating the previous record held by Elton John.
Congratulations to my good friend Billy Joel on his 100th show at Madison Square Garden tonight. His music is the soundtrack to New York. pic.twitter.com/OANqN4aC8q
— Andrew Cuomo (@andrewcuomo) July 18, 2018
The crowd went wild as the "Entertainer" himself took the stage, belting out the hit "Big Shot" first on a night when he achieved such a momentous feat. Joel arrived at the world famous arena to find it decorated with huge banners in his honor.
"We're about two million tickets sold for our shows here and I couldn't think of a better way to peak in my life than this," Joel said at a press conference earlier in the day.
The Bronx-born and Long Island-raised musician started his current residency at The Garden in January 2014. Across a career peppered with hits like "Captain Jack," "Just The Way You Are," "New York State Of Mind" and "We Didn't Start The Fire," Joel has been has been nominated for Grammy Awards 23 times and won five times. Fans who flocked to the Garden took pictures outside and geared up for their favorite hits.
Before the show, Joel and his team cut into a big cake backstage. On stage during the show, his wife and daughter looked on as yet another banner was raised into the rafter in his honor.