'Piano Man' Billy Joel Sits Down For Far-Reaching Interview
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Billy Joel fans are getting more information than they ever dreamed of about their favorite Piano an.
In an in-depth interview with Howard Stern, the music legend revealed things about his life and music that are both shocking and delighting his fans.
As CBS 2's Elise Finch reported, the notoriously media-shy Piano Man sat down for a revealing, nearly 3-hour town hall-style interview for Howard Stern's Sirius XM satellite radio show.
The conversation was broken up with performances by Melissa Etheridge, Tony Bennett and Pink singing some of Joel's biggest hits.
The 64-year-old Long Island native talked about public things like his monthly residency at Madison Square Garden, but he also got very intimate at times.
He talked about meeting and working with his idol Ray Charles and the impact it had on him.
"I named Alexa Ray after Ray Charles, yeah," Joel told Stern.
He admitted to trying heroin once in the late 1970s, saying it made him sick.
Joel also talked about why he isn't writing any new music.
"I didn't like writing, I liked having written. And sometimes, it was a battle with the thing. I see this gigantic black beast with 88 teeth trying to bite my hands off
There were 150 guests in the audience for the interview on Monday afternoon. Thousands more heard it live on Sirius XM.
For those still waiting to hear what the Piano Man had to say, the interview will replay on Howard 100 numerous times starting on Thursday, Finch reported.
Billy Joel is performing every Saturday night this summer at Madison Square Garden.
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