Billy Joel was born on this day in 1949 in the Bronx. Before opting to be a solo artist, Joel was in a band named The Hassles that released a pair of albums and then formed the duo Attila with other Hassles member Howie Blauvelt, who later became a co-founding member of the group Ram Jam that released the hit Black Betty in 1977.
Joel's solo career began with the 1971 album Cold Spring Harbor. Columbia Records signed him after his 1972 live performance of Captain Jack on Philadelphia radio station WMMR ignited a huge response. A slightly shortened version of that song became the closing track on Joel's 1973 album, titled with the song what would become Billy's nickname, Piano Man. Streetlife Serenade and Turnstiles followed. Joel's biggest album, The Stranger, came out in 1977 and became the best selling album in Columbia's history to that point with more than 10 million copies sold.
Once Billy's days of long tours were in his rear view mirror, he started doing monthly concerts at Madison Square Garden that frequently include special guests dropping in to share the stage with him for a song or two.
Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on May 9 include....
1944 Buffalo Springfield and Poco member Richie Furay born.
1945 Steve Katz of Blood Sweat & Tears born.
1950 Cheap Trick’s Tom Petersson born.
1953 Status Quo's John Edwards born.
1962 Beatles sign first recording contract with EMI.
1963 Paul McCartney meets Jane Asher for the first time back stage at Royal Albert Hall.
1965 Members of the Beatles and Rolling Stones attend Bob Dylan's concert at Royal Albert Hall.
1966 The Doors audition to be the house band at the Whiskey A Go Go in Hollywood.
1970 Lynyrd Skynyrd did Free Bird for the first time live.
1974 Bruce Springsteen does Born To Run for the first time while opening for Bonnie Raitt in Cambridge, MA. Jon Landau's account of the concert includes, "I have seen the future of rock & roll and his name is Bruce Springsteen."
1978 Fee Waybill breaks leg in fall from stage during a Tubes London concert.
1982 Bob Dylan finishes recording his Infidels album.
1986 Peter Gabriel releases So.
1989 John Mellencamp releases Big Daddy.
1992 Springsteen does his first live TV appearance on Saturday Night Live.
1998 Jimmy Page plays Saturday Night Live.
2006 Neil Young releases Living With War.
2014 Keith Richards 1972 Dino 246 GT Ferrari auctioned in Monaco.
