Following The Hassles' demise in 1969, he formed the pop rock duo Attila with Hassles drummer Jon Small. The Hassles released two albums The Hassles (1967) and Hour of the Wolf (1968) on the United Artists record label. In 1966, he joined The Hassles, a Long Island band that had some local success ("Every Step I Take," "You Got Me Hummin'"). According to producer Shadow Morton, Joel was also the pianist on the Shangri-Las hit "Remember (Walking In The Sand)". In 1992, the English credit requirement was waived by the Hicksville School Board and he received his diploma at Hicksville High's graduation ceremony 25 years after he left the school.Īt the age of 14 Joel joined his first band, The Echoes (which later became The Lost Souls). He left high school without a diploma to begin a career in music. Faced with a summer in school to complete this requirement, he decided not to continue. However, he was one English credit short of the graduation requirement he overslept on the day of an important exam due to his late-night musician's lifestyle. Joel attended Hicksville High School, and was to have graduated in 1967. He boxed successfully on the amateur Golden Gloves circuit for a short time, but abandoned the sport shortly after having his nose broken in a boxing match. As a teenager, Joel took up boxing so that he would be able to defend himself. He began piano lessons at an early age, and his interest in music instead of sports was the source for much teasing and bullying in his early years. He has continued to tour occasionally (sometimes with Elton John) in addition to writing and recording classical music.įrom an early age Joel had an intense interest in music especially classical music. Joel's induction into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame (Class of 1992), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Class of 1999), and the Long Island Music Hall of Fame (Class of 2006) has further solidified his status as one of America's leading music icons. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he has sold in excess of 100 million records worldwide and is the sixth best selling artist in the United States, according to the RIAA. He is one of the very few rock or even pop artists to have Top 10 hits in the '70s, '80s, and '90s. Joel recorded many popular hit songs and albums from 1973 (beginning with the single "Piano Man") to his retirement from recording pop music in 1993. 1979 - Grammy Winner - Record of the Year
0 kommentar(er)
