NEW YORK: On March 12, some of music’s biggest names gathered at the legendary Carnegie Hall to honor one of their own: Billy Joel. The event, “The Music of Billy Joel,” presented by promoter Michael Dorf, brought together a diverse lineup of artists, from Rob Thomas and Wyclef Jean to Tanya Tucker and Itzhak Perlman, all united by a common thread—the profound impact of the Piano Man on their lives and art.
As The Hollywood Reporter spoke with several performers ahead of the show, three common themes emerged: Joel’s unassuming humility, his deep musical influence, and the genuine fanboy/girl enthusiasm each artist still holds for the 76-year-old legend.
The Man: Humble, Self-Deprecating, and Unforgettable
For many, a personal encounter with Joel left an indelible mark. Pat Monahan, frontman of Train, recalled a memorable meeting at Howard Stern’s wedding. Seated next to Joel, he was so struck by the legend’s down-to-earth nature that he boldly asked him to sing.
“He was such a modest, humble, awesome guy that I asked him to sing a Billy Joel song,” Monahan, 57, remembers. “And he went up and sang a James Taylor song because he doesn’t have it in him to be presumptuous enough to think people would want to hear a Billy Joel song.”
His daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, 40, confirms this, adding, “Dad’s really self-deprecating! He’s always poking fun at himself and doesn’t lean into his fame or celebrity.”
Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty had his own star-struck moment in the ’90s, spotting Joel having dinner with Don Henley. He waited patiently and introduced himself. “He was like, ‘Rob! How you doing? You’re having a really good year.’ Then he told me to keep an eye on my money,” Thomas recalls, still charmed by the interaction.
The Music: A Masterclass in Songwriting
For the performers, Joel’s influence is not just personal but deeply musical.
- Matt Nathanson, who admitted he would have “walked across a fing desert then swam a fing ocean” to honor Joel, realized how deeply Joel’s music is embedded in his DNA while preparing to perform “Miami 2017.” He says, “This guy’s a main building block of who I am as a musician.”
- Rob Thomas credits Joel (along with Elton John and Tracy Chapman) for shaping his vocal style. “I loved how he’d say certain words and that stayed in my brain. And if I wasn’t a Billy Joel fan, I probably would never have written [Matchbox Twenty’s] ‘Bright Lights.'”
- Wyclef Jean would croon “The Longest Time” weekly with Fugees bandmate Lauryn Hill. He first discovered Joel as a kid working with his father, singing along to cover bands to make time pass faster.
The Lessons: Still Learning from the Master
Decades into their own successful careers, these artists are still drawing inspiration and education from Joel’s catalog.
| Artist | Lesson from Billy Joel |
|---|---|
| Matt Nathanson | “Uptown Girl” sounds effortless, but dissecting it reveals “modulations, chord changes and piano chords I’ve never seen on a guitar.” It’s a masterclass. |
| Rob Thomas | “His musicality is subtle… he puts it into a pop format so you don’t even realize you’re getting a masterclass.” |
| Pat Monahan | Inspired by the vivid, personal characters in “Piano Man,” he wrote Train’s new single “Mad Dog in the Fog.” “We all aspire to write like that.” |
| Alexa Ray Joel | Calls her father a “Zelig” for his ability to transform into different voices and genres. Her new single “Heavy Eyes” pays homage to An Innocent Man. |
The Legacy and the Future
The tribute comes as Joel focuses on his health, battling Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, a brain disorder that forced him to cancel remaining tour dates after a fall in early 2025. Alexa Ray reports he’s doing well, and the family expects him to attend Thursday’s event, possibly with a famous friend.
The artists are more than ready to carry the torch. As Monahan puts it, “This is the greatest American artist of all time and I get to live on a planet at the same time with him. I hope we can continue showing younger artists the importance of Billy’s music. It should live on for a long time and if he’s incapable of performing it, we’ll carry the torch until he can come back and start knocking it out himself. Because he does it better than all of us.”
