Those who have expressed doubts and misgivings about their ability to live this kind of life shouldn't try, because being a musician is not something you chose to be, it is something you are.

Joel’s bitterness over the debacle would later spill out in the song "Getting Closer" the closing track from his 1986 album The Bridge (the last which was constrained by the Family Productions deal) where he makes. He boxed successfully on the amateur Golden Gloves circuit for a short time winning twenty-two bouts but abandoned the sport shortly after breaking his nose in his twenty-fourth boxing match. Music career


Early career
Upon seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 Joel decided to pursue a full-time musical career and set about finding a local Long Island band to join.

In 2008 Billboard magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary with Billy Joel positioned at No. His compilation album Greatest Hits Vol. With the exception of the 2007 songs "All My Life" and "Christmas in Fallujah" Joel stopped writing and recording popular music after 1993's River of Dreams but he continued to tour extensively until 2010.