Billy Joel Is The Most Regular Guy On The Planet, Tells Howard Stern He Missed Portions Of "We Are The World" Because He Was Going To Get A Sandwich And A Beer
It's impossible not to just love Billy Joel. An absolute icon. Never forgot where he came from on Long Island, always willing to step up for charities, always brings it for the people who pay to go see his shows, never takes a night off, and seems like the perfect guy to share a beer with. Funny, insightful, and down to earth. I was barely alive when he was in his prime yet I've seen him a bunch of times on tour, and would see him a bunch more if given the opportunity. Before he released a new single this month, it'd be 30 years since his last album and you could argue his popularity is even more than it was back then. People still lined the arenas, people still cared about him, people still loved him, and were dying to see him. Every tour he did, every new stadium series sold out in minutes. Guy is a legend.
I always loved hearing his little riffs in between songs at concerts where he talks about his life, or sneaks in a quick one liner, or talks about the city he's in etc. I always felt like it heightened his personality and showcased he was in touch with the people coming to see him. But my favorite is hearing the reasons he wrote songs. Like Vienna
Or Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Million reasons to like him. And he just gave us another one.
Every NY/LI/NJ guy can relate to stepping away from any kind of responsibility to get a sandwich and a beer. Every function in my life is surrounded by a good tray of sandwiches, every family party has a 6 foot hero, every trip to anywhere in a different town or out of the way immediately triggers me to figure out where I can stop at a good deli. Rightfully so, we have the best delis around, and the best cold cuts in the country. And we always talk about it. "Oh you're going by Victory Blvd .. you gotta go by _ and get a sandwich". Every family party … "Did you try the sandwiches, they're great." We're obsessed with sandwiches. So for Billy Joel to be on the biggest recording in pop history with the biggest stars and still have such New Yorker sandwich culture engrained in him to tap Bruce Springsteen, and say "we gotta go try these sandwiches" is just perfect. As Billy said himself … "don't go changing to try and please me". Can take the man out of NY, can't take the NY out of the man.
For the record…
A Royal Crown Chicken Cutlet Fresh Mozz and Balsamic Glaze Hero is something I would have missed the entire recording for :
Bonus:
My personal Billy Joel Top 10: