Piano Man is the first single released by Billy Joel and was his first ever Top 40 hit. It was included on Joel’s 1973 album of the same name and later released as a single November 2, 1973 peaking at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in April 1974. This was Joel’s first major hit, the name of his first album, his signature song… and his nickname from then on!
“Piano Man” is based on Joel’s real-life experiences as a lounge musician in Los Angeles from 1972–73, the song is sung from Joel’s point-of-view as a piano player at the bar, and reminiscing about his experiences there and the people he encountered. He had decided to escape his life in New York at a record company following the poor commercial performance of the album Cold Spring Harbor. Billy Joel moved to LA with his first wife and needed a gig to pay the bills. He worked at the (now defunct) Executive Room bar in the Wilshire district of Los Angeles as a piano player using the name “Bill Martin” (Joel’s full name is William Martin Joel). In the song, Joel describes various characters, including a bartender named John and a “real-estate novelist” named Paul, all based on real-life individuals that he met along the way.
To commemorate the Piano Man himself, the remastered iconic artwork showing a very youthful Billy Joel Piano Man graphic is available for Men, Women and for Kids & Teens.
Sources researched on Wikipedia
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