Billy Joel goes viral for an impromptu street performance on a discarded wooden piano in Long Island
Billy Joel gave some lucky onlookers a special performance, after stumbling upon a discarded wooden piano in Long Island, New York.
In recently caught cellphone footage, the 71-year-old singer-songwriter could be heard playing a Ragtime-type tune on the sidewalk, after spotting the instrument sitting curbside.
As he examined the condition of the keys and mechanics after his impromptu show, the five-time Grammy winner concluded it was a ‘perfectly good piano.’
The Piano Man: Billy Joel gave some lucky onlookers a special performance, after stumbling upon a discarded wooden piano in Long Island, New York
The Piano Man noted: ‘The action is good. It just needs tuning. And the finish is beat.’
‘It’s a shame to throw it out, should at least be donated to St. Vincent de Paul or something,’ he told eyewitnesses, while wearing a motorcycle helmet.
After someone suggests a thrift store nearby, he agrees, ‘They’d probably take it.’
Impromptu: In recently caught cellphone footage, the 71-year-old singer-songwriter could be heard playing a Ragtime-type tune on the sidewalk, after spotting the instrument sitting curbside (seen in January)
Appraisal: ‘It’s a shame to throw it out, should at least be donated to St. Vincent de Paul or something,’ he told eyewitnesses, while wearing a motorcycle helmet
‘These are laminated keys, the pedals work, the action is great,’ Joel furthers. ‘The mechanics are perfect.’
According to Newsday, Joel was riding a motorcycle when the sight of the abandoned piano caught his eye, in the community of Huntington.
His rep confirmed the man in the now-viral YouTube video, uploaded on June 26, is indeed the musical icon to People.
Inspecting: As he examined the condition of the keys and mechanics, the five-time Grammy winner concluded it was a ‘perfectly good piano’
A fan identified the tune he was playing as Shelton Brooks’ Darktown Strutters’ Ball in the comments section.
While it is unclear what happened to the piano, this marks his first live performance amid the global coronavirus pandemic.
Last year, the father-of-three opened up about the toll of touring and his decision to enter a ‘semi-retirement’ to Billboard.
‘We used to do five, six gigs a week,’ he told the outlet. ‘When you’re first starting out and you’re with your buddies going around the world, you’re like a teenage gang. Very exciting. After a couple of years, you’re Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman.’
He then spoke of his relationship with his wife fourth Alexis Roderick, saying: ‘It’s not good for a relationship to be gone for that long. So, I became a homey.’
Two of his scheduled performances, for March 19 and April 10 at Madison Square Garden in NYC, were postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Taking it easy: Last year, the father-of-three opened up about the toll of touring and his decision to enter a ‘semi-retirement’ to Billboard (pictured in 2020)