Billy Joel Concerts 1980s

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March 22, 1980 Jerusalem, Israel March 25, 1980 Tel Aviv, Israel March 26, 1980 Tel Aviv, Israel March 30, 1980 Wembley Arena, London, ENG April 2, 1980 Deeside Leisure Centre, Queensferry, WAL June 14, 1980 Civic Center, Providence, RI June 16, 1980 Forum, Montreal, QC June 23-26, 28, 1980 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY July 1, 1980 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH July 2, 1980 Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY July 5-6, 1980 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA July 10th Toad's Place, New Haven, CT July 11, 1980 Civic Center, Hartford, CT July 14, 1980 Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, WI July 16-18, 1980 The Horizon, Chicago, IL July 18th Kansas City, MO ? July 20, 1980 Civic Center, St. Paul, MN July 23rd Washington, DC July 24-25, 1980 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, IL July 28, 1980 Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI July 29th Edmonton, AB July 31st Seattle, WA August 1st Portland, OR August 3-4, 1980 Forum, Los Angeles, CA August 5th Vancouver, BC August 8th LA Forum - Los Angeles, CA August 9th LA Forum - Los Angeles, CA August 11th Salt Lake City, UT August 13th Omaha, NE August 15th Oklahoma City, OK August 21st Memphis, TN August 22nd Baton Rouge, LA August 28th Detroit, MI September 1-3, 1980 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY

Jan. 17, 1981 Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN (Volunteer Jam VII)

April 15th Budokan, Japan April 16th Budokan, Japan April 17th Budokan, Japan April 20th Osaka City Gymnasium - Osaka, Japan April 21st Osaka City Gymnasium - Osaka, Japan April 22nd Nagoya Aichi Prefecture Gymnasium - Nagoya, Japan April 24th Kyoto City Gymnasium - Kyoto, Japan May 9th Sydney, AUS July Sparks - Manhasset, NY November 14, 1981 NBC Studio 8H, New York City, NY (US TV "Saturday Night Live" performing "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" & "She's Got a Way", hosted by Bernadette Peters)

Oct. ?? Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC November 1st St. Paul, MN November 4th Rosemont Horizon - Chicago, IL November 9th Rosemont Horizon - Chicago, IL Nov. 10 Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI Nov. 25 Bay Front Center, St. Petersburg, FL December LA Forum - Los Angeles, CA December Oakland Arena - Oakland, CA December 2nd Frank Erwin Center - Austin, TX December 17th Pacific Coliseum - Vancouver, Canada December 26th East Rutherford, NJ December 27th Lehigh University - Bethlehem, PA December 29th Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Uniondale, NY December 31st Madison Square Garden - New York, NY

Billy Joel An Innocent Man Tour

  • Billy Joel (vocals, keyboards)
  • David Brown (lead guitar)
  • Russell Javors (rhythm guitar)
  • Doug Stegmeyer (bass)
  • David LeBolt (keyboards)
  • Liberty DeVitto (drums, percussion)
  • Mark Rivera (saxophones, percussion)
  • Larry Etkin (trumpet)
  • Bob Livingood (trumpet)
  • Glenn Stulpin (saxophone)
  • Frank Simms (backing vocals)
  • Peter Huwlett (backing vocals)
  • Bob Duncan (backing vocals)

January 18, 1984 Civic Center, Providence, RI January 20, 1984 Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, ME January 22, 1984 Hersheypark Arena, Hershey, PA January 25-26, 1984 New Haven Coliseum, New Haven, CT January 28, 1984 Capital Center, Landover, MD January 30, 1984 Rochester Community War Memorial, Rochester, NY February 1, 1984 Centennial Hall, Toledo, OH February 2, 1984 Notre Dame University Athletic & Convocation Center, South Bend, IN February 4, 1984 Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, MI February 5, 1984 Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN February 8, 1984 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC February 10, 1984 Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY February 11, 1984 UTC Arena, Chattanooga, TN February 13-14, 1984 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA February 17, 1984 Scope, Norfolk, VA February 19, 1984 Murphy Center, Murphreesboro, TN February 21, 1984 Orange County Civic Center, Orlando, FL February 23, 1984 Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, MS February 24, 1984 LSU Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, LA March 15, 1984 Hollywood Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, FL March 17, 1984 Bayfront Center, St. Petersburg, FL March 20, 1984 Omni, Atlanta, GA March 23, 1984 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH March 24, 1984 Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA March 26, 1984 Boston Garden, Boston, MA March 28, 1984 Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY March 30-31, 1984 Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL April 3, 1984 Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH April 4, 1984 Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI April 6, 1984 Carver–Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA April 7, 1984 Civic Center, St. Paul, MN April 9, 1984 Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, NE April 11, 1984 The Myriad, Oklahoma City, OK April 14, 1984 Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX April 15, 1984 Summit, Houston, TX April 17, 1984 Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO April 19, 1984 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO April 21, 1984 McNichols Arena, Denver, CO April 23, 1984 Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, UT April 26, 1984 ASU Activity Center, Tempe, AZ April 27, 1984 Convention Center, Tuscon, AZ April 29-30, 1984 Forum, Inglewood, CA May 3, 1984 Sports Arena, San Diego, CA May 5, 1984 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA May 8, 1984 Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA May 9, 1984 Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR May 21-22, 1984 Budokan, Tokyo, JPN May 24 & 26, 1984 Castle Sports Hall, Osaka, JPN May 28, 1984 Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya, JPN May 30-31, 1984 Budokan, Tokyo, JPN June 6 & 8-9, 1984 Wembley Arena, London, ENG June 23-24, 26-27, 29 & July 1 & 5, 1984 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY

September 29th Glen Falls, NY October 4, 1986 Providence, RI October 8, 1986 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA October 10, 1986 Capital Centre, Landover, MD October 13-14, 1986 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA October 15 & 17-18, 1986 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY October 21-22, 1986 Centrum, Worcester, MA October 24-25, 1986 New Haven Coliseum, New Haven, CT October 26, 1986 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH October 31, 1986 Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL November Sports Arena - San Diego, CA November Oakland Arena - Oakland, CA November LA Forum - Los Angeles, CA November 1st Rosemont Horizon - Chicago, IL November 3rd Civic Center, St. Paul, MN November 26th Old Arco Arena - Sacramento, CA November 28th Pacific Coliseum - Vancouver, Canada December 11th Maple Leaf Gardens - Toronto, Canada December 12th Ottawa Civic Center - Ottawa, Canada December 18th Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Uniondale, NY December 22nd Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Uniondale, NY

January 12th Cleveland, OH Jan. 16 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY January 30th Portland, ME February Civic Auditorium - Omaha, NE February 1st Providence, RI February 6th Freedom Hall - Louisville, KY Feb. 12 The Arena, St. Louis, MO February 13th Kansas City, MO February 15th Ames, IA February 24th Hollywood, FL February 27th USF Sun Dome - Tampa, FL March 21st Atlanta, GA April Long Beach Arena - Long Beach, CA April Thomas & Mack Center - Las Vegas, NV April Lawlor Events Center - Reno, NV April 25th Iowa City, IA May 1st Brendan Byrne Arena - East Rutherford, NJ May 4th Brendan Byrne Arena - East Rutherford, NJ May 8th Brendan Byrne Arena - East Rutherford, NJ May 9th Brendan Byrne Arena - East Rutherford, NJ June 8 & 10, 1987 National Yoyogi Stadium First Gymnasium, Tokyo, JPN June 12-13, 1987 Castle Hall, Osaka, JPN June 16 & 18-19, 1987 National Yoyogi Stadium First Gymnasium, Tokyo, JPN July 5, 1987 NEC, Birmingham, ENG July 15, 1987 Wembley Arena, London, ENG July 26th Moscow, USSR July 27th Olympic Sports Complex, Moscow, USSR July 29th Moscow, USSR August 2nd Lenin Sports & Concert Complex - Leningrad, USSR August 3rd Lenin Sports & Concert Complex - Leningrad, USSR August 5th Lenin Sports & Concert Complex - Leningrad, USSR October 31st Melbourne, Australia December 13th Madison Square Garden - New York, NY

Jan. 20 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 3rd Annual Dinner

July 24, 1988 Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, JPN (Kirin Dry Gigs '88, with Boz Scaggs, Art Garfunkel, The Hooters & Impellitteri)

October 22, 1988 Madison Square Garden Elton John Concert

July 31 Long Island University (Master Class) Aug. 17, US TV "Late Night with David Letterman", Billy played piano for Mick Jones on "Just Wanna Hold")

October 21, 1989 NBC Studio 8H, New York City, NY (US TV "Saturday Night Live" performing "We Didn't Start the Fire" & "Downeaster Alexa", hosted by Kathleen Turner)

December 9th Worcester Centrum - Worcester, MA December 12th Worcester Centrum - Worcester, MA December 17th Philadelphia Spectrum - Philadelphia, PA December 21st Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Uniondale, NY December 22nd Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Uniondale, NY December 27th Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Uniondale, NY December 29th Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Uniondale, NY December 31st Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Uniondale, NY

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Live Aid 1985: The Day the World Rocked

By Michael Goldberg

Michael Goldberg

I t was superstar heaven. Keith Richards was laughing and talking with Jimmy Page . A bodyguard handed Bob Dylan a beer. Across the room Jack Nicholson and Neil Young chatted. Andy Taylor, guitarist for Duran Duran and the Power Station, took a hit off a joint and screamed out, “Don,” then gave ‘Miami Vice’ star Don Johnson a hug. “We gonna get high!”

At one a.m. the party inside the second-floor suite of the the Palace Hotel in Philadelphia was still going strong. Live Aid — the concert that was being called the Eighties Woodstock — was now history. More than 1.5 billion people from all around the world had watched on television as over sixty pop stars performed on stages in London and Philadelphia. As much as $40 million had been raised for the starving people in drought-stricken Africa. Now it was time to cool out.

Yet the communal spirit that had been in evidence at Wembley Stadium, in London, and John F. Kennedy Stadium, in Philadelphia, was alive at this low-key party for the stars. There was a warm feeling of camaraderie as celebrities sat next to each other on a sofa, shared a chair, enjoyed a good laugh. The biggest names in rock — some known for their arrogance, others for their egotism — had at least for this day (and the following night and morning) cut the pretentiousness and one-upmanship.

Gathered together at one end of the room – drinking, chatting, carrying on – were Dylan, Richards, Page, Ron Wood, Stephen Stills and former Temptations Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin. Dylan wore black leather pants and, over his bare chest, a black leather vest; an earring hung from his left ear, and a woman wearing a blond wig hung on to his right arm. “Fun? No, we couldn’t hear anything,” Dylan said of his performance with Wood and Richards. Still, it was easy to see that he was enjoying himself. “We had fun rehearsing.”

Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes and his wife, sheathed in black leather, surveyed the scene. Over by the bar someone said to Andy Taylor, “Andy, having a good time?”

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“He’s drunk,” said Taylor’s wife.

Keith Richards stepped out onto the patio, where he was asked what it was like playing with Dylan. “Well, it’s not the first time,” he said.

“It is the first time you’ve played together in public, though.”

“Yeah, first time before a paying audience. Course we didn’t get paid.” He laughed, then added, obviously joking, “Would have been better if we’d gotten paid.”

At 3:44 a.m., following dinner with Tina Turner and Chevy Chase in Tina’s suite, Mick Jagger came downstairs and made his entrance. Why did he choose to perform? “To raise a lot of money,” said Jagger. “That was the main thing — draw attention to the hunger in the world. Down the line, people can appreciate what can be done by an event of this magnitude. It was really a relatively nice, well-meaning event.” Then he walked, with jerky steps, across the patio, taking a seat next to Nick Rhodes. The old guard and the new, having some fun together.

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Geldof’s Dream

N othing’s impossible.”

Those two words were all Bob Geldof — the leader of the Boomtown Rats and the man responsible for the all-star British benefit single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” — needed to hear. Harvey Goldsmith, the top promoter in England, was willing to help make his dream come true.

“Bob said this should be the definitive statement for the music business,” said the thirty-nine-year-old Goldsmith, recalling his March meeting with Geldof. “He said we ought to do a show in England and one in America as well. The idea was to do a worldwide television hookup and raise money with a telethon. We just talked about it, and he asked, ‘Is it possible?'” Goldsmith paused a moment, then added with British understatement, “And that’s when the nightmare started.”

Goldsmith quickly secured Wembley Stadium — a 72,000-capacity outdoor sports arena seven miles from the center of London — for July 13th, 1985. Meanwhile, Bill Graham , whom Geldof had enlisted as the American promoter, landed JFK Stadium in Philadelphia.

As it happened, the City of Brotherly Love was in need of a better image, after the bombing of the MOVE headquarters in West Philadelphia had left 11 people dead and 250 homeless. “We did have that unfortunate incident,” said Larry Magid, a Philadelphia-based promoter who, along with partner Allen Spivak, helped Graham over the next few weeks. “And if this can help ease things up, great.”

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M ichael C. Mitchell had a goal without precedent: a televised, intercontinental extravaganza, with a worldwide viewership of over 1.5 billion people — almost twice the audience of the 1984 Summer Olympics. And he had a deadline without precedent: in ten weeks he had to produce a broadcast that would normally take two years to organize.

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Mitchell, the head of Worldwide Sports and Entertainment, not only produced the U.S. Live Aid concert but also set up the international telethon, sold broadcast rights around the world and oversaw all finances. Like Goldsmith and Graham and most of the other top Live Aid personnel, Mitchell, 39, donated his services.

Live Aid 1985: The Day the World Rocked , Page 1 of 9

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Ultimate Classic Rock

35 Years Ago: Billy Joel Makes History With Soviet Union Shows

When Billy Joel  visited the Soviet Union for a series of historic concerts in 1987, he learned it was still rock 'n' roll to them — albeit slightly different.

On July 26, 1987, Joel and his band played at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Moscow to kick off a six-show "tour," making him the first Western artist to take a full-blown stage production behind the then-wilting Iron Curtain. With three concerts each in Moscow and Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), it was a triumphant and only occasionally troubled bit of international diplomacy, ultimately leaving Soviet fans dancing, twisting and shouting in the aisles in a manner not that all that different from what happened at Joel shows elsewhere.

"I'm glad we did that trip," Joel tells UCR now. "I was very proud of that trip, and I think we helped kick the door in a little bit to open it up to Democratic stuff." But he acknowledges that Russia now, at least at the political level, is not the same nation of Mikhail Gorbachev-led Glasnost that he played back then.

"I'm very disappointed," Joel says. "I'm hoping the Russian people really get to know what's actually happening, but I don't know how much real information they get because they're kind of in a closed media society. It's a crazy world. It's a different world now, between Trump and what's going on with Russia and  COVID and what's going on with the economy. This is a hard time now."

Joel first had the idea of going to the Soviet Union in 1979, after playing a successful concert in Havana, Cuba. "I thought, 'If I can do that in Havana, why can't I do it in Moscow?'" he explained to reporters during one of several press conferences he conducted in Moscow. But he felt a particular push to make the trek after his first daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, was born six years later.

"I thought, 'What kind of world do I want her to grow up in?'" Joel explained. "I wanted it to be better. ... It was kind of like, 'What did you do in the Cold War, daddy?' So my management said, 'If you want to do it, we'll do it,' and they did."

Watch Billy Joel Perform 'It's Still Rock and Roll to Me' in the Soviet Union

Joel insisted that politics was not the focus of his visit. "I'm here as a cultural exchange," he noted. "This isn't some big peace mission. I want to get the music across. I'm just putting on a concert, playing music for these people. If anything happens after that, it'll be great."

The Soviet idea became a reality during the fall of 1986, while Joel was rehearsing to tour in support of his then-new album The Bridge . "When we started [the tour] he said, 'Let's do something we've never done before,'" production coordinator Steve Cohen told this writer at the time. "I didn't know at the time he considered Russia."

Russia was not devoid of Western pop music, of course. Elton John toured there in a duo with percussionist Ray Cooper in 1979, while John Denver and Roy Clark had also visited. Pat Metheny was there in 1987 before Joel hit the country, and the Doobie Brothers , Carlos Santana , James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt had performed at a July 4 festival in Moscow that was co-produced by Bill Graham .

Joel's visit was made possible by the Agreement on Contacts and Exchanges in Scientific, Educational and Cultural Fields, signed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Gorbachev at their 1985 Geneva Summit. The New York-based Citizens Exchange Council (CEC), a non-profit group that sent regular excursions to the Soviet Union, helped coordinate the tour. Cohen made his first visit in January 1987 and returned in May, coordinating details with the Soviet arts agency Gosconcert.

The Joel entourage would number more than 160 and cost about $2 million — guaranteed to lose money, although a documentary, a live album (1987's Kontsert ) and an HBO broadcast of the final Leningrad show would make up the difference. The massive endeavor marked the first time Gosconcert and the Soviet radio and television agency ever worked together on a project.

Cohen, meanwhile, learned that the Soviets had no concept of putting seats on the floor for arena-sized concerts like Joel's. The Olimpiyskiy (aka Olympic Sports Complex) manager said he could only get 1,000 chairs for the shows, but after Cohen brought an additional 600 from London, the venue found yet another 1,000. "It was like a poker game — 'You get 600, I'll get 1,000,'" Cohen recalled.

Watch Billy Joel Play 'You May Be Right' Live in the Soviet Union

A promotional push was also engineered to educate the Soviet populace about Joel, who was known more by name than by music at the time. Soviet TV stations began airing Joel videos, and an interview was set up with national radio music host Andrei Orlov. On July 18, Soviet TV aired an unprecedented 75-minute special featuring nothing but Joel videos for an audience of 70 million. "The advertising campaign was very intense," Orlov said.

Joel's Soviet shows followed a run at London's Wembley Stadium and included an unscheduled stopover in Tbilisi, Georgia, about 1,000 miles south of Russia. There, Joel, his then-wife Christie Brinkley, Alexa and drummer Liberty DeVitto were entertained in a local musician's home, and Joel and DeVitto jammed at a 15th-century church and opera house in the town. Brinkley remembered one of her hosts taking her into a room, telling her she was too thin and force-feeding her some cake. She also gave Brinkley some of her mother's jewelry to pass on to Alexa.

In Moscow before the shows, the Joel entourage toured the city, including the Kremlin Museums and Gorky Park. The family befriended a clown named Viktor Razinov, whom Joel remembered in the song "Leningrad" on his 1989 album Storm Front . Joel also visited the grave of Vladimir Vysotsky, the controversial Soviet singer-songwriter who died in 1980.

Joel dedicated his concerts to Vysotsky and had all the flowers thrown onstage in Moscow placed on the singer's grave. "I went to his grave... and the lines going to see it were longer than the lines going to Lenin's tomb," Joel said. "I asked, 'Why is this guy so loved?' People said it was because he was honest, because he spoke the truth... and got in trouble for it."

Vysotsky's mother Nina attended Joel's first Moscow concert. "It touched me very deeply that someone that successful could find the time to visit my son's grave," she said after the show. "[Joel's] performance on the stage reminded me of that of my son's — especially his energy."

Watch Billy Joel Perform 'Big Shot' in the Soviet Union

Joel's energy ultimately translated to the Soviet crowds, although it took a minute at the first Moscow show. He referred to the area of privileged Communist party insiders seated behind stage left as "an oil painting" and at one point even asked, "What are you doing here if you don't want to be here?"

"You'd look at their faces and see them thinking, 'I don't want to be here.' So... go!" Joel said during one of the press conferences. He also requested that anyone leaving give their ticket stub to one of the young people waiting outside so they could enjoy the show.

Joel also directed the crowd, with help from onstage interpreter Oleg Smirnoff, "Come on down to the stage. It's OK. We like it."

"It was unnerving at first," Joel acknowledged during a session with Soviet reporters before the third Moscow show. I thought I was going down the tubes. In the United States, I'm spoiled; I'm used to playing to audiences who can't wait to hear my music. They jump to their feet and cheer from beginning to end."

The Soviet fans were doing that by the end of the first show, as Joel and his band ripped through rockers such as "A Matter of Trust," "Only the Good Die Young," "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me," "Big Shot" and more, encoring appropriately with the Beatles ' "Back in the U.S.S.R." Some even tried to come down to the floor from the grandstands, pushing their way past Soviet soldiers. The pandemonium caught local officials by surprise, however, and there were tense discussions between Joel's camp and Gosconcert before the second show the following night.

"We are pioneers on both sides," agency spokeswoman Marina Mytarleva said. "For pioneers, it's always difficult." Tour producer Rick London wistfully added, "I envy the next band that comes here. We've taken a lot of lumps."

Then there was The Big Incident. During the second Moscow concert on July 27, Joel was unhappy with how the film crew lit the crowd, feeling that it inhibited fans from letting loose. During "Sometimes a Fantasy," Joel exploded, yelling, "Stop lighting the audience! ... Stop it! ... Let me do my show, for Christ's sake!" He then flipped over his electric piano, making international headlines for his "tantrum."

Watch Billy Joel's Moscow Meltdown

"I was yelling at our people," Joel explained after the show. "It was a real prima donna act, but I have to protect my show." Speaking with Western reporters the next day, Joel said a young Soviet woman had approached him that morning to ask if he would "trash the equipment again." He ultimately chalked it up to "the great tradition of trashing equipment on stage. ... Rock 'n' roll is about being outrageous, making some sort of expression."

Most of the kinks seemed to be worked out by the third Moscow show, a stomper that came after members of Joel's band had jammed with Soviet pop star Stas Namin until 6 a.m. (Namin also joined Joel and the group for soundcheck, playing "Back in the U.S.S.R." and the Rolling Stones ' "Gimme Shelter.") Joel carried Alexa Ray around the stage during "Uptown Girl" and welcomed a uniformed Soviet soldier up to present him with a handmade fan sign. The filmmakers also helped stack the deck, distributing tickets upfront to young people outside and even giving them American flags to wave.

"There should be more major concerts of this kind here, regular concerts," Gosconcert director Oleg Smolensky declared afterward. His wish became reality, although Joel himself never returned. He did, however, preserve the memory with  Kontsert , "Leningrad" and, in 2014, A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia , which packaged the original 1987 live LP with previously unreleased songs and videos and a new documentary about the momentous undertaking.

"When we were done it was like... 'Whoa!'" Joel told this reporter two years later while promoting Storm Front . "You never could have told me I'd be playing rock 'n' roll in Russia. I'm a baby boomer. I grew up with them as the enemy, the devil. To go there and meet them as real people, not cartoon Commies, was one of the best experiences of my life."

UCR contributor Gary Graff was part of the media corps that traveled to the Soviet Union to cover Joel's 1987 shows. He also wrote liner notes for the 2014 box set A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia.

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Billy Joel’s Historic Madison Square Garden Concert Set for CBS Broadcast

C BS is set to air a momentous Billy Joel concert special entitled The 100th: Billy Joel Live at Madison Square Garden — The Greatest Arena Run of All Time , scheduled for Sunday, April 14 at 9/8c, according to information acquired by TVLine.

Fans of the “Piano Man” can look forward to watching his historic 100th consecutive show at the legendary New York City venue, Madison Square Garden, filmed on March 28. This special event is a highlight of Joel’s ongoing residency which is slated to conclude in July. Joel’s popularity is undeniable, as he holds the record for selling out Madison Square Garden more frequently than any artist in history.

The upcoming special holds the distinction of being Joel’s first concert broadcasted on network television, adding to a series of concert specials formerly shown on premium cable channels and PBS, including the notable Billy Joel: Live at Yankee Stadium from 1990.

Billy Joel, celebrated worldwide for his outstanding music career and hits like “Piano Man,” “Just the Way You Are,” and “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” has achieved over 160 million record sales globally. His contribution to music was honored with an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. Joel also took the stage at this year’s Grammy Awards hosted by CBS and introduced “Turn the Lights Back On,” his first new pop single released in more than 10 years.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

When is The 100th: Billy Joel Live at Madison Square Garden set to air on CBS?

The special is scheduled to air on Sunday, April 14 at 9/8c.

What is the significance of this concert special?

This concert marks Billy Joel’s 100th consecutive performance at Madison Square Garden, a feat that underscores his unparalleled success at the iconic venue.

Has Billy Joel had previous concerts aired on television?

Yes, Billy Joel has had previous concert specials air on pay cable and PBS, but this will be his first concert to be broadcast on a network television channel.

What is Billy Joel’s connection to New York?

Billy Joel is a native New Yorker and has a deep connection with New York City, and notably Madison Square Garden, where his residency has taken place.

What are some of Billy Joel’s most famous songs?

Some of his most iconic songs include “Piano Man,” “Just the Way You Are,” “Uptown Girl,” and “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”

Is Billy Joel a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Yes, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.

Billy Joel’s landmark performance at Madison Square Garden is a monumental occasion for not only the legendary musician but also for his fans and music enthusiasts worldwide. As CBS prepares to air The 100th: Billy Joel Live at Madison Square Garden — The Greatest Arena Run of All Time , viewers are invited to witness a piece of music history from one of the world’s most revered singer-songwriters. This special event promises to captivate audiences with Joel’s timeless music and the electric atmosphere of Madison Square Garden.

Billy Joel’s Historic Madison Square Garden Concert Set for CBS Broadcast

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billy joel tour 1985

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  4. Billy Joel 1985 Interview part 2 of 2

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  5. 12 Timeless Billy Joel Live Performances

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COMMENTS

  1. Billy Joel's 1985 Concert & Tour History

    Billy Joel's 1985 Concert History. Billy Joel (born William Martin Joel, May 9, 1949) is one of the world's most acclaimed pop-rock musicians of the 20th century. Now 74, Joel was born in the Bronx but moved to nearby Long Island as an infant. At the age of four, he began playing the piano and at 16, he joined his first band, The Echos.

  2. Billy Joel Concert Map by year: 1985

    View the concert map Statistics of Billy Joel in 1985! setlist.fm Add Setlist. Search Clear search text. follow. Setlists; Artists; Festivals; Venues; Statistics Stats; News; Forum; Show ... Billy Joel in Concert (119) Cold Spring Harbor (28) Face 2 Face 2002 (1) Glass Houses (69) Last Play at Shea (2) River of Dreams (138)

  3. Billy Joel Concerts 1980s

    Billy Joel An Innocent Man Tour Billy Joel (vocals, keyboards) David Brown (lead guitar) Russell Javors (rhythm guitar) Doug Stegmeyer (bass) ... 1985 1986 September 29th Glen Falls, NY October 4, 1986 Providence, RI October 8, 1986 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA October 10, 1986 Capital Centre, Landover, MD October 13-14, 1986 Spectrum ...

  4. An Innocent Man Tour

    The An Innocent Man Tour was a 1984 concert tour by singer-songwriter Billy Joel.The tour began on January 18 in Providence, Rhode Island (which went on despite a snow storm) and ended on July 5 with the last of seven shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City.. The tour was very popular, with a contemporaneous report stating that finding tickets except through scalpers was "virtually ...

  5. Billy Joel Concert Map by year: 1986

    1. United States. 38. 2. Canada. 7. View the concert map Statistics of Billy Joel in 1986!

  6. Billy Joel Concert Setlist at Farm Aid 1985 on September 22, 1985

    Get the Billy Joel Setlist of the concert at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL, USA on September 22, 1985 and other Billy Joel Setlists for free on setlist.fm! ... Farm Aid 1985 setlists. Related News. Madison Square Garden: Venue Spotlight. Oct 26, 2023. Setlist History: Billy Joel Rocks Russia .

  7. Tour History

    New York, NY Madison Square Garden. 10 Nov 2023. Minneapolis, MN U.S. Bank Stadium. 20 Oct 2023. New York, NY Madison Square Garden. 07 Oct 2023. Baltimore, MD M&T Bank Stadium. 23 Sep 2023. Foxborough, MA Gillette Stadium.

  8. Billy Joel

    Billy JoelLive at Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL, USA September 22, 1985Proffessional FootageVIdeo Quality: A-Sound Quality: A-/A/BSpecial Event: Farm Aid Con...

  9. Billy Joel: Live In The '80s

    Performances from the Piano Man throughout his most successful decade including his historic 1987 concert in Russia, his legendary 1982 homecoming show at Na...

  10. Billy Joel discography

    This is the discography of American singer-songwriter Billy Joel. He has released 13 studio albums, seven live albums, 18 compilation albums, 10 video albums, 82 singles, three promotional singles and 45 music videos. Throughout his career, he has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists in history.

  11. Billy Joel Timeline

    1985: Greatest Hits Volume I and Volume II is released and becomes his seventh consecutive top 10 album. ... Releases Billy Joel 2000 Years - The Millenium Concert. Received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Long Island University - Southampton College. Friday, June 16 attends a press conference with the President of the United States ...

  12. A Look Back: 30th Anniversary Of Billy Joel In Former Soviet Union

    Thirty years ago this month, the whole world looked on as Billy Joel took his family, his music and his concert show to the former Soviet Union. The signing of the Soviet American cultural accord during the Geneva summit of 1985 had opened a new era in cultural relations between the two countries.

  13. Live Aid 1985: The Day the World Rocked

    August 16, 1985. Front cover of the program from the Live Aid concert at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 13th, 1985. Blank Archives/Getty. I t was superstar heaven. Keith ...

  14. Billy Joel

    William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, composer and pianist. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man", he has been making music since the 1960s ...

  15. Billy Joel Tour Statistics: 1985

    Have a look which song was played how often in 1985! setlist.fm Add Setlist. Search Clear search text. follow. Setlists ... Artists > J > Joel, Billy > Tour Statistics. Song Statistics Stats; Tour Statistics Stats; Other Statistics; All Setlists. All setlist songs (1656) Years on tour. Show all. 2023 (22) 2022 (23) 2021 (6) 2020 (6) 2019 (21 ...

  16. 35 Years Ago: Billy Joel Makes History With Soviet Union Shows

    Disney General Entertainment Content, Getty Images. When Billy Joel visited the Soviet Union for a series of historic concerts in 1987, he learned it was still rock 'n' roll to them — albeit ...

  17. Billy Joel Setlist at Madison Square Garden, New York

    Get the Billy Joel Setlist of the concert at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA on July 5, ... Farm Aid 1985 Champaign, IL, USA Add time. Add time. Sep 17 1986. Late Night With David Letterman New York, NY, USA Add time. Add time. Last updated: 4 Mar 2024, 02:05 Etc/UTC. 6 people were there.

  18. The Bridge (Billy Joel album)

    The Bridge is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on July 25, 1986. It was Joel's last studio album produced by Phil Ramone as well as the last to feature Joel's long-time bassist Doug Stegmeyer and rhythm guitarist Russell Javors.The album yielded several successful singles, including "A Matter of Trust" (peaking at No. 10), "Modern Woman" (which also ...

  19. Tour

    Tour. 28 Mar 2024. New York, NY Madison Square Garden. Sold Out! 13 Apr 2024. San Diego, CA Petco Park . Tickets . 26 Apr 2024. New York, NY Madison Square Garden. Sold Out! 09 May 2024. New York, NY Madison Square Garden. Sold Out! 24 May 2024. ... Now Playing: "Billy Joel: Greatest Hits" ...

  20. Storm Front Tour

    Billy Joel concert chronology. The Bridge Tour. (1986-87) Storm Front Tour. (1989-91) River of Dreams Tour. (1993-95) The Storm Front Tour was a 1989-1991 concert tour by singer-songwriter Billy Joel. This tour was the first tour by Joel in two years.

  21. Billy Joel's Historic Madison Square Garden Concert Set for CBS ...

    CBS is set to air a momentous Billy Joel concert special entitled The 100th: Billy Joel Live at Madison Square Garden — The Greatest Arena Run of All Time, scheduled for Sunday, April 14 at 9/8c ...

  22. Home

    Billy Joel's new single, Turn the Lights Back On, out now! See Billy at Madison Square Garden and more tour dates. Explore music, lyrics, news, photos, videos, and more. Skip to content. ... (The New School 1985) Who Was Laura, And What Did She Do To You? (Hobart and William Smith Colleges - February 22, 1996) ...

  23. List of Billy Joel band members

    List of Billy Joel band members. (left to right) Carl Fischer, Andy Cichon, David Rosenthal (background), Crystal Taliefero, Mark Rivera and Tommy Byrnes performing in 2007. Billy Joel is an American singer-songwriter and pianist who has used various musicians both in studio and for live performances. The band began with the recording of his ...

  24. Billy Joel Concert Map by year: 1987

    Russia. 6. 6. New Zealand. 3. View the concert map Statistics of Billy Joel in 1987!

  25. Billy Joel 'Turn The Lights Back On' Music Video Behind The Scenes

    Official behind the scenes of the "Turn The Lights Back On" music video is live now on YouTube.