Billy Joel says he and old friend Elton John are in a good place now, but at one time there was ‘bad blood’ between the two.
The Piano Man singer, 76, who has admitted that his alcoholism destroyed his marriage to Christie Brinkley, 71, revealed in part two of the documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which debuted on Friday, that a comment by John to Rolling Stone in 2011 that Joel needed rehab rubbed him the wrong way.
‘Elton had made a comment that he thought I needed real rehab,’ the Pressure singer said in the film. ‘He chalked it up to, “Oh, he’s a drunk.” And that really hurt me,’ he explained.
‘I said “wait a minute? Don’t you know me better than that?” And there was bad blood for a little while,’ Joel said of the conflict, adding, ‘There was a dovetailing of things that happened during that time.’
In the Rolling Stone article Joel and John were fresh off a recent leg of their Face to Face tour, which they began doing in 1994, and the Tiny Dancer artist blamed Joel’s battle with the bottle for several cancellations.
‘He’s going to hate me for this, but every time he goes to rehab they’ve been light… I love you Billy, and this is tough love,’ the Rocket Man artist, who has also previously grappled with an addiction to alcohol and cocaine, told the outlet.
Billy Joel says he and old friend Elton John are in a good place now, but at one time there was ‘bad blood’ between the two; Pictured in Los Angeles in February 2000
Joel went to rehab in 2005 at The Betty Ford Clinic at the insistence of his then-wife Katie Lee and quickly returned to touring. He and Lee divorced in 2009.
The Honesty artist said in the documentary that he felt ‘clobbered’ after John’s comments and he hit ‘rock bottom.’
‘I was disillusioned with what I thought it was all supposed to mean,’ he told the audience. ‘It was like all the signs were pointing to me: Enough. And I wrote this letter to the band. “I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m gonna stop.”‘
The two men patched things up a couple of years later when John and writing partner Bernie Taupin were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. ‘Mr. Joel, I haven’t seen you tonight, but I love you dearly,’ he said while accepting the Johnny Mercer award.
When Joel later took the stage to introduce the band Foreigner, who were also being inducted he answered, ‘Is Elton still here? By the way? We’re OK, Call me. It’s the same phone number.’
In 2023, Joel told the Los Angeles Times he had quit drinking alcohol ‘a couple of years ago.’
‘It wasn’t a big AA kick. I just got to a point where I’d had enough. I didn’t enjoy being completely inebriated, and it probably created more problems in my life than I needed.’
Joel has taken a break from touring so he can receive treatment for a condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus, which has affected his balance among other things.
The rift occurred when John, 78, told Rolling Stone in 2011 that Joel, 76, needed to go to rehab following a several cancellations on the most recent leg of their Face to Face tour; Pictured in Pilton, England in June 2023
The Honesty artist said in the documentary Billy Joes: And So It Goes, that he felt ‘clobbered’ after John’s comments and he hit ‘rock bottom’; Pictured in London in July 2009
Joel had checked himself into The Betty Ford Clinic in 2005 at the insistence of his then-wife Katie Lee. The couple divorced in 2009; Pictured in June 2007
The two men made up in 2013 at the Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremonies; Pictured in Oakland, CA in February 2010
Earlier this week, Joel was riding in a limo in New York City when he happened upon a pedi-cab that was playing one of his songs. He shocked the driver and his passengers when he rolled down the window to say Hi
Both episodes of Billy Joes: And So It Goes are available on HBOMAX
Earlier this week, Joel was riding in a limo in New York City when he happened upon a Pedi-cab that was playing one of his songs.
He shocked the driver and his passengers when he rolled down the window to say Hi. ‘We’re in a New York State of Mind…always,’ he wrote next to the clip.
‘Thank you very much again for stopping and making our day,’ the owner of Central Park Airlines wrote. ‘It’s my customers birthday today & she said she had the best birthday ever ( thanks to you smile ☺️ ) RESPECT. If you ever want a pedicab ride – just say when & I’ll make my limousine ready.’
Both episodes of Billy Joes: And So It Goes are available on HBOMAX.
