Billy Joel

Lee is a recent college graduate and restaurant correspondent for the PBS show, "George Hirsch: Living it Up!". In 1992, Patti received her first Grammy award for her album "Burnin." She also is the author of three books, one including her autobiography and two cookbooks. 1998's "Live: One Night Only" earned Patti her second Grammy award. Joel's ex-wife, Christie Brinkley, attended the union and gave the couple her blessing. In 1986, her album "The Winner In You" went platinum. At the time of the wedding Joel was 54. Joel's daughter, Alexa Ray, 18, served as maid of honor. She made her way to the top of the charts with the hits "New Attitude" which was featured on the soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop, the love ballad "If Only You Knew" and a duet with Michael McDonald "On My Own". In 2004, Joel married 23 year-old Katie Lee. During the 1980s and 1990s, Patti LaBelle proved herself to be a legend in the making.

This marriage also ended with divorce in 1994. When the group split up in 1976, Hendryx and LaBelle managed successful solo careers, while Sarah Dash released several failed albums and ending up working as a backup singer for bands like the Rolling Stones. Their marriage produced one child, daughter Alexa Ray Joel in 1986. LaBelle never regained their former momentum after Nightbirds and "Lady Marmalade", in spite of several hits and some critically acclaimed albums like Phoenix (1975) and Chameleon (1976). Joel went on to marry the recently widowed supermodel Christie Brinkley in 1985. The success of the single also pushed the album to the top of the charts. The marriage ended in divorce in 1982. "Lady Marmalade", a sexy, funky disco song (with an come-hither French chorus, "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?") about a New Orleans prostitute became a massive hit in 1975 and one of the first mainstream disco hits (Jones and Kantonen, 1999).

Joel married his business manager, Elizabeth Weber, in 1971. After Pressure Cooker, LaBelle signed with Epic Records and recorded an album, Nightbirds, with Allen Toussaint, a famous record producer. Fantasies and Delusions, his first album of classical pieces, got a tepid response from critics but went to Number One on the classical charts. After the albums flopped, Hendryx wrote most of their third album, Pressure Cooking (1973), released on RCA Records. Joel has recently been returning to his fascination with classical music and has been experimenting in that area. LaBelle released LaBelle in 1971 on Warner Brothers Records; it included covers of the Rolling Stones, Kenny Rogers, Carole King and Laura Nyro, while the following album, Moonshadow (1972) included covers of Cat Stevens and the Who, as well as an increasing amount of Hendryx material. Before Billy went into the music business, He always wanted to become a history teacher and he has a teaching license in NY to teach history. LaBelle opened for the Who and assisted with Laura Nyro's Gonna Take a Miracle in 1971.

The song "Leningrad" shows Joel's appreciation for the history of the Soviet Union and the feel of the Cold War in which he was raised. She changed the name to LaBelle and pushed the group to a more contemporary sound, incorporated glam influences, particularly in the spectacular spacey stage costumes that included large amounts of glitter, feathers and other acoutrements. The song "We Didn't Start The Fire" lists historical events from his birth through the mid-eighties--the first thirty-five years of Joel's life, reflecting Joel's fascination with culture and history. Three years later, the group lost their contract and hired Vicki Wickham, a British TV producer, to remake their image. This attitude was manifest as advice in the song "Tell Her About It", as well as in an expression of his own need in "Honesty". In 1967, the group became a trio after Cindy Birdsong left to join the Supremes, replacing Florence Ballard. Joel has always had a trusting, open attitude in his relationships, both business and personal. The BlueBelles signed with Atlantic Records in 1965, releasing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "Groovy Kind of Love" (later a hit for the Mindbenders and Phil Collins) with only mild success.

"Uptown Girl" was a love song about the seemingly mismatched romance between himself and Christie Brinkley, Alexa's mother. The song was a hit, as was their 1963 follow-up, "Down the Aisle", and "You'll Never Walk Alone" (1964; Rodgers & Hammerstein) and "Danny Boy" (a traditional Irish folk song). Similarly, his song "The Downeaster Alexa", combined his love for his daughter with a depiction of the plight of boat captains in the offshore fishing industry. Some controversy exists over if the group actually performed on the track; some believe that the song was performed entirely or partially by the Starlets. Joel's daughter Alexa also has been a motivation for lyrical content; he penned "Lullabye" for his daughter. The first single was "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" (released as the Blue-Belles). The song depicted living in industrial Allentown, Pennsylvania in the early 1980s. Patricia Holt then changed her name to Patricia LaBelle to match the group's official name, the BlueBelles.

He also is known for celebrating life in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, which he tributed in one of his most popular songs, "Allentown," released in 1982. In 1962, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash joined after leaving a group called the Del Capris. Joel has always relied heavily on his experiences in writing his songs--perhaps the best example is that of "Piano Man", which he wrote out of playing regularly at a piano bar in the early 1970s. Patricia Louise Holt (soon to be known as Patti LaBelle) and Cindy Birdsong first formed a group called the Ordettes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Joel was born in the South Bronx and grew up on Long Island, an affluent region outside of New York City, in a town called Hicksville, New York, and made many references to locations in the New York City metropolitan area, particularly the Island, in his songs. Nona Hendryx, Sarah Dash and Cindy Birdsong rounded out the group, with Hendryx especially notable as a prolific songwriter. Billy Joel was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. The group was led by Patti LaBelle (born May 24, 1944), who later had a successful solo career.

He has also toured successfully with Elton John, playing each other's songs. LaBelle was an American disco group, melding dance music with funk and glam rock, resulting in such memorable songs as "Lady Marmalade". His first solo album, Cold Spring Harbor (a reference to a Long Island town), was released in 1971, and he has been releasing albums ever since. ISBN 1556524110. Joel joined his first band at age fourteen, and participated in many more since and also played in piano bars under the name "Bill Martin". Chicago, Illinois: A Cappella Books. Influences on him include:. Jones, Alan and Kantonen, Jussi (1999) Saturday Night Forever: The Story of Disco.

From an early age, Joel had an intense interest in music, especially classical music. He was married to supermodel Christie Brinkley from 1985 to 1994. William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949 in The Bronx, New York), better known as Billy Joel, is a globally-recognized pianist, singer and songwriter. 1993 "All About Soul" #29 US, #32 UK.

1993 "The River of Dreams" #3 US, #3 UK. from River of Dreams