Last night, American singer-songwriter Billy Joel set the record for the most performances by an artist at New York’s premier venue, Madison Square Garden.
The legendary artist overtakes Elton John – who has appeared at the venue a mere 64 times. During his record-breaking 65th show, Joel treated those in attendance to many crowd favourites including ‘Piano Man’, ‘Uptown Girl’ and ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’.
Addressing the roaring crowd, the 66-year old said, “Welcome to Madison Square Garden – the centre of the universe! I didn’t know I’d be here 65 times, amazing. I want to thank you very much for making this possible.”
Actor and comedian Kevin James, best known for his roles in King of Queens, Hitch, and Grown Ups, joined Joel on stage after a banner rose to the top of the stage to honour the landmark appearance. “I am so proud and honoured to be part of this historic evening,” James said. “I feel like body surfing, though we’d probably set another record for most injuries at a concert.”
Joel has been performing at Madison Square Gardens monthly since last year. He sat at the piano for the vast majority of the evening but also played the harmonica and guitar. “I really believed a long time ago if I didn’t have a record every year on the charts, it would just go away. People would stop coming,” he said. “It’s amazing – I haven’t had a record on the charts in 22 years.”
Joel was very excited but also modest in his performance. He sang Elton John’s ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ as a tribute to the 68-year old Englishman. “He’s a good man and a good friend and I’d like to dedicate this song to him.”
Watch the video for Billy Joel’s most iconic hit, ‘Piano Man’ below.
