14 Surprising Facts You Never Knew About Billy Joel

Author Hollywood Kyle

November 4th, 2019 2:40 PM

Bullies Inspired Him To Take Up Boxing
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After being bullied in school, Billy decided as a teen to take up boxing lessons. He won some Golden Gloves amateur brawls but gave up the sport after one particular fight that broke his nose. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images)
Vienna Is Written About His Long Lost Father
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Billy Joel’s father was a classical pianist who fled Germany during the Holocaust. He came to the Bronx, changed his name, and met Billy’s mother. The famous song Vienna is about reuniting with his Dad after twenty lost years. (Photo by Scott Gries/ImageDirect)
He’s Written A Song About His Mom Annoying Him
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The frustration-filled lyrics to “Laura” are about Billy’s mom, Rosalind Joel. She apparently had a habit of calling Billy in the middle of the night to complain about her day. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
Billy Gained His Fame From A Pirated Recording Of Captain Jack
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Billy gained his fame from an underground recording of Captain Jack in 1972, and this is when Columbia Records reached out to give him a second try on another album. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)
Billy Ditched Woodstock
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He wasn’t a performer just yet when Woodstock rolled around, so he wanted to be in the crowd for Jimi Hendrix’s performance. But he actually left the festival after a day and a half of the festival due to the lack of bathrooms and amount of standing that was too much for him. (Photo: Getty Images. Kevin Winter / Staff)
He’s Humorous About His Looks
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In an interview for the New Yorker, the singer admitted to looking more like “the guy who makes the pizza” rather than a stage performer. (Photo by Ted Bath/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
He Started With Beatles Covers
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When Billy was 17 he started a band that exclusively covered British Invasion songs. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)
He Was In A Heavy Metal Band
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In his early twenties he and a friend started a heavy metal band called Attila. (Photo by Theo Wargo/NBC/Getty Images for "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon")
Billy’s First Album Didn’t Do Well
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Billy called his first album, Cold Spring Harbor, subpar quality after signing a production contract, because he was not involved in the mixing process. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images)
Billy Joel Believes In Ghosts
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Billy believes in ghosts. He says he has seen te spirit of a 19th century woman brushing her hair in his home in East Hampton. He later sold his home to comedian Jerry Seinfeld. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)
Billy Was Awarded The Term “Legend”
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With a massive string of successful hit tunes over the ’70s and ’80s, Billy was honored with the Grammy Legend Award in 1989. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images)
Joel Didn’t Graduate From High School With His Classmates
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He didn’t receive his diploma with his regular classmates due to skipping classes to play piano at local bars and being short one English credit. He graduated 25 years after his former classmates and received an honorary doctorate from Syracuse University. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
He Named His Daughter After Ray Charles
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Billy revealed the source of Alexa Ray Joel’s name was his way of paying homage to one of his biggest piano-playing idols during the Town Hall performance with Howard, back in 2014. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)
Piano Man Is Really About The Lounge He’d Play At
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After his first album was a failure, Billy moved to L.A. and got a job playing piano at the Executive Room on Wilshire Boulevard, using the stage name Bill Martin. He wrote Piano Man based on the regular patrons during his time there. (Photo by ShowBizIreland/Getty Images)

8 of the Rudest Things You Can Do While Shopping at the Grocery Store

Although the grocery store doesn’t have stop signs and yields, there are common rules of traffic flow that every shopper is to abide by. Furthermore, there’s grocery shopping etiquette that is important to follow. One of the most commonly known polite etiquettes is putting your shopping cart back where it belongs when you are finished with it. Obviously, not everyone does it. There’s many more on the list below…

Leaving a Shopping Cart in the Parking Lot
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Probably the most popularly known. Always put your cart back people...and push it into the cart in front of you.
Leaving the Checkout Isle for Another Item
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Get everything you need BEFORE checking out.
Blocking the Isle With Your Cart
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Just park it to the side as you would when driving a car!
Cutting the Line
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This doesn't only apply to shopping at grocery stores...
Cheating the Express Line
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If it says 10 items or less, you ought to have 10 items or less.
Kids Misbehaving
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Make sure if your kids are coming with you, that they don't knock things over or lick the frozen isle glasses.
Not Putting Items Back You No Longer Want
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If you end up not needing an item in your cart, don't just place it on a random shelf. You can actually take it to the cash register and tell them you don't need it.
Sampling Food When It’s Not A Sample
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For safe health practices we advise you to not sample the food that isn't at the sampling station. It's just gross.

Billy Joel Quotes to Live By

Billy Joel Quotes To Live By

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Hollywood Kyle is the Digital Content Producer and Production Director of Mix 99.5 WJBR. Being a Delaware local, Kyle takes pride in his hometown and has had a love for music since a young age. Hollywood Kyle joins the Mix Morning Show for abstract thoughts and ideas during "Hollywood Kyle" segment around 9:40am Monday thru Friday.

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14 Surprising Facts You Never Knew About Billy Joel

Bullies Inspired Him To Take Up Boxing

Vienna Is Written About His Long Lost Father

He’s Written A Song About His Mom Annoying Him

Billy Gained His Fame From A Pirated Recording Of Captain Jack

Billy Ditched Woodstock

He’s Humorous About His Looks

He Started With Beatles Covers

He Was In A Heavy Metal Band

Billy’s First Album Didn’t Do Well

Billy Joel Believes In Ghosts

Billy Was Awarded The Term “Legend”

Joel Didn’t Graduate From High School With His Classmates

He Named His Daughter After Ray Charles

Piano Man Is Really About The Lounge He’d Play At

8 of the Rudest Things You Can Do While Shopping at the Grocery Store

Leaving a Shopping Cart in the Parking Lot

Leaving the Checkout Isle for Another Item

Blocking the Isle With Your Cart

Cutting the Line

Cheating the Express Line

Kids Misbehaving

Not Putting Items Back You No Longer Want

Sampling Food When It’s Not A Sample

Billy Joel Quotes to Live By

WJBR and Stanley’s Tavern Breaks New Fundraiser Record!

The Man Who Killed Jimmy Hoffa Ran The Delaware Teamsters Union

Sign Up For The Mix Newsletter Sent To Your Inbox

Have the latest celeb and music news, local happenings, fun games, exclusive contests, and more delivered to your inbox.

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