William Martin Joel is an American singer, pianist, composer, and songwriter who has led a commercially successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s. Since the 1970s, he has released 12 pop and rock studio albums as well as one studio album of classical compositions in 2001 under the name "The Piano Man," after his album and signature song of the same name. Joel has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making him one of the top-selling music artists of all time. He is also a six-time Grammy Award winner and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Joel has been married four times, most recently to Alexis Roderick. Joel was born on May 9, 1949, in the Bronx borough of New York City. His parents were Howard Joel, a classical pianist and conductor, and Rosalind Joel née Nyman), a homemaker and former fashion model. He has an older brother named Alexander Joel and a sister named Judith Joel. As a teenager, Joel took up both piano and guitar and began to play in local clubs and bars. He was soon offered a recording contract, but he turned it down to attend college. Joel enrolled at Syracuse University but dropped out after one semester to pursue his music career. Joel's first album, "Cold Spring Harbor," was released in 1971 and did not achieve much commercial success. His second album, "Piano Man," was released in 1973 and became his breakthrough album, reaching number 27 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album's title track, "Piano Man," is Joel's best-known song and has been covered by many artists. Joel's next few albums, "Streetlife Serenade" (1974), "Turnstiles" (1976), and "The Stranger" (1977), were all commercial successes and helped to establish Joel as a mainstream artist. His album "52nd Street" won two Grammy Awards in 1979, for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Album of the Year. Joel's 1980 album "Glass Houses" reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart and spawned the hit singles "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" and "You May Be Right." Joel's next album, "The Nylon Curtain," was released in 1982 and was a darker, more personal work than his previous albums. The album was a critical and commercial success, reaching number seven on the Billboard 200 chart. Joel's 1984 album "An Innocent Man" was a tribute to 1960s pop music and reached number four on the Billboard 200 chart. The album's title track and lead single, "An Innocent Man," was a top 10 hit in the US and UK. Joel's 1986 album "The Bridge" was a return to more personal themes and reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The album's lead single, "A Matter of Trust," was a top 10 hit in the US. Joel's final studio album of the 1980s, "Storm Front," was released in 1989 and reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The album's lead single, "We Didn't Start the Fire," was a number one hit in the US and UK. Joel released his first studio album of new material in nearly a decade with 1993's "River of Dreams." The album reached number three on the Billboard 200 chart and spawned the hit singles "The River of Dreams" and "All About Soul." Joel's most recent album of new material is 2001's " Fantasies & Delusions," a collection of classical piano compositions. The album reached number 35 on the Billboard 200 chart. Piano Man tickets are on sale now at Yadara! We have the best selection of Piano Man tickets at the best prices. So what are you waiting for? Buy your Piano Man tickets today at Yadara!