NEW YORK, July 19, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – New York on Wednesday feted Billy Joel
as he played a record 100th concert at Madison Square Garden, although the
Piano Man himself was modest about his achievement.
“Let’s be real — I’m from New York,” the 69-year-old engine of pop
favorites, donning a baseball cap, told a news conference ahead of his 100th
performance at the Midtown Manhattan arena.
“This is my venue. Fortunately for me, Madison Square Garden is a world
venue. You can play almost any other arena in the country and nobody else in
the world is going to know about it,” he said.
“So I’m very fortunate just because of where I’m from — not to take the
shine off of it.”
More than two million people have seen Joel at Madison Square Garden,
according to the iconic venue. He has cruised past Elton John after
surpassing the English legend’s record when Joel performed his 65th show in
2015.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a professed fan and friend of Joel who in
2015 officiated the singer’s fourth wedding, issued a proclamation declaring
July 18 “Billy Joel Day.”
Cuomo called Joel a “quintessential New Yorker” who embodied the values of
the city’s middle class.
“Forty years in this town, which is one of the toughest audiences on the
globe, and after 40 years, the same tough, hometown crowd loves him,” Cuomo
told the news conference.
“Why? Because there is an authenticity about Billy and his music. You can’t
fool New Yorkers for 40 years,” he said.
With a stream of hits from “Uptown Girl” to “We Didn’t Start the Fire,”
Joel has sold more than 150 million records around the world, according to
his representatives.