Billy Joel Regrets Never Bothering John Lennon When He Lived Near Him
Meeting John Lennon was a rare privilege and honor for many artists in the music industry. Many idolized The Beatles, and Lennon was a hero for many musicians who rose to fame in the 1970s and 1980s. Billy Joel was a massive fan of The Beatles before becoming a famous singer himself, but he never got the chance to meet John Lennon, despite living near him.
Billy Joel lived near John Lennon but decided not to bother him
Billy Joel grew up in Long Island, just outside New York City, in the 1950s and 1960s. New York was the epicenter of the music industry, but the biggest artist during the 1960s came from Liverpool. The Beatles took over the industry, and Beatlemania reached a feverish peak during the 60s, making them the world’s most prominent musical act. In an interview with BBC Radio 2, Joel recalled what it was like to be a Beatles fan at the height of Beatlemania.
“We all felt like we were in this special group because you loved The Beatles,” Joel said. “Everyone was on the same page. The Beatles built a sense of community, which I haven’t felt for a long time. When I’m on stage, and people are singing along, and I see all different ages, they’re singing all the words – they know the words! Which amazes me because I don’t remember half of them.”
After The Beatles disbanded, Lennon moved to New York, living with his wife, Yoko Ono, and his second son, Sean. Joel said he lived close to the former Beatle and wanted to meet him but was worried he would bother him. Lennon supposedly felt the same way, so the two never interacted. The “Imagine” singer was killed in 1980, and Joel regrets never meeting one of his idols.
“I never met John, which is kind of sad because we lived near each other,” Joel added. “I used to drive my boat by his house, and I’d say, ‘There’s John’s house, but I’m not gonna bother the guy; I’m sure he gets bothered all the time!’ He used to do the same thing with me. So, we never bothered each other, which we should’ve done, actually.”
Joel does have a relationship with Paul McCartney, who he says is great with kids.
Joel said his life was changed by one Beatles performance
The Beatles arrived in the United States in 1964, where they reached superstardom after performing on The Ed Sullivan Show. Millions of American viewers became aware of the band after viewing them here, including Joel. In a CBS retrospective about this performance, Joel said this performance changed his life and convinced him to pursue a career in rock n’ roll.
“That one performance changed my life,” the “Piano Man” singer recalled. “Up to that moment, I’d never considered playing rock as a career. And when I saw four guys who didn’t look like they’d come out of the Hollywood star mill, who played their own songs and instruments, and especially because you could see this look in John Lennon’s face – and he looked like he was always saying: ‘F*** you!’ – I said: ‘I know these guys, I can relate to these guys, I am these guys.’ This is what I’m going to do – play in a rock band’.”
