Throughout his time in the spotlight, Billy Joel showcased his amazing talent with songs like “Honesty”, “Uptown Girl”, and “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” But no matter the song, nothing compared to the iconic “Piano Man.” The song became such a classic that Joel even received the name Piano Man. With his career spanning several decades, the singer recently performed his last show at the historic Madison Square Garden. And wanting his last show to be memorable, he decided to welcome a rock legend to the stage.
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Looking back at his history in music, Joel first played at Madison Square Garden back in December 1978. But since January 2014, the singer held a residency at the venue. But that all ended on Thursday night when he took the stage for one last time. And with the venue packed with fans, Joel decided to bring out Guns N’ Roses icon Axl Rose. Together, the pair performed Wings’ “Live and Let Die” and AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.”
With the video uploaded for fans to watch, many weighed in on the performance with comments including, “My friend was here last night with his family and he ft me when this started I wish I could have been there I love Billy and Gnr.” Another person added, “Axl… looking and sounding good. This makes me happy!”
[RELATED: Say Goodbye to MSG: Billy Joel’s Historic New York Residency Comes to an End]
Fellow Bandmate Opens Up About His Friend Billy Joel
As for guitarist Tommy Byrnes, who toured with Joel for decades, he discussed the milestone of ending at Madison Square Garden. “It’s a landmark. We only thought two or three years at the most. Nobody is more surprised than Billy at the way it’s gone.” Looking at his own career in music, the musician insisted, “There’s nothing else I would rather be doing right now. I’m happy here.”
Outside of working together, Byrnes noted how much Joel loves a good joke. “If you tell him, ‘Hey, check this out, I’ve got this joke,’ it better be funny. Otherwise, he’s going to look at you and go, ‘That’s the best you’ve got? ’ He’s got a great sense of humor. Off-the-cuff stuff is more of what he likes.”
While leaving behind a lifetime of memories at Madison Square Garden, Joel looks ahead to the future and getting the chance to spend more time with his family.
(Jaime Schultz/Shutterstock)
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