While Billy Joel had more than enough to be thankful for when it came to his success in the music industry and his family, the legendary singer once thought about taking his own life. Before becoming the Piano Man, Joel and his best friend Jon Small joined forces in the band Attila. And according to a new documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, it would be that friendship that would lead to some of the darkest moments in the singer’s life after he had an affair with Small’s wife.
Videos by American Songwriter
On Wednesday, the first part of the documentary aired, revealing the many struggles of Joel throughout his early years in the music industry. “I felt very, very guilty about it. They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker. I was just in love with a woman and I got punched in the nose which I deserved. Jon was very upset. I was very upset.”
Given her side of the story, the wife of Small, Elizabeth Weber, explained how it started off slowly after the singer moved in. “Bill and I spent a lot of time together. Then, Small realized something was up and Joel came to him with the truth: ‘I’m in love with your wife.’”
Billy Joel Ended Up Living In Laundromats
Although coming clean about his actions, Joel found himself living at laundromats due to the affair. “I had no place to live. I was sleeping in laundromats and I was depressed I think to the point of almost being psychotic. So I figured, ‘That’s it. I don’t want to live anymore.’ I was just in a lot of pain and it was sort of like why hang out, tomorrow is going to be just like today is and today sucks. So, I just thought I’d end it all.”
Wanting to follow through with his plan, he gained the opportunity when his sister, Judy Molinari, offered his some sleeping pills as the singer struggled to get rest. She revealed, “Billy decided that he was going to take all of them… he was in a coma for days and days and days. I went to go see him in the hospital, and he was laying there white as a sheet. I thought that I’d killed him.”
Even with all the pain Joel caused Small, his former friend returned to his life. Joel even insisted he saved his life. For Small, he knew his friend was hurting. “He never really said anything to me, the only practical answer I can give as to why Billy took it so hard was because he loved me that much and that it killed him to hurt me that much. Eventually I forgave him.”
With Joel recovering, he looked to channel that pain and emotion into his music and his career, which continue today. Don’t miss Billy Joel: And So It Goes, airing on HBO in July.
If you are in crisis, please know you are not alone, and help is available. You can connect with people who can support you. Call or text 988 anytime in the US and its territories to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
(Photo by Larry Marano/Shutterstock)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.