Did You Know That Before Billy Joel Tickled the Ivories Professionally, He Was Smashing Faces as an Amateur Boxer?

Kris Kristofferson, Mickey Rourke, Tony Danza, and 50 Cent were all boxers before their music careers took off. Another name that is a part of that list is Billy Joel. Being both a fighter and an artist is just a paradigm that makes sense, as it shows that the individual is a well-versed one and a Renaissance man. Though that is not the primary reason as to why Billy Joel got into the sport. Rather, he got started boxing for self-defense purposes.

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Billy Joel grew up in Long Island, New York, in the 1950s and 1960s, a time when a masculine image was crafted through violence, athleticism, and toughness. Joel, as a kid, took piano lessons behind a ballet school. Thus, he was not upholding the prototypical masculine image of the times, and as a result, he was a target for bullies. So, to gain confidence and defend himself, he took up boxing. Though the sport never just existed as a means of protection for Joel. Instead, it became an amateur vocation, as Joel was a successful amateur boxer in the Golden Gloves competition.

Recalling his decision to take up the sport for self-defense purposes, Joel recalled in the book, Billy Joel: The Definitive Biography, “When I walked down the street with my piano books, I’d get these kids shouting, ‘Billy, where’s your tutu?’ They’d knock the books out of my hands and smack me around. So I took up boxing, and I got pretty good at it.”

The Broken Nose That Gave Way to Billy Joel’s Career

While pursuing the sport as a teenager, Billy Joel fought in 24 amateur boxing matches. Impressively, he won 22 of the 24 fights. However, on his 24th and final fight, Joel took one to the face and broke his nose. Subsequently, Joel gave up boxing and decided to pursue his music career more fervently.

Billy Joel’s broken nose left the singer with two different-sized nostrils, to some, is his signature look. Years after the broken nose, Joel went on to perform with the bands The Hassles and Attila in the late 60s. Years after that, in 1971, Billy Joel released his debut solo album, Cold Spring Harbor, when he was 22 years old.

Concerning his decision to quit boxing and pursue a career in music, Joel stated, “Eff that, I’m going back to performing before I mess up my voice,” per Boxing: The Sweet Science. When it was all said and done, Billy Joel had an amateur boxing record of 22-2.

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