Behind Billy Joel’s Brief Stint in Heavy Metal Music

Before Billy Joel was a classy and sophisticated showman sitting behind a grand piano, he was a thick-haired heavy metal rock ‘n’ roller. Surprised? So are we, but it is true, as Billy Joel co-founded the heavy metal rock band Attila in 1969 alongside his friend and musical partner at the time, Jon Small. The juxtaposition between heavy metal Billy Joel and the Billy Joel we are all acquainted with is stark. Though, it just further shows that the man contains musical multitudes.

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Between 1967 and 1969, Billy Joel was in the Long Island-based group, The Hassels. During those years, the band scored a deal with United Artists Records and released two albums that didn’t amount to much. Frustrated by his fellow bandmates and the minimal results, Joel and Small ambitiously split away from the group to form their own group. That group was the new wave, yet unfamiliar, heavy metal rock band Attila.

Why Billy Joel Sought Out a Career in Heavy Metal

In the late 60s, heavy metal was around, but it surely was not the genre that graced the radio waves on a frequent basis. Now, bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who touched the genre fairly lightly. However, its main introduction to the mainstream was undoubtedly in 1969 with Led Zeppelin’s self-titled debut album. Following the release of this album, heavy metal bands started popping up everywhere, and Billy Joel’s Attila was one of them.

Regarding how Zeppelin inspired his desire to form a heavy metal band, he stated in the new documentary Billy Joel: And So it Goes, “It just pulverized me when I heard it,” and “It was like hearing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for the first time.” Billy Joel, with his own touch, tried to replicate Zeppelin’s heavy metal success. However, it didn’t quite work out in the way he seemingly envisioned.

In 1970, Joel and Small released Attila’s debut album, also their only album. The album did not perform well, and subsequently, Attila broke up. The album’s poor performance is not the only reason the band broke up. In addition to the poor performance, Joel also had an affair with Small’s wife, Elizabeth Weber.

While this might not have been the brightest time in Joel’s life, his luck did turn around. However, about a year later, Joel released his debut album Cold Spring Harbor. The album that ultimately marked his transition into the style we all know him for today.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Clive Dix/Shutterstock