Billy Joel has been making the news quite a bit recently. He was recently diagnosed with a brain condition, thankfully not lethal or incredibly serious, that resulted in the cancellation of many of his upcoming tour dates. Just as well, his new documentary just dropped on HBO, titled Billy Joel: And So It Goes.
Videos by American Songwriter
In that documentary, fans got a look at intimate footage and historical details from Joel’s long and successful career. And one particular moment was pretty shocking.
Back in 1989, everybody knew about Billy Joel’s multi-million-dollar lawsuit he launched against his former manager. However, many of the personal details of that whole debacle haven’t been made public. Until now, that is.
In Billy Joel: And So It Goes, the Piano Man divulges what happened during the lawsuit and how he was “furious” about his ex-manager’s incredible betrayal of him. For reference, Frank Weber (who also happened to be Joel’s former brother-in-law) had been stealing money from Joel, nearly leaving his bank account empty.
Billy Joel Was “Furious” Over His Ex-Manager’s Theft and Betrayal in the Late 1980s
“I found out I didn’t have any of the money I should have,” said Billy Joel in the documentary. “It hit me like a ton of bricks.”
The result of the betrayal was a massive lawsuit against Weber, as well as ongoing anxiety for Joel when it came to figuring out how to replace those substantial losses. Joel described it as “depressing.”
“When I found out that my money was pretty well-spent, I was furious,” Joel continued. “I realised, I gotta start all over again. I gotta go right back to writing new songs, recording new songs, and go out on the road and try to make that money back.”
The lawsuit sought $90 million in damages from Joel’s former manager. Later, Joel was awarded a partial judgment of $2 million. It wouldn’t be Joel’s only issue with the people he hired. In 1992, he would sue his former lawyer, Allen Grubman, for fraud.
Billy Joel went on to note that while his situation was awful, it wasn’t rare. Plenty of musicians out there have been scammed by their management or people close to them, simply because they weren’t keeping tabs on their earnings. According to Joel, this is a flaw that often affects creatives and artists.
“We’re not financially oriented; it wasn’t about the money,” said Joel. “It was about being a musician. I didn’t like thinking as a businessman. I wanted to be an artist.”
The first season of the documentary series Billy Joel: And So It Goes is currently streaming on HBO Max.
Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.