A film depicting the musical beginnings and triumphs of Billy Joel, “The Piano Man,” is reported to be in the works. The forthcoming biopic will track Joel’s early years of first being discovered all the way to his breakout performances and beyond.
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While fans of the iconic singer/songwriter may initially welcome this news, there is in fact, a catch. A representative for Joel has stated that the 72-year-old artist will not be involved with this film in any capacity “and that no rights in music, name/likeness or life story will be granted.”
The biopic, however, is currently still on track to be produced by Jaigantic Studios with Adam Ripp writing and directing the project. The release date has yet to be announced.
“Billy Joel has been a part of my life since my father signed him to his record label when I was 4 years old; his music is ingrained in my DNA and it’s been a dream of mine as a filmmaker to explore and celebrate the untold story of how Billy Joel became the Piano Man,” Ripp said in a statement.
The studio is pushing the project after their acquisition of the life rights to Irwin Mazur, who managed Joel as a teenager from 1970 to 1972. Joel released his signature song, “Piano Man” just a year later in 1973.
“What a dream come true! These are the real-life events I witnessed first-hand that shaped Billy from a keyboard player in the local Long Island band, The Hassles, into the iconic musician, singer-songwriter, and entertainer who thrills audiences around the world, today,” Mazur said in a statement.
The music and soundtrack for this film are “yet to be determined,” as stated by the biopic producers. Stay tuned to see who’s singing to us as the Piano Man.
Photo Credit: Sony Music Entertainment
