Billy Joel Mourns the Death of the Former Bandmate Who Helped Kickstart His Career and Later Saved His Life

Billy Joel is dealing with a major loss. The singer took to Instagram on Sept. 7 to announce the death of his longtime collaborator and friend, Jon Small.

“RIP Jon Small,” Joel captioned a post that featured a throwback photo of the two guys, as well as a more recent pic.

Joel did not share any other details about Small’s death.

In a Facebook post, Glass Houses, a podcast dedicated to Joel’s life and work, revealed that Small died on Sept. 4. He is set to be laid to rest in Great Neck, New York, on Sept. 9.

“He was always kind, approachable, generous with his time, and a wonderful conversation,” the post read. “He will be deeply missed by everyone whose lives he touched through his work and friendship.”

What to Know About Billy Joel and Jon Small

Joel and Small’s relationship dates back to the ’60s when the former man joined the latter one’s band, the Hassles. Later, the pair jointly formed Attila, a heavy metal rock band.

The men’s close friendship took a major hit when Joel fell for Small’s wife, Elizabeth Weber.

“Elizabeth was very important to me, but I think I was not the guy she hoped I would be,” Small said Joel’s recent documentary, And So It Goes. “I kept seeing that Billy was not the same guy. Something was the matter. And Billy one day came up to me, became a little honest, and said to me, ‘I’m in love with your wife.’ So it was a very devastating thing for me, because these were basically my two best friends.”

Joel later endured an intense personal crisis related to this situation, and Small was there for him during one particularly dangerous moment, rushing his friend to the hospital.

Joel and Weber wound up tying the knot in 1973, and divorcing nine years later.

The ’80s saw the two men reconnect, with Small serving as producer for Joel’s “Uptown Girl” and “Keeping the Faith” music videos.

Small later earned a Grammy nomination for his work on Joel’s Live at Yankee Stadium concert film. Joel wasn’t the only artist with whom Small had a relationship. Through his production company, Small worked with artists including Kenny Rogers, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, and Blake Shelton.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images