Billy Joel Hams It Up at the National Press Club

Billy Joel, October 23, National Press Club,

Washington DC

This event was for Press Club members only and their guests. I wholeheartedly thank my good friend Francie for taking me as one of her guests.

Singer-songwriter extraordinaire Billy Joel was supposed to give a talk about celebrity endorsements of political candidates at the National Press Club on Thursday. At this small, private event, he opened by saying he was accustomed to never endorsing political candidates but then he and Bruce Springsteen had just done a fundraiser concert for Barack Obama in New York. “So I guess I blew that one out of the water.” He then decided he was done with that topic and left his entire hour on stage open for Q&A.

A moderator had collected all audience questions prior to the event and the topics ranged from his family to his musical influences. He did touch upon politics again, saying it’s a difficult situation when the concert audience disagrees with a singer’s views. Fans might think, he said, “I didn’t come here to hear that song; my political views are my own.” Asked which of his songs are most political, he responded, “All songs are political.” Politics are involved in love, relationships, friendships, family…

He then poked fun at “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” On one hand, he was proud the lyrics were used in schools as an education tool. But he called it a “terrible melody,” an example of writing the words first. Typically, he writes the music first, he said, and tries to jam in as many words as he can into the melody. He also talked about the politics behind “Leningrad,” another song from his Stormfront album. He wrote the song following his 1987 trip to Russia. He reminisced about the seemingly pointless bomb drills he and other kids endured in the ’50s, hiding under their desks at school, fearing a Soviet invasion. But on his Russia trip, watching a clown make his then-toddler daughter laugh, he said, “For me, the Cold War ended that day.”

Asked if any song is too emotional to perform live, he cited “Lullabye,” from River of Dreams, a song he said he wrote when his marriage to “ex number 2”—supermodel Christie Brinkley—was falling apart. Singing it reminds him of the raw emotion he felt while writing the song, lyrics which express his undying love for his daughter, Alexa Ray. So, to prevent having an emotional breakdown when performing it live, he said he finds it a good distraction to focus his attention on the people walking up the aisles en route to the bathroom.

Asked about Alexa Ray Joel’s own budding musical career, Joel borrowed a Yiddish word to describe his pride. “I’m kvelling,” he beamed.

Who hasn’t he performed with that he’d like to? Eric Clapton. What musicians would he bring back from the dead? Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Beethoven. He also discussed the thrill of meeting, and performing with, the late Ray Charles. While writing and recording their duet, “Baby Grand,” he said the dialogue became the music, as each riffed off of the other on the piano.

Musically, Joel mentioned certain melodies that inspired his songs. In “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” he adapted the chord progressions from Bob Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay,” and played some bars to illustrate his point. But for “Movin’ Out,” when he initially wrote the melody, he realized it sounded too much like Neil Sedaka’s “Laughter in the Rain” and changed the melody to its current incarnation.

Asked if he knew when he wrote certain songs that they would become hits, he responded, “I wouldn’t know a hit if it bit me in the ass.” He said he would submit a whole album’s worth of material and let the label (Columbia Records) decide which songs to release. He said he was always amazed “Piano Man” became a hit. “It’s just a waltz!”

The final two questions, posed as a pair, were: which of his songs would he choose for each of the presidential campaigns and would he play a song of his own choosing in its entirety. He decided the second question was easier and sat down at the piano to perform, “Summer, Highland Falls,” from his 1976 album Turnstiles, and ClubD’s favorite song. You know that song that got you through every hard time? This is that song for me, and I bawled like a baby, quietly and respectfully given the, errr, professional setting.

When it ended, Joel promptly left and I sat there with a letter I’d written him (well, typed) in advance and wondered how I might get it to him sans VIP status. I approached his lawyer at the head table (my eyes were red from having bawled during the song a few moments earlier), and asked if he’d give my letter to Joel. He said he would. The letter thanks Joel for his inspirational music and the important causes (i.e., defending commercial fishermen) he supports. I have no idea if the letter will ever reach him. But it is quite surreal that my letter mentions my attachment to “Summer, Highland Falls” and randomly that was the song he performed. It was a spectacular afternoon.

For audio of Joel performing “Summer, Highland Falls,” (during which I had a hysterical meltdown, but quietly enough to not alert security), visit:http://www.press.org/audio/player.cfm?id=29.

The video of Joel singing it is here, http://www.press.org/video/player.cfm?id=22

This luncheon was broadcast on C-SPAN.

So, what was for lunch?

The lunch was yummy: a salad topped with an oyster, then some sort of white fish over risotto, then an adorable chocolate cake (which I didn’t get to try) that had little chocolate crackers on top in the shape of pianos. Joel entered the room, around 12:30, sat at the head table, and ate his lunch before the presentation began.

All photos by Club D.