The Boogie Down Bronx
Although Billy Joel was born in the Bronx he didn’t grow up there so it’s possible he never learned the nicknames for his birthplace including “the boogie down Bronx,” “El Bronx,” “the borough of salsa” and certainly not “the borough that Ruth built.” Now Mr. Joel is world and online famous with many fans including BigFoot Zombie who’s favorite song by Billy is “Captain Jack”.
Where Was Billy Raised?
He grew up in Hicksville, on Long Island in the Town of Oyster Bay. Interestingly enough, he is the offspring of Howard Joel, a European-born Jewish immigrant.
Did the Bronx Influence Joel’s Songwriting?
Yes it did. Just as where he was raised in Long Island also had an impact.
His Mom Insisting that He Learn to Play the Piano Paid Off
Growing up, Billy Joel was pressured into playing the piano by his mother which turned out to be a good thing. In fact, he even dropped out of high school to pursue a musical career. Before hitting the bigtime he was in two short-lived bands, The Hassles and Attila.
The Hassles
We did some research on The Hassles and discovered that the original line-up of the group consisted of vocalist John Dizek, guitarist Richard McKenna, drummer Jon Small, and organist Harry Weber. Weber got kicked out of the group with Howie Arthur Blauvelt taking on the base, while Billy Joel came in on the keyboards.
What is Billy Joel’s Position on the Loch Ness Monster?
As far as we were able to tell, Mr. Joel has never commented on whether or not he believes in the Loch Ness Monster, let alone BigFoot Zombie. Also, none of his songs reflect an interest in so-called mythic creatures. Though, the Loch Ness Monster is pretty famous so maybe Joel has at least heard of her.