Billy Joel's Early Bandmate Jon Small Dies

Jon Small, an early bandmate and longtime collaborator of Billy Joel's, has died.

"RIP Jon Small," Joel posted on his social media, sharing a photo of them.

Joel and Small first started working together in the late '60s as members of a psychedelic band called the Hassles. When that ended, they decided to pursue an entirely different direction: heavy metal. Inspired by acts like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and others, they turned up their volume levels and gave it a shot, naming themselves Atilla.

"We're gonna destroy the world with amplification," Joel recalled in the 2025 documentary Billy Joel: And So it Goes. "We just want to make as much noise as possible."

It didn't really impress people. They released one singular album and played just a handful of live shows, often driving audience members out of the venue.

"It's probably one of the worst bands of all time," Small, who played drums, added in the same documentary.

How Billy Joel and Jon Small's Relationship Fell Apart...Then Rebuilt

Joel and Small's relationship did collapse at one point when Joel confessed that he was in love with Small's wife, Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth was very important to me, but I think I was not the guy she hoped I would be," Small explained in the documentary. "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 and Elizabeth then married in 1973, after which she took on the role of his manager. (They later divorced in 1982.) It took years, but Joel and Small eventually reconciled and even started working together again.

Small started his own production company, earning a Grammy nomination for his work on Joel’s Live at Yankee Stadium concert film. He also directed/produced releases for artists like Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire and more.