Billy Joel Shows Long Island Pride at Hurricane Sandy Benefit Concert
Throughout his career, Billy Joel has never been shy to trumpet the fact that he is a proud son of Long Island, N.Y. So when Hurricane Sandy battered its beloved South Shore, he naturally volunteered his talents for the cause, both at the telethon last month and the 12-12-12 concert at Madison Square Garden.
As he did at the telethon, he opened with 'Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)' with new lyrics related to the disaster. Joel and his crack band then broke into 'Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)' the opening cut from his breakthrough album, 1977's 'The Stranger.'
After a few bars of the holiday standard, 'Have Yourself a Merry Christmas,' he performed another one of his most famous songs, 'New York State of Mind.' As a nod to his Long Island roots, he changed a few lyrics to mention local newspaper Newsday as well as Breezy Point (a neighborhood in Queens) and Oceanside, a town in Nassau County.
Joel reminded everybody of what a formidable presence he was on the charts for 15 years by finishing up with three of his biggest hits, 'The River of Dreams.' 'You May Be Right,' and 'Only the Good Die Young.'
Watch Billy Joel Perform 'Movin' Out' at the 12-12-12 Hurricane Sandy Benefit