What to Know
- Long Island music legend Billy Joel is ending his world record-breaking run at Madison Square Garden next year, he announced during a press conference alongside the city mayor.
- Joel will end his record-breaking residency in July 2024 -- after 10 years.
- The "Piano Man" holds the records for the most performances at the Garden, with 136, and the most consecutive performances, with 90.
He's movin' out.
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Long Island music legend Billy Joel is ending his world record-breaking run at Madison Square Garden next year, he announced Thursday during a press conference alongside New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Joel will end his record-breaking residency in July 2024 — after 10 years of sold out shows. The first of Joel's final 10 concerts will happen on Oct. 20 of this year.
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The "Piano Man" holds the records for the most performances at the Garden, with 136, and the most consecutive performances, with 90.
“I'm kind of flabbergasted that it lasted as long as it did. My team tells me that we could continue to sell tickets, but ten years, 150 shows – all right already!” Joel said. “I do remember the first time we played Madison Square Garden, it was the pinnacle of my career. I thought, ‘My God, I'm headlining Madison Square Garden.’ Everybody in the world knows when you play The Garden, it's not just New York."
Adams described Joel as quintessential New York.
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"There’s only one thing that’s more New York than Billy Joel – and that’s a Billy Joel concert at MSG,” Adams said. “For more than 50 years, Billy’s music has defined our city and brought us together. On behalf of 8.5 million New Yorkers, congratulations, Billy, on a historic run of sold-out shows at MSG, and thank you for a lifetime of bringing joy to us all.”
"To our audience, I want to thank them for coming to our shows for this long. It's hard to end, even at 150 lifetime shows. I just want to thank everyone for the wonderful thing that's happened here," Joel went on to say.
The announcement of the end of his residency comes a couple of weeks after it was reported that Joel selling his massive 26-acre waterfront property on Long Island for $49 million.
Joel's real estate agent told Newsday that the Centre Island estate was purchased back in 2002 for a cool $22.5 million.
The Oyster Bay Harbor home has no shortage of grand amenities. The online listing for the estate boasts a pool, bowling alley, helicopter pad, and 3-bedroom beach house.
The main house, over 20,000-square-feet, has an elevator to all floors. The five-bedroom, eight-bathroom home is currently under renovation.
But that's not all. The property also has a guest apartment inside the main house, as well as a bowling alley and indoor pool.
The estate, dubbed Middlesea, was previously listed in 2008 for $32.5 million but did not sell.
But despite his home going up for sale, Joel said Thursday that he's not leaving New York — he's just doing what many other 74-year-olds from Long Island tend to do: He's going to Florida.
"Despite what you’ve read, I’m selling my house but not leaving New York. But spending more time in Florida, like old Jewish guys do from New York City," the singer joked. "I’ll be 75 next year, seems like a nice number to be like, OK."
As for the landlord for MSG, James Dolan said the door will always remain open for Joel to come back.
"Although the residency is coming to an end, forever welcoming you back home to the Garden anytime, anytime, you'd like," Dolan said.
