Billy Joel Unveils the Classical Roots of His Biggest Hit

A preview has been unveiled for Billy Joel: "And So It Goes," HBO's latest two-part film about the musician and composer which will premiere on July 18.

Including fresh individual interviews with Joel, the documentary will also feature never-before-seen performances, home video footage, and private photos. Additional input comes from Joel's associates, co-workers, relatives, and peers.

A key takeaway from the preview is that, despite gaining fame as a pop-rock musician and songwriter, Joel's musical background stems from a more conventional genre.

At one point, he mentions, 'My personal journey as a musician began when I first heard classical music.' 'Uptown Girl... it might have been a composition by Mozart.'

We then listen as Joel performs a piano version of "Uptown Girl," featuring melodic trills reminiscent of Amadeus' style to make his point.

The initial release from 1983 became an enormous global success, featuring supermodel Christie Brinkley — who eventually married Joel as his second spouse and appears in the film — in the music video.

“Billy’s melodies are better than mine,” says Bruce Springsteen elsewhere in the trailer. Paul McCartney, meanwhile, reveals that “when I first heard Billy it was like, ‘Wait a minute - who’s this?’”

Joel is now dealing with significant medical challenges: He has been compelled to postpone all live appearances for the remainder of this year and beyond into 2026 following the disclosure that he is dealing with an uncommon neurological condition. .

He has returned before, however – "I believe music rescued my life... it provided me with a purpose to keep going," he states in the preview – and his supporters hope he might achieve that once more.

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