Tag Archives: music personality

Billy Joel: Long Island’s Own Music Man

William Martin “Billy” Joel was born on May 9, 1949, in the South Bronx, New York. The son of a Holocaust survivor from Germany, his family moved to Long Island soon after his birth. His parents later divorced and his father, Howard Joel, moved back to Eastern Europe. He has a half brother, Alexander Joel, who is an acclaimed European classical pianist. An intense love of music appears to have run in the family, and from an early age, Billy began piano lessons, drawn especially to classical music. This was fodder for much bullying and teasing in his formative years, … Continue reading →

Quincy Jones: A Musical Genius

Born March 14, 1933, on Chicago’s South Side, his family moved to a suburb of Seattle when he was ten years of age. Quincy Delight Jones, Jr’s love affair with musical expression began when he was in elementary school, and his choice to play the trumpet evolved only after he had tried every single instrument available to him in high school band. While barely in his teens, he befriended a local singer-pianist who was a bit older. His name was Ray Charles. The two worked together, forming a combo and performing at small clubs and local weddings. Known as “Q” … Continue reading →