He watches: Our favorite Billy Joel moments on his birthday
Billy Joel’s historic monthly residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City will end next year.
It was announced Thursday that Joel’s July 2024 show, the 150th concert of his career at the iconic venue, will be his last residency.
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The first of Joel’s final ten shows at Madison Square Garden is set for October 20, 2023.
“I’m kind of surprised it lasted as long as it did,” Joel told reporters at a news conference where he announced the news. “My team told me we could keep selling tickets, but 10 years, 150 shows – it’s all right already!”
Joel also recalled the first time he played at Madison Square Garden on December 14, 1978, describing it as “the high point of my career.”
Since his residency began a decade ago, Joel has sold more than 1.6 million tickets.
The “Uptown Girl” singer has been joined by a number of famous faces on some of his past shows, most notably Bruce Springsteen in 2018 and Olivia Rodrigo in 2022.
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“The Billy Joel franchise has made history — not only in Madison Square Garden, but also for the music industry in general,” Dolan, CEO and CEO of MSG Entertainment, said in a press release. Sold out 150 performances for a lifetime is an impressive achievement, and speaks to Billy’s extraordinary talent, beloved catalog, and dedicated fanbase.
Dolan added that Joel “always has a home here at MSG”.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams also issued a statement with the press release, saying, “There is one thing more to New York than Billy Joel — and that’s Billy Joel’s concert at MSG. 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 series of sold-out shows at MSG, and thank you for a lifetime of bringing joy to all of us.”
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