I cant believe i missed this qoute but i stumbled on it last night and its from his "my lives" box set but he said it back in 1994 when he left "pop music". He spoke about how and why he does music in the first place. "When i make music, im not thinking about fans, radio or the record company, im thinking, what do i want to hear, what do i want to do". I know its been said by artists before, but it seems that no one in the "mainstream" in last decade has really lived by that notion.

lastdecember said:

Billy Joel is amazing. While I love his music, he is VERY smart. He is someone who could teach a history or world events class, REALLY well. This man knows his politics. He would probably also be great as a philosphy professor. Have you heard his interview discs? WOW. They make you wish, with every album, he would have a separate disc of just him TALKING. He is also VERY funny. His personality is tops in my book. (Plus his taste in women!)

That being said, this quote is so true. As any artist will tell you, they should ASPIRE to do that, and probably do feel that way AT THE START of their quest. However, once they get picked up by a big label, music is such a business these days, they probably lose that ideal along the way.

If only more people lived what Billy Joel was talking about. A shame...

I also liked his speech at his induction ceremony into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.

I tried to include the video, but the damn thing keeps stopping at 2:48.

Anyway, he had some great things to say about how and where he got soul.

Perhaps someone else can find a video that works all the way through...

While I don't care for his music, the drunk man is talented and of course he's right, but he's from a different era and climate.

The reality is artists like him exist, but the industry isn't having that.

They've come up with all their different packages and all they want is a new young body to drop into the kit.