Billy Joel Stable After L.I. Car Crash

SAG HARBOR, N.Y. - Singer Billy Joel (news) was in stable condition early Sunday after his car swerved off the road and struck a tree on Long Island, police said.

The accident occurred around 10:30 p.m. Saturday in Sag Harbor, when Joel lost control of his 2002 Mercedes Benz. The car swerved off the road and struck a tree, said police Chief Thomas Fabiano.

Joel was taken by ambulance to East Hampton Airport and then airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital, police said.

A hospital spokeswoman declined to comment on Joel's condition and said a news conference would be scheduled later in the morning to discuss the accident.

It was not immediately clear whether alcohol was involved, police said.

There were no passengers in the car, Fabiano said.

Shit...

O.K. he's already been released, so he's fine.

2 words ... "substance abuse"

So Billy and Elton were in Minnesota a couple of years back and the tickets which were priced at $175 sold so quickly that they added a second show which also sold out. I went to the show and it was kind of sad.

They are coming back again with top tickets priced at $200 this time and my sister was buying tickets and they weren't selling at all. She was on ticketmaster all morning yesterday and from 10:15 until 10:45 the same seats kept coming up and they VERY good seats. She just wanted to be on the other side of the arena so she could see Elton.

why lovemachine ... would u want to support their crack habits ... i would never do that ... i have morals and values ... i am the lawmaker ...

Hope he's okay

>They are coming back again with top tickets priced at $200 this time and my sister was buying tickets and they weren't selling at all. She was on ticketmaster all morning yesterday and from 10:15 until 10:45 the same seats kept coming up and they VERY good seats. She just wanted to be on the other side of the arena so she could see Elton.<

I was trying to get tickets for their concert in North Carolina in March and I could only get seats behind the stage. Of course, I wasn't willing to pay for more than a "cheap seat" so there ya go... I'm not sure how many $185 seats are left.

I don't personally see this concert being sad though. I saw Billy solo in 2000 and it was great show, and Elton back in '98 and it was great too. Granted, neither has the voice they used to have, but they still put on a great show.

jtgillia said:

Besides voice issus one of the reasons I thought it was sad is because they were both so fat and out of shape that when they tried to jump up on the pianos it was EXTREMELY sad and embarrassing for them; paticularly Elton.

Last I heard Billy lost a lot of weight and was in good shape again, doing a lot of stuff in concert that he hadn't done in years- this was back in October of last year.

But definitely Elton should work on getting back in shape. Although, he has a history of ebbing and flowing in the weight department all over the course of his career, so this is not just a recent thing really.

Anyhow, I don't think that reflects on the music so much, per se.

Is there much damage to the car?

SpiritChild said:

Lol!

hope He is alright because He has been through alot of stuff.

I love Billy and am glad he's OK, but he really needs to lay off the booze.

Sometimes I wonder what the reason is behind not making pop music anymore. Billy hasn't had an album since 1993, and I wonder if he had kept at it if that would have affected things that have happened in the last few years? Ever since he left pop music, he has become an alcoholic and had bouts with depression...

lovemachine said:

Why? When they came around in 01, Billy was fantastic - it was Elton who sucked. What a disappointment.

I'm definitely going to see them, or at least Billy, when he hits the west coast again.

I think they're both great... why blast anyone just 4 aging! C'mon peeps, u should b well aware of what u're getting in2 when u go 2 see these shows.

They r legends, both "piano men" and both with a set list that could extend the show 2 beyond six hours, and still not sing all their hits!

I'd love 2 see them... lucky fuckers!

Side Note: Fucking cunt Christie Brinkley using this accident as a launch pad against him in court... it has already been ruled that no drugs or alcohol were present in his system, from the hospital itself!

Christie Brinkley

But c'mon June, if you had seen their Face to Face tours, you would understand.

That's just the thing... I haven't seen it. I'd still see it if it came 'round my way.

I'm a lover of both their music... got countless albums by both of 'em. People age, people change... the music and the musician remain the same; look at it like this.

Would u stop going 2 see a friend just because he's gotten older? Or, just because he doesn't look the same, or talks with a stutter? Same thing. I'd go just 4 the memories.

June, I understand you, but a lot of people go to see a show, and when EJ/BJ started up the F2F tours again it had been a good number of years since they had toured together. People were expecting the old shit, which they didn't get.

For me, I had never seen them before, and nearly shit myself during the concert. I was far more impressed with Billy Joel than with Elton, as he was more energetic, both with his body and his voice. Maybe Elton's past lifestyle is beginning to catch up with him, I dunno.

Then again, I've always been a bigger fan of BJ...

Natsume said:

I've always been a pretty big fan of a good ol BJ!!!

Natsume said:

My sister's love for Elton is as deep as my love for Prince.. When I saw the show I thought Billy was much better then Elton, but she couldn't disagree more.

I think studio-wise, Elton probably has a richer and more varied back catalog than Billy. But that's mostly because he has put out twice the amount of albums that Billy has. Although, Billy was very few duds amongst all of his work...

However, onstage in the last 10 years or so, Billy is a better live performer than Elton. Though their piano skills are comparable, Billy has a slightly stronger voice and is much more energetic.

lovemachine said:

makes sense!

goddamn shift key is broken...
[This message was edited Wed Jan 29 10:19:25 PST 2003 by Natsume]