The Recording Industry Association of America ranks Billy Joel as the third
best-selling solo act of all time (behind Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley)
with classic songs Uptown Girl, Just The Way You Are and New York State Of Mind.
The son of a classical pianist, he initially rebelled, becoming a successful
amateur boxer but, inspired by The Beatles, opted for music instead and joined
covers band Echoes. He played on the Shangri-Las' classic Leader of the Pack
and, using the stage name Bill Martin, got a job playing in a bar, the subject
of his 1973 debut single Piano Man when ...