{"id":2504247,"date":"2026-07-16T08:02:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T08:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2504247"},"modified":"2026-07-16T08:02:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T08:02:18","slug":"billy-joel-says-aging-musicians-who-keep-making-records-past-their-prime-dilute-their-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/billy-joel-says-aging-musicians-who-keep-making-records-past-their-prime-dilute-their-legacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Billy Joel says aging musicians who keep making records past their prime &#8216;dilute their legacy&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\" data-body-type=\"bodyblocks\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Billy Joel believes in leaving on a high note.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The five-time <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Grammy winner;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.com\/category\/entertainment\/events\/grammys\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Grammy winner<\/a> said he stopped writing music after his 1993 album &#8220;River of Dreams&#8221; because he felt like &#8220;I was done.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I didn&#8217;t want to lock myself in a cave and devote myself like a monk to writing anymore. I had done it 12 times,&#8221; he <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:told;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Q1Bebf3Y2rk\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">told<\/a> music producer Rick Beato in an interview posted to YouTube on Monday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The &#8220;Uptown Girl&#8221; singer added that he also had a wife, ex Christie Brinkley, and a young daughter \u2014 his oldest, Alexa \u2014 at the time. Joel and Brinkley divorced in 1994.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Ringo Starr Reveals The One Humble Ritual The Beatles Refused To Quit Even At The Height Of Fame;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.com\/entertainment\/ringo-starr-reveals-one-humble-ritual-beatles-refused-quit-even-height-fame\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Ringo Starr Reveals The One Humble Ritual The Beatles Refused To Quit Even At The Height Of Fame<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Billy Joel performs on stage at Madison Square Garden.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/622684ea138eed2418ca482509a5a8141cd6a0e58604b6945aa0b1d5eddd0479\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w960;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Ffox_news_text_979%2Ff57f8344c5614d28ec07f818d7879f11\"\/><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><\/span><\/div>\n<p>Billy Joel claimed that aging artists sometimes taint their legacy by writing mediocre music.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He said he realized <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:the Beatles;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/travel\/paul-mccartney-reveals-happy-teen-hitchhiking-trip-george-harrison-delivered-shock\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">the Beatles<\/a> made 12 albums and &#8220;that was just enough for me.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Read On The Fox News App;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS\/mvaj7wvj\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Read On The Fox News App<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;And I decided I was not going to do it anymore because I&#8217;ve heard artists who keep putting out records and they really\u2026 they dilute their legacy,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Maybe they&#8217;re not as good as they used to be, or they&#8217;re not as motivated as they were, but it ends up trailing off. I didn&#8217;t want to go like that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The &#8220;Piano Man&#8221; singer didn&#8217;t name any of the aging artists he had in mind.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Like What You're Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Like What You&#8217;re Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Billy Joel performs onstage at Tokyo Dome.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/28f76d87ba9f3bb6b4ac44aeb8ab346fe262aeb7c463a1178f4d5a278145e13e\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w960;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Ffox_news_text_979%2F604642f87262884e38730ed2a199c110\"\/><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><\/span><\/div>\n<p>Billy Joel is seen performing in 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He admitted that &#8220;it&#8217;s not easy to do&#8221; after Beato said he respected his decision to let his past music stand for itself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/newsletters\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Billy Joel performs on stage at Allegiant Stadium.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/3c6ea6d8a1d54c7468d90e60c87c9853f6a00b69ffefc0ce5bb9cabbfe70f423\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w960;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Ffox_news_text_979%2Fae576753cccd9103b7436d648c34bfa9\"\/><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><\/span><\/div>\n<p>Billy Joel said he didn&#8217;t want to muddle his legacy with subpar music.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Saying &#8216;no&#8217; sometimes is really hard to do,&#8221; he said, adding that, however, he did do an album of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:classical piano pieces;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.com\/category\/entertainment\/genres\/classical\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">classical piano pieces<\/a> afterward.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;That&#8217;s where I wanted to go. I was ready to do that,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t want to just keep beating a dead horse and keep being played because I was Billy Joel. I wanted it to be good, and I recognized that I didn&#8217;t have the same motivation I used to have, so I said, &#8216;Stop. Don&#8217;t kill it.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Click Here To Download The Fox News App;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Click Here To Download The Fox News App<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Original article source: <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Billy Joel says aging musicians who keep making records past their prime 'dilute their legacy';elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\/billy-joel-says-aging-musicians-keep-making-records-past-prime-dilute-legacy\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Billy Joel says aging musicians who keep making records past their prime &#8216;dilute their legacy&#8217;<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Billy Joel believes in leaving on a high note. The five-time Grammy winner said he stopped writing music after his 1993 album &#8220;River of Dreams&#8221; because he felt like &#8220;I was done.&#8221; &#8220;I didn&#8217;t want to lock myself in a cave and devote myself like a monk to writing anymore. I had done it 12 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2504248,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25173],"tags":[309195,397739,493515],"class_list":["post-2504247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists","tag-billy-joel","tag-christie-brinkley","tag-rick-beato"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Billy-Joel-says-aging-musicians-who-keep-making-records-past.com2Fen2Ffox_news_text_9792Ff57f8344c5614d28ec07f818d7879f11.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2504247"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2504249,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504247\/revisions\/2504249"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2504248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2504247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2504247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2504247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}