After stepping away from performing to focus on his health, singer-songwriter Billy Joel says he has stopped writing new songs.
The 77-year-old appeared at a charity concert in March after he publicly announced his health battle. While Joel and his family remain optimistic about his health and recovery, he confirms that he won’t produce any new songs.
Billy Joel Explains His Tough Choice to Walk Away From Songwriting
As passionate as Billy Joel feels about music, he doesn’t want fans to hold out hope for new songs.
“When I got to the end of writing ‘River of Dreams,’ I felt like I was done,” Joel told Rick Beato in a recent interview. “I was married, I had a child, I didn’t want to lock myself in a cave and devote myself like a monk to writing anymore. I had done it 12 times and I thought, ‘You know what? The Beatles had 12 albums.’ And that was just enough for me.”
He went on to say that he’s seen many talented songwriters pump out too many songs and lose their luster.
“Maybe they’re not as good as they used to be or they’re not as motivated as they were, but it ends up trailing off. I didn’t want to go like that,” the singer continued. “It’s not easy to do. Saying no sometimes is really hard to do.”
Billy Joel walked away from writing pop music, but he never stopped creating.
“I did a whole album of classical piano pieces after that. That’s where I wanted to go,” Joel continued, explaining that he needed to get it out of his system. “I didn’t want to just keep beating a dead horse and being played because I was Billy Joel. I wanted it to be good, and I recognized that I didn’t have the same motivation that I used to have so I said, ‘Stop. Don’t kill it.’”
The Music Legend Focuses on His Family Amid His Recovery
While speaking to Rick Beato, Billy Joel revealed a much younger songwriter recently asked to pick his brain.
“I go, ‘Well you’re gonna have to fix it because I can’t do it anymore. You better learn how to stop songwriting because it’s gonna drive you crazy. You’ll go insane,’” Joel recalled. “You get to a point you can’t do it anymore. You’ve tapped it out, you reached such a high level that you can’t stand not reaching that level anymore and you hate yourself. You beat yourself up, and I didn’t want to put myself through that anymore.”
As the 77-year-old continues to create in his own time, he’s also enjoying being a father to his three daughters. He shares his oldest, Alexa Ray Joel, with his ex-wife, Christie Brinkley. Joel later married Alexis Roderick and welcomed two children with her, Della Rose, 10, and Remy Anne, 8.
The “Piano Man” singer often posts about his daughters on social media, celebrating their accomplishments.
For now, Billy Joel is recovering after being diagnosed with a brain condition, NPH. Fans wish the Joel family all the best in the coming years.
