American singer and ‘Piano Man’ Billy Joel is set to conclude his “extraordinary” Madison Square Garden residency with his 150th lifetime show.
Joel, MSG CEO James Dolan, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams were at a press conference at the venue when the announcement was made, with Dolan taking to the stage to share that the first of the star’s final ten concert will take place in October 2023, with the final one scheduled for July 2024.
“What Billy Joel has accomplished is extraordinary,” Dolan said. “Although the residency is coming to an end, we look forward to an exciting closing run to celebrate all that you have accomplished and forever welcoming you back home to the garden anytime, anytime you like.”
An MSG Entertainment representative went on to discuss Joel’s time at the venue – with the singer having headlined over 60 times more than any other artist, and having sold more than 1.6 million tickets – before a video tribute was played in his honour, prompting another round of tears from him.
In the wake of the announcement, Joel went on to offer his own words, telling the crowd, “Madison Square Garden is more than just our office, it’s our home.
“I’m kinda flabbergasted it lasted as long as it did.
“It’s hard to end – even 150 lifetime shows, but as I said, we’re not abandoning New York, we’re just spending a bit more time someplace else.”
Reportedly, Joel’s team had advised him that the show could have gone on, but he had reached the decision that it was time to bring it to a close.
“It keeps selling, people keep coming, people keep buying tickets,” he said, “[but] I’m now 74, seems like a nice number to just [say] ‘okay’.”
And as Mayor Adams went on to share, Joel’s music wasn’t going anywhere, even if the residency was moving on.
“There’s only one thing that’s more New York than Billy Joel – and that’s a Billy Joel concert at MSG,” he said. “For more than 50 years, Billy’s music has defined our city and brought us together.
“On behalf of 8.5 million New Yorkers, congratulations, Billy, on a historic run of sold-out shows at MSG, and thank you for a lifetime of bringing joy to us all.”
When the news broke on social media, fans were sad to know the performances would be over, but wasted no time in congratulating him for a job well done, and thanking him for sharing his music with the world.
“All good things must come to a end,” one wrote, “congratulations on this amazing run and thank you for some special memories”.
“OMG I hope to see one of your shows by then,” another shared. “You give great concerts. That final performance there will be such a heartfelt sadness for all your fans who just love hearing and seeing you perform. Billy Joel, you are amazing and loved.”
And as one other told the beloved Piano Man, “incredible! Congratulations and thank you for sharing your beautiful creativity with us. You’ve entertained, soothed and made us think. All the best!!”
Images: Getty
This article first appeared on Over60.