Update (1/8): We’ve got more news on SiriusXM’s limited run Billy Joel Channel: it will premiere on January 15 and run through February 14 on Channel 18.
Joel himself will host four weekly shows and feature the Piano Man playing recordings that influenced his own work including songs by The Beatles, The Four Seasons, Beethoven, Procol Harum, plus doo wop hits, movie themes and more. Joel will host while sitting behind the piano and perform snippets of the songs that impacted his repertoire.
The channel will also include special guest DJ sessions, “Billy Joel Top Ten”, hosted by Joel’s friends, including Garth Brooks and Don Henley playing their favorite Billy Joel songs.
Billy Joel was in a celebratory mood when he appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday night (January 6th). There’s plenty for the Piano Man to be glad about.
Joel announced that his Billy Joel Channel would be returning to SiriusXM on January 15th and it won’t just be his music that you’ll hear: “BJ the DJ,” Joel said proudly. He reminisced about listening to legendary New York rock station WNEW-FM as both a fan and as a musician and briefly imitated the station’s Scott Muni.
In addition, Fallon shared that the classic rock legend will be extending his record run at New York’s Madison Square Garden with a new date set for July 20th, his 31st, which will presumably sell-out just like all the others have. The newest performance isn’t on sale yet but tickets to Billy Joel’s other U.S. dates are available here. (You can read Best Classic Bands’ review of his May 2015 concert at MSG here.)
The two performed together and, for kicks, chose The Rolling Stones’ “Beast of Burden” with Fallon in the role of the prancing, finger-waving Mick Jagger.
Joel invited Fallon to appear with his band onstage at the Garden on Thursday night and the host eagerly took him up on the offer. During a commercial break – and thus unseen by the TV audience – Joel, Fallon, house band The Roots and actor J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) performed Joel’s doo wop-inspired “The Longest Time.”
The evening’s highlight? Joel and his band closed the program with one of his signature songs, “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant.”
