Billy Joel's Incredible Career in Photos

Joel is most known for his work as a solo artist, but he has played in several bands as well. The first band he joined was a British Invasion cover group called the Echoes at the age of 16. He then joined the Long Island band The Hassles in 1967, before leaving the group with drummer Jon Small to make the duo band Attila.

Attila only lasted about a year, and ended in 1970 soon after releasing a self-titled debut album because Joel had an affair with Small's wife Elizabeth. Joel and Elizabeth later got married in 1973 and divorced later in 1982.

Joel looking incredibly '70s in a mullet and mustache in this riverside portrait. He released his first album Cold Spring Harbor through the Family Productions record label. The album wasn't a smash-hit but some of Joe's live shows to promote it in Fall of 1971 were very well-received, including his performance at the Mar y Sol Pop Festival in Puerto Rico.

Joel had a radio break in 1972 when his single "Captain Jack" gained attention, and subsequently got him signed to Columbia Records. After moving to Los Angeles, he played piano for a few months at the bar The Executive Room on Wilshire Blvd, and composed one of his most lasting songs "Piano Man" about its staff and regulars.

While Joel had a new Columbia contract, the release of his new album was getting made difficult by his old label Family Productions. Eventually, Joel was fully bought out, and then-President of Columbia Walter Yenkitoff even bought back the rights to Joel's old songs with Family Productions and gave them to the singer as a birthday gift.

Joel's next two album Piano Man and Streetlife Serenade weren't national smash hits like what would follo, and received some mixed critical reviews upon first release, but these still contain songs that are essential listening for any fan.

Joel performing at nightclub The Bottom Line in NYC's Greenwich Village neighborhood. The singer eventually tired of L.A. life and made his way back to New York City in 1975. He recorded the album Turnstiles soon after returning home, which contains the hit pop song "New York State of Mind" which has been covered by some of the best singers of all time including Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra and Elton John.

Joel has had several rotating bands over the years, but worked extensively with (L-R) Liberty DeVito, Doug Stegmeyer and Richie Cannata to produce his early music and accompany him on tour. Several of these past band members reunited when they were inducted into the 2014 Long Island Music Hall of Fame, besides Stegmeyer, who passed away in 1995.

Joel's 1977 album definitely put him on the map in a major way after several great but less-successful projects. It was the first record produced by Phil Ramone, who he would collaborate with five more times on incredible albums, and contained massive Joel hits like "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant", "Only The Good Die Young" and "Vienna". Its song "Just The Way You Are" won Joel his first two Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year as well.

Joel gave his first SNL musical performance for the third season of the variety show. He has done this iconic gig three other times, in 1981, 1989, and 1993.

Joel wrote the song "Uptown Girl" about girlfriend Elle MacPhearson, and he had begun dating model Christie Brinkley when they filmed a music video for the hit single. Joel and Brinkley would be married from 1985 to 1994 and have one daughter, the musician Alexa Ray Joel.

That's right, Joel wasn't just sitting on a motorcycle for show in that music video. The star has been an avid motorbike rider since a young age. Even though he had suffered a serious accident in 1982 that badly injured his hands and delayed production of his album The Nylon Curtain, Joel still loves riding to this day.

Security hauls a screaming Billy Joel fan offstage as the singer continues to croon for his San Francisco show.

Joel wasn't the first pop artist to tour Russia, but it was certainly one of the biggest concert productions in the history of the Soviet Union. He was also being filmed by a video crew for the entire tour to offset its huge costs. The stress of this tour and production led to some outbursts by Joel during a Moscow concert, including in frustration from the camera crew shining lights in the crowd, and the fact that some concertgoers did not seem initially enthusiastic.

Joel had a rare acting role as the voice of Dodger, a main role in Oliver & Company, the animated musical retelling of the classic novel Oliver Twist. You can hear Joel's pipes clear as day in Dodger's signature song "Why Should I Worry?"

Joel decided to go back and finish up the paperwork and become a high school graduate in 1992. Here he is at Hicksville High in a gown. He was only one English credit shy of the diploma, but just simply hadn't been showing up for classes or exams because of his music commitments.

Joel had just been inducted into this Hall of Fame the year before, and Charles was being honored with the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award. Joel considered Charles a personal hero and musical idol of his, and his oldest daughter's middle name is Ray in honor of Charles.