Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Elina (class of 2029) and features a biography of Billy Joel. Thanks, Elina!
Billy Joel: The Definitive Biography by Fred Schruers
Billy Joel is one of those artists, whose music has shaped many lives for over five decades, but how much do you actually know about the man behind hits like “Piano Man”, “Vienna” and “We Didn’t Start the Fire”. This book by Fred Schruers is a biography of Billy Joel, and it provides an answer to that exact question. It was written with Joel’s cooperation and tells a story about the career that took him from a rough childhood in Long Island to becoming a global superstar. What makes this book even better is the fact that it doesn’t hide the ugly sides of the story, the failed marriages, financial problems, battles with addiction and creative doubts that overtook even the biggest hits.
It’s worth picking up this biography because the author manages to capture Joel’s voice perfectly, so as a reader you can not only find out about his accomplishments but also find out why he walked away from music more than once. For longtime fans, this book is a way to finally connect the dots between the songs and the inspirations behind them. And for newcomers, it shows that behind the man who wrote all of the iconic songs, there’s also a person who is much more complicated than he seems.
Be sure to pick up Billy Joel: The Definitive Biography by Fred Schruers at Parsons Music Library!