On Wednesday night, Billy Joel performed his 100th show at the legendary New York City venue, Madison Square Garden. During the landmark performance at the “World’s Most Famous Arena”, Joel invited out another music legend, Bruce Springsteen, who lent a hand on takes of “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and “Born To Run”.
After debuting at the famed venue on December 14th, 1978, Billy Joel has become a staple of Madison Square Garden, consistently selling out the 20,000-person venue as part of his concert residency started in 2014, which finds the singer performing at least one show a month at MSG as long as there is continuing demand for his shows. During Wednesday night’s show, a banner commemorating Joel’s 100th show was raised up to the rafters, with the iconic musician and his family, crew, and fans celebrating the stunning achievement.
However, Wednesday night’s show was not the only time that Billy Joel was honored for his landmark achievement. Rather, earlier on July 18th, the State of New York proclaimed the day “Billy Joel Day,” with the venue and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo hosting a special press conference for the declaration.
In addition to words from Governor Cuomo, the executive chairman and CEO of the Madison Square Garden Company, James Dolan, also shared his thoughts during the daytime event, offering, “What Billy Joel has accomplished will quite possibly never be accomplished again by anyone in any of our lifetimes.” These kind words came ahead of Dolan announcing a public exhibit dedicated to Billy Joel, which will serve as a “fitting reminder of all you continue to mean to the Garden, to New York, and to music.”
During the ceremony, Billy Joel also shared his thoughts on the special recognition, emphasizing his New York roots and declaring that “I’m from New York. I was born in the Bronx, I grew up in Long Island, so this is my venue,” as he gestured to his surroundings. He also gave his heartfelt thanks to the friends and fans gathered for the ceremony, which included high-profile guests like actor Chazz Palminteri, making for a fitting celebration before Joel took the stage for his 100th show later in the evening.
You can watch a video recapping Billy Joel’s press conference on “Billy Joel Day” and the Piano Man’s 100th show at Madison Square Garden below.