Billy Joel draws curtain on historic Madison Square Garden residency with his two daughters
26 July 2024, 14:17 | Updated: 31 July 2024, 11:05
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It's been a historic run of shows.
One hundred and fifty shows to be precise, so Billy Joel's final concert of his ten-year residency at Madison Square Garden feels like the end of an era.
He holds the record for an artist in terms of the number of times he's performed at the iconic New York City venue.
And it's highly unlikely there will ever be another artist on the face of the planet that will break Joel's record, given his relationship with the venue and the city.
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Billy's long-time friend Jimmy Fallon even brought out a banner honouring the 'Uptown Girl' legend for the record he's set.
For his emotional final show, Billy turned it into a truly family affair, however, inviting his two gorgeous daughters on stage with him.
There was a swathe of special guests in the crowd including former POTUS Bill Clinton, actor Paul Rudd, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
But the real superstars were on stage throughout the night, including Joel's eight-year-old daughter Della, and six-year-old daughter Remy.
Both dressed to the nines in spangly pink and burgundy dresses, the pair sat next to their dad while he played behind the piano.
Della even took her chance in the spotlight, belting out vocals herself as her father beamed with pride.
Performing 'My Life', it was the unscripted happening with his daughters running out on stage which brought one of the evening's most memorable moments.
Joel shares his daughters Della and Remy with his fourth wife, Alexis Roderick, who he married in 2015.
The 'New York State Of Mind' singer also has another older daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, with his ex-wife Christie Brinkley.
Throughout the evening, Joel performed a whole host of his classic tracks like 'An Innocent Man', 'Only The Good Die Young', 'Movin' Out', 'Piano Man' and 'It's Still Rock And Roll To Me'.
But there was a particular handful of songs where he brought out yet another special guest to mark the occasion.
Billy's ten-year residency at Madison Square Garden started back in January 2014, and he has played one concert there every month since.
Over the years, he has invited an illustrious list of stars and close friends to accompany him on stage.
The likes of Sting, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Miley Cyrus, Tony Bennett, John Fogerty, John Mayer, Olivia Rodrigo, and even Kevin Bacon have all duetted with Joel.
Tonight, he brought on Guns N' Roses' notorious, shrieking rock 'n' roller Axl Rose for a cover of Paul McCartney's 'Live And Let Die', and AC/DC's 'Highway To Hell' which got the concert venue bouncing.
It was an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime performance with Joel's miraculous residency now coming to a close.
His celebrity friends were quick to congratulate Billy even if they weren't able to attend the concert in person, including Céline Dion.
The 'My Heart Will Go On' icon posted a heartfelt message of appreciation on her Instagram once Joel's show at ended.
"Congratulations to my long-time friend Billy Joel on closing out your historic 10-year residency today at New York City’s Madison Square Garden (a venue that is also near and dear to my heart)."
"You have us in a 'New York State of Mind', she wrote next to a black-and-white picture of the pair from years ago before signing off "Celine xx…"
I'm sure now Joel can put his feet up after a decade of incredible concerts, and will be cheering Céline on when she makes her return to the stage.
