Billy Joel Two-Part Documentary Sets HBO Debut
Billy Joel fans should all get in the mood for two long nights with the piano man in July.
HBO has set the premiere dates for its two-part original documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes. Part one will air on Friday, July 18, followed by part two a week later on Friday, July 25. Each part will debut on HBO, and streaming service HBO Max, at 8 p.m. ET/PT and run for roughly two-and-a-half hours, with the full exploration of the iconic musician clocking in at nearly five hours.
Billy Joel: And So It Goes, directed and produced by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, premiered its first part at the 2025 Tribeca Festival, but Joel himself was unable to attend the opening night screening, announcing just the week before the event that he had been diagnosed with brain disorder normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), leading him to cancel his upcoming concerts and prompting concern from fans.
Still, the directors and producers of the film indicated there’s no reason to be too worried about the beloved performer.
“He’s going to be fine,” Lacy told The Hollywood Reporter before the doc’s Tribeca Festival premiere. “He just needs to recover. He needs to do the physical therapy, which he’s doing — the doctors were telling him yesterday he’ll be fine.”
Lacy and Levin added, “He’ll be back,” sharing a message from the performer in their opening remarks before the screening in which he made light of his condition, showing his sense of humor is still intact.
“Getting old sucks, but it’s still preferable to getting cremated,” Joel said via a message read by Lacy onstage.
Joel’s longtime lighting director and And So it Goes executive producer Steve Cohen shared that he spoke to Joel the day of the premiere.
“He’s doing great. He’s working on his healing and recovery,” Cohen told THR before Wednesday night’s premiere. “He’s bright; he’s happy; he’s thrilled for us. He called me and said, ‘I’m so proud of the work you’ve done. I didn’t expect you to get there,’ and just great stuff. He’s a good guy, that’s what he is. I think he’s going to be spending time with the family. He’s going to be doing what he needs to do to heal from this condition and the prognosis is good. At least he’s happy. He’s my boss; he’s my collaborator. At the end of the day, he’s my best friend and I don’t give a shit about anything else except him being healthy and enjoying this part of his life. We have done everything. He has climbed the highest mountain. He’s accomplished anything anyone could ever want.”
The film offers an expansive look at Joel’s life and work, featuring exclusive, in-depth interviews with the artist as well as access to never-before-seen performances, home movies and personal photos.
In addition to interviews with Joel, the doc includes interviews with friend and former collaborator Jon Small, ex-wives Elizabeth Weber (who also served as Joel’s manager), Christie Brinkley and Katie Lee, daughter Alexa Ray Joel, wife Alexis Roderick Joel, members of his band and fellow musicians including Bruce Springsteen, Sting, John Mellencamp, Nas, Pink, Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney.
Billy Joel: And So It Goes is producerd by Emma Pildes and executive produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman through their Playtone banner as well as Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner through their Hazy Mills banner. Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller and Sara Rodriguez executive produce for HBO.
Here’s the official synopsis from HBO: “Billy Joel: And So It Goes is an expansive portrait of Billy Joel, the six-time Grammy-winning, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer from Long Island, New York. With unprecedented access to never-before-seen performances, home movies and personal photographs, along with intimate one-on-one interviews, the documentary explores the life and work of the singer-songwriter whose music has not only endured but soared across generations. The two-part film is crafted around in-depth, exclusive interviews with Joel, illuminating the key moments that forged his character and the events and muses that inspired his music for more than six decades. Exploring revelatory new territory and enriched by dynamic video and performance clips from Joel’s musical oeuvre, many never before seen, the documentary gives a window into his process and chronicles his monumental successes, while diving into the hidden complexities of his life. From his childhood on Long Island, shaped by the absence of his father, to his first bands, the women he loved and the colleagues and collaborators who both supported and betrayed him, Joel’s decades of songwriting mirror his rich, complicated autobiography. Sharing origin stories about such chart hits as “Just the Way You Are,” an ode to his first love, and “Uptown Girl,” famously about second wife Christie Brinkley, the film points to the close symbiosis between his life and art, revealing the music that transformed his career, sculpted his legacy and saved his life.”
More detailed descriptions of each part, provided by HBO, follow.
Part One: “Joel admits to being a work in progress as he heads towards his eighth decade and looks back on a childhood as the son of working-class parents on Long Island, the loss he felt at the age of eight when his father left the home, and his entry into the business of music. Acknowledging the mistakes he made along the way, Joel put everything he lived through into his music. As he went from keyboard player in local bands to striking out on his own, he discusses the love affair and first marriage with Elizabeth Weber that became the fuel for his early songwriting hits, such as “Just the Way You Are” and “She’s Always a Woman.” His collaborators and peers thoughtfully illuminate his musical gifts, and Joel delves into the business deal he made that led to the writing of “Piano Man.” After signing with Columbia Records, Joel’s career took off and years of hits and record-breaking tours followed, as he continued to channel his personal experiences into his music. While he chafed against the critical response to his music, struggled with his relationship to alcohol, and navigated a complicated personal life, a near fatal motorcycle accident impacted his ability to play piano and left his future unclear. How would he rebuild his career and move forward with his life?”
Part Two: “With his eighth studio album The Nylon Curtain, Joel changed his musical focus by reflecting the grit and aspirations of the Everyman with songs such as “Allentown” and “Goodnight Saigon.” Joel recounts his complicated reunion with his long absent father and discovers the secret story of how his Jewish grandparents survived Nazi Germany which he distilled into his philosophical ballad “Vienna.” Recovering from years on the road, Joel vacations in St. Barths where he meets his future wife, supermodel Christie Brinkley, who would become the mother of his first child and the inspiration behind the hit “Uptown Girl.” Dedicated to his craft, but uneasy with fame and the spotlight, Joel persevered through romantic and professional setbacks, choosing to reinvent himself time and time again. With the support of wife Alexis Roderick Joel and their children, and through his collaboration with Elton John, a return to his classical roots and his historic residency at Madison Square Garden, he continues to find a safe space in his music.”
