Billy Joel is the ultimate American "Piano Man," with more singles under his belt than keys on a piano. The Bronx-born, Long Island-bred singer/songwriter decided to pursue a musical career after seeing the Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 and soon after joined the Echoes, a Long Island British Invasion cover band. Joel dropped out of high school and began playing performing sessions while still part of the Echoes in 1965, eventually playing piano on several of producer George "Shadow" Morton recordings, including the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack." After switching names to the Lost Souls, Joel's group disbanded and he and the band's former drummer formed Attila, which broke up when their Epic-released debut bombed.Joel endured a period of depression before returning to music in 1971 and signed a deal with Family Productions (which was for life, as Joel would later learn when the label received royalties well into the late ‘80s,) who released Cold Spring Harbor that year. 1973 found Joel married (to Elizabeth Weber), enrolled in grad school at UCLA and signing as a pianist with Columbia, who released Piano Man that year. The title song of the album referenced his time spent the previous year playing lounge piano at the Executive Room. Joel released Streetlife Serenade the following year and soon relocated to New York after signing with Caribou, which released his 1976 album Turnstiles, host of hits "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" and "New York State of Mind." Joel's wife became his manager and under her guidance he released the album that truly made him a star, 1997's The Stranger, featuring double Grammy-winner "Just the Way You Are," among other hit singles. 52nd Street followed with "My Life" and "Big Shot" and earned Album of the Year. The new wave Glass Houses came next and a string of subsequent albums, marriages, divorces, tours and awards followed for the perpetual pop star.