Photo: Ultimate Classic Rock
Piano Man, a forthcoming biopic about the legendary musician Billy Joel, is in production at Michael Jai White’s Jaigantic Studio, but the “Piano Man” himself will not be involved with it. A representative for Billy Joel explained that no rights in music, name, likeness, or life story would be granted to the production.
However, the studio’s representative explained that the story “focuses on the first stage of Mr. Joel’s career; therefore, our music needs are still being determined.”
Variety, who first broke the news, reported that the film by Adam Ripp (Gambit, Devil’s Whisper) shows Irwin Mazur discovering Joel up to his breakthrough performance in 1972 that caught the attention of Clive Davis.
Jaigantic acquired rights to Mazur’s story, who represented Joel from 1970-1972, just a bit before Piano Man was released in 1973. Mazur also managed the band that Joel was briefly a part of as a teenager called The Hassles.
On the other hand, director Ripp’s father Artie Ripp signed Joel to his first record deal as a solo artist and produced his debut album, Cold Spring Harbor.
Ripp told EW, “If Billy Joel didn’t have Irwin Mazur, Elizabeth Weber, and Artie Ripp, the world would not have the Piano Man. And who the hell wants to live in a world without the Piano Man. Piano Man will feature some of the very best music Billy Joel performed and recorded from 1966 to 1972.”
Joel is considered one of the best-selling artists of all time, with over 160 million records sold worldwide. He has also received five Grammy awards and was nominated 23 times. Joel remains active to this day, with several stadium concerts and appearances at Madison Square Garden.Piano Man will be produced by producers White, Mayne Berke, Donovan de Boer, Mazur, and Ripp at Jaigantic Studios. There is no news yet on casting and pre-production.
