Billy Joel surprises Manhattan pedicab driver playing 'New York State of Mind'
Billy Joel, pictured here performing earlier this year at Mohegan Sun Arena in Montville, Conn., had a memorable encounter with a Manhattan pedicab driver. Credit: Myrna M. Suarez
Billy Joel still likes to get away, according to his Instagram page, which posted a video of him visiting Manhattan and chatting with surprised fans.
Though he likely didn’t take a Greyhound bus from his home in Florida, Joel can be seen pulling up in a vehicle next to a pedicab driver who is blasting his 1976 anthem, "New York State of Mind."
"Next time," says the cabbie, gesturing to the two women he’s pulling and clearly not recognizing the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter. Then, realizing he's speaking to the Piano Man himself, he exclaims "Oh!" and reaches out for a handshake. "You see they are playing you, man," the cabbie says, smiling. One passenger, a woman with silver hair and a black floral-print dress, leans forward to ask, "How are you feeling?"
In a video taken from another angle, Joel’s vehicle has stopped to allow the cabbie and the two women to take selfies with him. Off-camera, a man’s voice can be heard marveling, "It’s him!"
Joel, 76, has been off the road since May, when he announced his diagnosis with a rare brain disorder, but has nevertheless managed to remain in the headlines. In June, his longtime friend Howard Stern announced on his SiriusXM radio show that Joel had asked him to tell fans, "I’m not dying." On July 18, HBO released the first part of a five-hour documentary on the singer, "Billy Joel: And So It Goes." This past Monday, Joel appeared on the podcast "Club Random with Bill Maher," where he said he felt "fine" but complained of balance issues.
Also posted to Joel’s Instagram page was the cover of the upcoming Aug. 4 issue of People magazine featuring Joel with the headline "Secrets of a Rock Legend."
Most Popular
Top Stories
