I Sort of Have a Connection to Billy Joel

OK not really, but here's something you may find interesting, especially if you live in the Albany region.

I know many bar owners in Troy, and after they all confirmed that yes, this is indeed true, I figured I'd tell the story.

The song Piano Man is about Billy Joel playing under an assumed name early in his career because his record company was raping him for his performances, so he played in skeezy bars. He was a regular performer at the Henry Hudson Hotel, which was on Broadway in Troy, NY, near Monument Square. (Currently the building is vacant.) That was the bar in the song.

The people he sings about are also real, as these bar owners I spoke with know many of them, because they're still sitting in these skeezy bars. The only guy I know is Paul, the real estate novelist. He's a black guy who wears cowboy hats, and while he never had time for a wife, I can tell you he has plenty of time for Old Grand Dad.

I was also informed that Billy is kind of an asshole.