I used to work as a counselor at Hicksville High School for a year during 1977. I used to find old baseballs laying around and sign Billy’s name on them. Occasionally, I would say to a student “Hey, what’s that? Mind picking that up for me? I’d let them keep the ball afterwards and sometimes would forget to tell them I had actually signed Billy’s name on them. If you’re from that area, like me, you feel a real kinship with Billy Joel. Still great all these years later!
Everybody talks about the Hall of Fame in Hicksville High School, but nobody mentions Denny Diaz' name. He graduated from HHS two years before Billy would have graduated and was the guitarist in Steely Dan on the first 7 albums they did. He was responsible for the guitar solos on many of their best first songs. He should be in the HHS Hall of Fame in my opinion.
Ted, I'm sure he was good, but Billy truly made a career out of it. Made many more sacrifices. Went homeless for long periods of time, sleeping in laundromats in the early years.. Did Denny release any albums. I didn't think so. Maybe Denny is a personal friend of yours which is understandable that you're trying to plug his name, but yes Hicksville High School should pay some kind of tribute to Billy. Whether it's elementary, junior high, or senior high, you really only get recognition if you're a part of the band or the choir. Has nothing to do with if you're an accomplished musician. I had music teachers hate me because they were jealous that I was better on the piano than they were and didn't participate in any of the gay choir groups. Excuse me....
Hey Billy Joel, even though I never met you, the connection you have with this island let's me feel your presence. I know this may sound weird to some. But the feeling I get that my home town instilled in me. Makes me want to take my first cassette which was river of dreams, and by the way thats the only song I remember playing and somehow take my spirit from those moments of listening to your music at age around 11 go from person to person and take my spirit and instill the genuine morals that was flowing through me then. I also love the motorcycle shop, I took my kids there and the people that took care of the place were so nice. The moment I stepped in there the feeling of home shot rite through me. I hope my kids felt the same. I worry that they won't get the gift that I was given to feel such an amazing experience. Your spirituality with this island is a phenomenon to me. Well I hope you the best and I know I never met you but I feel ya. In a total non creepo kinda a way lol. P. S. I promise I won't stalk you
I went to Hicksville High School.. and while Billy Joel is amazing and defiantly deserves something bigger dedicated to him (Music Dept wing maybe?) Daniel J Kristoff.. was a beloved music teacher who passed away.. that was his practice room and should absolutely be dedicated to him!
I'm not from NY, I'm from PA, but I am a piano player and full-time musician. Similar to Billy, I wasn't in all kinds of choir and band groups. I was just a guy who always did it privately on my own, and I'm a full-time musician and piano player today. To get a recognition in that glass plaque thing, it seems like you have to have been affiliated with either band, choir or one of the groups. Simply putting in the hard work, and being a good musician apparently is not good enough, and I did receive a lot of that jealousy and anger myself as well in junior and senior high.
Wow, that was wild and weird...especially seeing my high school, Trinity and many of the places I grew up! It was a great place to grow up in the 69's and 70's
I happen to be from two towns he lived in - Levittown and Gloucester. Friends that partied with him at his Gloucester (Glasta) home scaled his fence to use his pool when he was away until the noise brought cops. His favorite meal - spaghetti carbonara. I don't remember the Alexa but guys I cut a music video with all remember when he fished out Gloucester. His Alexa video is similar to ours, The West Village Green was where you shopped for all provisions during the week, near were I lived were two - one had awarding pool. The North and East Village Greens also had large pools and the EVG had/has a bowling alley. The stores still thrive. Behind any village green was shenanigans. There were a few styles of Levitt Cape homes and a few Ranch Levitt Styles like Billy's family had. I'm 7 weeks older and a small chance we would have been classmates. When he was in Gloucester he parked his yuuuuuge Harley in the only parking space without a meter. Star struck do you think I cod mutter out "LEVITTOWN"? ... nope
Ok, heres the thing. Long Island doesn't revolve around the Hamptons and Billy Joel. In fact, he hardly mentions Long Island in his songs. There's other parts of LI.
My brother went to Hicksville High. 1962 -65. Then we moved to Las Cruces NM and then to Phoenix in '69. I came back to Hicksville in 1992....didn't seem like much had changed at all!
It has to do with the fact that he wasn't a member of any "music groups" (i.e. choir or band). Almost like a country club status. Being a good, accomplished musician isn't enough. You have to be a member of one of those groups to be recognized, which is a shame.
Billy has stated many times that the origin of the lyrics in "Pianoman" came from a bar he played at when he moved to California... He Moved there shortly after the "Cold Spring Harbor" album that came out in 1971... He didn't like the deal he was in with the producer and wanted to "run away". You can look up Billy talking about writing the "Pianoman" about the bar in California...
I also went to that high school... ...and spent three years in the chorus room Billy had been in... ...taught by the same chorus teacher Billy had. He even once said, "Billy used to sit right over there." So yeah, that was the high school Billy attended. It was finished in 1962. Billy would have been Class of '68.
The "Parkway Diner" was in the 1960's on the corner of Jericho Tpke and Guinea Woods Rd in Old Westbury. Today there is a Mobil Gas Station where it used to be. There also was next door a Carvel where the Old Westbury Diner is today. The "Parkway Diner" is not the one you show in East Meadow on Hempstead Tpke.
I went to High School there from 1982-1985. That music room was a shop room at that time & the music rooms were on the right side across the hall. Were they on the left side prior to that?
if this is summer, you guys probably were easily allowed in there because marching band is in session, and they practically live on the football field. And daniel kristoff was a chorus teacher who died a few years ago and had a lot of contribution to the high school.
I'm sure Daniel Kristoff was just wonderful, but these guys made a good point. Billy went homeless, sleeping in laundromats and made sacrifices that Kristoff probably would never make. Jess, I don't know if you were in music in high school, but I was a guy like Billy. Best piano player in the entire school, but not really taken seriously or even considered as a musician simply because I wasn't a part of the band or the choir. Give me a break. Is that a requirement?
I visited too. I guess just because he didn't kiss anyone's ass or wasn't a part of the high school band or choir is the reason that he's not mentioned in any of those showcases or plaques. Also, people usually don't give a shit about piano players....
Billy Joel been in numerous dwi related accidents as a goof I called a insurance company and looking for insurance using billy Joel name and date of birth and the guy stated I have 11 accidents in 5 years
Scenes from the italian restaurant's restaurant is across from the village green (which is still the village green not "neighborhood park" youre taking it literally its a park
West Village Green was and is surrounded by houses. Across Newbridge Road there used to be a water tower and a few empty lots; there are more houses there now. There's a tiny pizza parlor a block away that doesn't match what the song says.
@seed1123 I was there and can confirm this. He came with his then-girlfriend to wish students good luck on their finals. By the way, he just opened up a motorcycle shop in oyster bay!
