Billy Joel Documentary, And So It Goes Is Must See

I spent this weekend, glued to my TV watching parts, one and two of the Billy Joel documentary, And So It Goes on HBO Max.

It is five hours well spent, especially if you are a fan of Billy Joel, and even if you’re not, it is definitely something to see. The first part of the documentary takes us through his tumultuous formative years that included his childhood upbringing in Hicksville, Long Island.

We see that Billy’s father was not exactly a ward cleaver type of dad, although it was the same 1950s era. Billy grew up and what eventually would become a single mother home with his sister.
We learn quickly that the music was in his genes, his parents were both musical and very accomplished. At just seven years old. Billy was already playing classical music on the piano. Of course, like any young person during the 1950’s and The Beatle years, he became smitten with rock ‘n’ roll to the chagrin of his father.

Throughout the documentary , you see that Billy Joel was born to write and play music. All he ever wanted to do with an obsession that would have to be fulfilled. That obsession cost him three wives, countless managers, and friends along the way.
And So It Goes is a no holds barred look at Billy Joel with tons of music stars, like Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Don Henley and many more weighing in with comments about Billy’s immense talent and success

The documentary covers so much about Billy Joel’s writing process, and his sheer obsession with creating perfect music. We also learned a lot about Billy’s personal life, including the failed marriages, and the failed business partnerships.

It’s impossible to cover everything about this five hour documentary, but suffice to say it is time well spent. You will learn so much about Billy Joel, and come away with more admiration for him than perhaps you ever thought you would have.