Top > Entertainment > 2006 > October > 2006-10-05

Piano Man Leaves Home

The Oyster Bay community has made Centre Island famous, thanks to its number one resident, Singer and Piano Man, Billy Joel. He became a familiar face on Long Island`s north shore, and even made his mark by smashing his vintage Citroen CV into a local residence in April 2004. But now, it looks like Oyster Bay might have to slip back into obscurity because Joel is selling his house.

According to reports, he bought the house on the tiny island for $22.5 million in 2002 and he now wants $37.5 for it. The house is 40,000 square feet and contains five bedrooms, three full baths, three half-baths, eight fireplaces, a gym, music room, wine cellar, outdoor pool, a bowling alley and tennis courts. It is said that a domed-roof indoor pool was filled to become a room with acoustics desirable for practicing music. It sits on 14.26 acres that include 1,550 feet of shoreline, a guest cottage and a pool house by the beach.

Billy Joel released this year a live album name "12 Gardens Live" and has had an immensely successful career. He has sold over 100 million records and is the sixth best selling artist worldwide. He has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Long Island Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He will be missed in the Oyster community, but residents are certain that whoever is willing to pay $37.5 million for the house, might just make them famous again.