It’s been “The Longest Time” but we’re finally getting a documentary on Billy Joel.
Billy Joel: And So It Goes, named after a song on his album Storm Front, will debut on HBO and be available to stream on Max this summer. Described as an “expansive portrait of the life and music” of the Piano Man, the film is a two-parter, which seems fitting considering Billy’s career now spans more than 50 years.
According to HBO, the movie will explore “the love, loss, and personal struggles” that fuel Billy’s songwriting, and will feature “unprecedented access to never-before-seen performances, home movies, and personal photographs.” There will also be “extensive, in-depth one-on-one interviews.”
Director and producer Susan Lacy says in a statement, “For those who think they know Joel’s story, as well as those who are not as familiar, I believe this two-part film is both a revelation and a surprise. I was drawn to his story as someone who knew little at the outset, and was astounded at how autobiographical his songs are and how complex his story is.”
It’s not clear how far back the movie will go, but Billy’s family history is so interesting in itself that it inspired a 2001 documentary called The Joel Files. That movie told the story of how, in 1938, Billy’s grandfather Karl Amson Joel was forced to sell his successful business in Berlin due to Nazi intimidation and how that incident had repercussions for decades afterward.
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