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Billy Joel debuted a noticeably slimmed-down figure at his first Madison Square Garden concert since the pandemic began — see the photos
The piano man is back! Billy Joel made his triumphant return to New York City’s Madison Square Garden after the pandemic forced him to cancel his 2020 tour — and he’s in amazing shape.
The “Uptown Girl” singer, 72, showed off his 50-pound weight loss during his show on Friday, November 5, at the arena where he’s had a concert residency since 2014. The performance marked his first appearance at the storied venue since February 2020. He was slated to perform his 74th consecutive monthly show at MSG in March of that year, but the show was postponed because of the pandemic.
Last month, the Grammy winner told Howard Stern that the weight loss was an unexpected consequence of back surgery he underwent earlier this year. “The pain afterwards was so bad I lost my appetite,” he explained in October. “I embraced that. I said, ‘OK, I won’t eat as much,’ and I ate less and less and less and less, and then there was just life aggravation and that tends to, you know, impact your appetite too.”
The New York native admitted that he didn’t intend to lose the weight, but he was satisfied with the results all the same. “I had gotten kind of chunky,” he joked. “I was happy to lose the weight.”
Joel is presumably also getting some exercise at home with his young children, Della Rose, 6, and Remy Anne, 4, whom he shares with wife Alexis Roderick. He is also dad to Alexa Ray Joel, 35, whom he shares with ex-wife Christie Brinkley.
Earlier this year, the “Vienna” singer celebrated Della Rose’s birthday with a series of Instagram photos showing some of the family’s recent activities, including a trip to Hersheypark in Pennsylvania.
“On your birthday it reminds us of how grateful we are to have you in our lives,” he wrote in August. “You and your sister have been our quarantine entertainment. There are no other people we would want to be stuck with at home!!! We love you more every day and year.”
In addition to his three daughters, Joel told Stern, 67, that he also considers all of his songs to be his children — and he’s written more than 100.
“I think of my songs as my kids,” he explained. “I went through a pregnancy and a labor with these songs.” For that reason, he’s not yet willing to sell the rights to his publishing catalog.
“I remember how hard I worked on them,” he continued, “and I don’t necessarily want to give that permission away for how my kids are utilized.”
This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Eliza Thompson
