After 10 long years performing as a headliner at Madison Square Garden, Billy Joel is set to end his historic residency. His run will end with his 150th show in July 2024.
MSG Entertainment made the announcement Thursday.
“What Billy Joel has accomplished is extraordinary,” Jim Dolan, Executive Chairman and CEO of MSG Entertainment, said, according to CNN.
“Although the residency is coming to an end, we look forward to an exciting closing run to celebrate all that you have accomplished and forever welcoming you back home to the garden anytime, anytime you like,” Dolan said to Joel during the Thursday press conference.
The Piano Man began his historic run at MSG in 2014 with a promise of playing “as long as the demand continues.”
The demand has never died down.
Over the years he’s played 90 consecutive shows and entertained a total of 1.6 million people.
“I’m kind of flabbergasted that it lasted as long as it did. My team tells me that we could continue to sell tickets, but ten years, 150 shows – all right already!” he said.
“I do remember the first time we played Madison Square Garden, it was the pinnacle of my career. I thought, ‘My God, I’m headlining Madison Square Garden.’ Everybody in the world knows when you play The Garden, it’s not just New York.”
His very first performances at MSG date back to 1978 when he headlined three shows in a row. Since then he’s played more than 136 concerts, 60 more than any other artist to play at Madison Square Garden.
As Mr. Long Island gets ready to begin his final 10 shows, he thanked the audience and those who have continued to come out and enjoy his shows over and over again for the past decade.
“To our audience, I want to thank them for coming to our shows for this long. It’s hard to end, even at 150 lifetime shows. I just want to thank everyone for the wonderful thing that’s happened here.”
Billy Joel’s shows have brought so much happiness to so many people over the past years. It will be sad when he plays his 150th show at The Garden. But for Joel it will be a well-deserved break.
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