Billy Joel is the Pianist, as his 1973 hit indicates and thus a great song-writer and composer and as an appreciation of his lasting and impressive career, the artist was awarded the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The tribute concert aired on PBS Friday night and the show gathered numerous great names in the music industry like Tony Bennett, Boyz II Men, Gavin DeGraw or Josh Groban. The special guest of the show (apart from the awarded himself) was ”House of Cards” actor Kevin Spacey, who interpreted ”Piano Man” along with piano virtuoso Billy Idol.
The tribute show of Billy Joel’s winning The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song took place on 19 November at Washington D.C.’s DAR Hall. The prize ‘’celebrates the work of an artist whose career reflects lifetime achievement in promoting song as a vehicle of musical expression and cultural understanding. The styles in which these works are composed reflect myriad contemporary traditions like rock, jazz, country, pop, blues, folk, and gospel.’’ The first Gershwin Prize Honoree was Paul Simon and other recipients are Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Hal David, Burt Bacharach or Carole King.
Billy Joel chose to interpret four songs, including “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Down on Broadway),” “Vienna,” “You May Be Right” and “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” and the rest of the night was entertained by fellow artists, who all paid tribute to the honoree, Rolling Stone indicates. Kevin Spacy, the marvel guest of the evening, let aside his ”House of Cards” character and spoke to fellow Billy – who was handing him a harmonica – ‘’Well, it’s your night, Billy, and I will accept the challenge. Yes.’’ Then the man of the night gave the first notes of his famous ‘’Piano Man’’, while Kevin Spacey headed towards the spotlights and started an impressive harmonica race followed by the already famous words: ‘’ It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday/ The regular crowd shuffles in/ There’s an old man sitting next to me/ Makin’ love to his tonic and gin’’. After another few lines, the actor was replaced by the voices of other guests, including the recipient himself. Although verses of ‘’Piano Man’’ were shared between the figures on stage, Kevin Spacey kept his harmonica for the rest of the song and thus built himself a Bob Dylan-like image.