William Joseph Martin -Billy- Joel (born May 9; 1949) is an American pianist and singer-songwriter. He released his first hit song; -Piano Man-; in 1973. According to the RIAA; he is the sixth best-selling recording artist in the United States.Joel had Top 10 hits in the -70s; -80s; and -90s; is a six-time Grammy Award winner; and has sold in excess of 150 million albums worldwide. He was inducted into the Songwriter-s Hall of Fame (Class of 1992); the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Class of 1999); and the Long Island Music Hall of Fame (Class of 2006). Joel -retired- from recording pop music in 1993 but continued to tour. "New York State of Mind" is a song written by Billy Joel which initially appeared on the album Turnstiles in 1976. While not a hit when it was first released, it has received much more frequent airplay in recent years. "New York State of Mind" enjoyed a resurgence in popularity and radio airplay after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and is frequently played after New York Mets, New York Knicks and New York Rangers games.William Joseph Martin -Billy- Joel (born May 9; 1949) is an American pianist and singer-songwriter. He.