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. "The River of Dreams" is a single by the singer Billy Joel. It is the title track and first single from his 1993 album River of Dreams. The song was a hit, peaking at #3 on the US and UK charts. It also hit the top spot in Australia and on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.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.