Billy Joel condemns upcoming biopic about his early life as ‘legally and professionally misguided’

Billy Joel has condemned an upcoming biopic titled Billy & Me, told through the eyes of his first manager, as “legally and professionally misguided”. Billy & Me, which was announced on Tuesday, is set to tell the story of Joel’s first manager Irwin Mazur, who discovered the singer in 1966, signed him in 1970 and oversaw his career up until Joel signed with Columbia Records in 1972. His career took off with his album Piano Man one year later. Casting is now under way, with film-maker John Ottman, who recently edited the hit Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, set to direct. However, Billy & Me does not have Joel’s approval, rights to his music, or his life rights – the latter essentially being an agreement studios strike to buy a person’s permission to adapt their personal story without the threat of lawsuits. In a statement to Variety, Joel’s representative said on Tuesday: “Since 2021, the parties involved have been officially notified that they do not possess Billy Joel’s life rights and will not be able to secure the music rights required for this project. Exclusive: Billy Joel performs Stiletto in Moscow in 1987 “Billy Joel has not authorised or supported this project in any capacity, and any attempt to move forward without it would be both legally and professionally misguided.” The film’s screenwriter, Adam Ripp, responded to Joel in the Hollywood Reporter. “At no point have we ever claimed to control or possess rights to Billy Joel’s original songs, nor has this film ever been conceived around the use of his hit catalog,” he said. “The project was always designed as an intimate origin story focused on the people and relationships surrounding Billy during this specific period of his life.” Ripp said the production holds the exclusive life rights for Mazur, as well as Joel’s longtime friend and former bandmate Jon Small, who is attached to the film as a consultant, co-executive producer and second unit director. Small and Joel first met as …