Long Island’s own “Big Shot” Billy Joel will be honored at Carnegie Hall with a tribute concert next year.
The 21st annual “Music Of” concert on March 12 will feature the songs of the Piano Man. Performers will include daughter Alexa Ray Joel and a host of musical stars, such as Rob Thomas, Rufus Wainwright, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Matt Nathanson and others.
The “Music Of” series is the brainchild of prolific live music promoter and producer Michael Dorf, founder of The Knitting Factory and City Winery.
Past honorees have includes Paul McCartney, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell and The Rolling Stones.
Promoters say 100% of the net proceeds are directed annually to nonprofit groups “dedicated to music education.” There’s more information about the initiative at musicof.org.
Joel himself is not scheduled to perform. A May diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus, a treatable brain condition that affects balance, memory and other functions, has temporarily led to him canceling performances.
The show is sold out, promoters say, though there’s always the secondary market.
John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee’pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.