One of my first and most cherished music memories is riding in the backseat of my dad’s car when he first picked up Billy Joel’s “River of Dreams” back in 1993. After listening to the title track (and watching its incredible music video) multiple times, I was hooked on the “Piano Man,” and I never looked back. I own all his records, have seen him in concert multiple times, and have raised my kids on his music. However, until watching Billy Joel: And So It Goes after the new documentary hit the 2025 TV schedule, I only knew part of the story.
See, watching the five-hour HBO documentary about Joel’s hits and misses, ups and downs, and the stories behind his most iconic tracks, I learned that one person in particular played a major role in the entertainer becoming one of the biggest pop stars of all time: his ex-wife and manager, Elizabeth Weber. I just have to give this woman her flowers…
Elizabeth Weber Was Married To Billy Joel During The Very Beginning Of His Career
Though I was aware that Billy Joel had been married and divorced and remarried several times, I wasn’t all too familiar with what kind of impact his first wife, Elizabeth Weber, had on his life and career until watching And So It Goes. Weber was originally married to Joel’s bandmate, John Small, but the relationship deteriorated due to Joel professing his love for his best friend’s girl. Some time later, Joel and Weber got together and married, with the latter coming on as his business manager as well.
As detailed in the documentary, Weber helped Joel navigate the murky and shark-infested waters of the recording industry in the early days, stood by his side when record companies took advantage of him, and was there as he became one of the biggest stars on the planet. However, she was no passive spouse riding the wave of success. Instead, she was the captain of the ship, pushing forward to the promised land.
Her Role In Making ‘Just The Way You Are’ A Single (And Changing Billy Joel's Career In The Process) Shouldn't Be Overlooked
I could sit here all day and talk about all the great and insightful moments in Billy Joel: And So It Goes, but I don’t think anyone besides my dad or other diehard fans would get much out of that. Instead, I need to talk about the scene about halfway through the first episode when Joel’s 1977 breakthrough album, The Stranger, becomes the topic of conversation, specifically how Elizabeth Weber fought Columbia Records executives on the album’s promotion and choice of singles.
There was a pre-release listening party where an executive said there were no singles on the album, which Weber rebuffed by making a deal: the exec could pick the first single – “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” – if she could choose the second – “Just the Way You Are.” Not only was the single a success (more than 1 million copies sold and two Grammys), but the album became a huge hit, and Joel was transformed into a massive star, selling out Madison Square Garden and flying in private jets instead of showing up in small theaters in an old bus.
In an instant, the couple’s lives were changed, with Joel becoming a household name and Weber earning a reputation for being a tough-as-nails businesswoman who wasn’t willing to back down from a fight.
Several Of Billy Joel's Best Songs Are About Weber In Some Way
I don’t know how much of this will end up in the long-planned Billy Joel biopic, but the “Captain Jack” singer’s relationship with Elizabeth Weber led to some of his best songs, from The Stranger and others. “Just the Way You Are” was famously written for Weber’s birthday before ending up on the 1977 album, where it joined another all-time great track, “She’s Always a Woman,” a song that didn’t hold back with the good, the bad, and the ugly of relationships.
Joel, who would go on to write tracks inspired by his later relationships (“Uptown Girl” was in honor of his relationship with Christie Brinkley), also wrote an incredibly romantic song for Weber long before they were together. “She’s Got a Way,” which is featured on 1973’s Piano Man, was written about Weber when she and Joel weren’t seeing each other and he was missing her dearly.
Hearing These Stories Completely Has Changed The Way I See Joel's Music
Like I said earlier, Billy Joel’s music has been a major part of my life for well over 30 years now, and his songs remain some of my favorite of all time (“Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” is still my go-to karaoke song). However, after watching And So it Goes, I feel like I only had part of the story all of those years, and the way I see his music has completely changed after hearing these stories and others shared throughout the documentary.
It’s not like I didn’t love the songs before; it’s just that I feel like I have a better understanding after learning the context, or at least the inspirations of these iconic tracks that have been a part of literally every stage of my life since 1993 (probably sooner, knowing my dad).
I'm Not Going To Lie, Weber Should Have Gotten Her Due Long Before Billy Joel: And So It Goes Came Out
After watching Billy Joel: And So It Goes, I think that Elizabeth Weber should have gotten her due long before the documentary came out, and talked about everything from Joel’s biggest albums to how the 2012 Concert for Sandy Relief helped him find the joy in music again.
I’m honestly quite surprised Weber’s story and contributions to American music haven’t been talked about in such great detail in the past, because it’s hard to imagine The Stranger becoming a massive success without her hand. And with the way the album changed Joel’s career, you could argue that he wouldn’t have been as successful without her guiding hand.
You can watch Billy Joel: And So It Goes streaming with an HBO Max subscription if you haven’t already. Even if you aren’t a big fan of songs like “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” “Allentown,” or “Only the Good Die Young,” it’s well worth the watch.
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