‘70s Music Icon Harshly Shuts Down DUI Rumors

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‘70s Music Icon Harshly Shuts Down DUI Rumors originally appeared on Parade.

Billy Joel isn’t letting rumors tarnish his legacy, especially when it comes to the tabloid claims about his personal life.

In his new two-part HBO documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which was released on July 18, the legendary “Piano Man” singer took a strong stance against the long-standing myth that he’s been arrested for multiple DUIs.

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“There’s this rumor that I have all these DUIs. That never happened, but people keep repeating the myth: ‘Oh, he’s got so many DUIs.’ I never had a DUI, so f**k you.” Joel firmly stated, addressing the false claims head-on. “The press can be mean. So having that much attention paid to you is not easy."

The 76-year-old musician, who has been involved in several car accidents throughout his career — including a serious one in 2002 where he was airlifted to the hospital after slamming into a tree head on — has consistently denied the DUI rumors. In a 2013 interview with The New York Times Magazine, Joel explained that the accidents were the result of “mental fog” and not related to alcohol. He emphasized, “I never had a DUI in my life. That’s another fallacy. Look at the police records. My mind wasn’t right. I wasn’t focused.”

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Despite facing personal struggles, Joel has always channeled his pain into his music. However, one regret still lingers in his career — an opportunity to collaborate with the legendary George Martin. In a recent interview with Bill Maheron his Club Random podcast, Joel revealed that after Martin, known for his transformative work with The Beatles, watched him perform, he offered Joel a dream chance to work together. But the offer came with a catch: Martin insisted on using his own hand-picked musicians, replacing Joel’s long-time band. “That was one of the most traumatic things I went through, was deciding not to work with George Martin, who was one of my heroes," Joel revealed.

‘70s Music Icon Harshly Shuts Down DUI Rumors first appeared on Parade on Jul 27, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.