Billy Joel Fires Back at Unauthorized ‘Billy & Me’ Film, Calls Biopic ‘Legally and Professionally Misguided’
Billy Joel is publicly distancing himself from a newly announced biopic centered on his early years, with the music legend's representatives sharply criticizing the project and warning that the filmmakers lack rights critical to telling his story. The dispute erupted after details surfaced surrounding Billy & Me, a planned film exploring Joel's formative years before becoming one of music's biggest stars.
According to reports, Billy & Me is being directed by John Ottman, known for his work on Bohemian Rhapsody, and written by Adam Ripp. Rather than functioning as a traditional authorized biopic, the film reportedly plans to tell Joel's early story through the perspective of his first manager, Irwin Mazur, and longtime friend and drummer Jon Small. Production is reportedly expected to begin this fall.
Joel's camp, however, appears to have little interest in participating.
A spokesperson for the singer stated that parties connected to the production had been informed as far back as 2021 that they did not possess Billy Joel's life rights and would likely be unable to secure rights to his music catalog. Representatives further stated that Joel has not authorized or supported the project in any capacity.
The disagreement highlights a recurring issue surrounding music biopics: a film can sometimes move forward using rights tied to people around an artist rather than the artist directly. Reports indicate producers secured exclusive rights from Mazur and Jon Small, allowing the project to proceed from their viewpoints even without Joel's participation.
Still, lacking Joel's direct approval could create major challenges. Music rights often become central to biographical films involving major recording artists. Without access to iconic songs and catalogs, filmmakers can face significant creative and commercial limitations.
The situation arrives shortly after Joel's life already received an authorized screen treatment through HBO's two-part documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which included Joel's participation and explored both his career and personal struggles. That project reportedly gave audiences a much deeper look into the artist's history with his own involvement.
For now, Billy & Me appears positioned in an unusual category — a Billy Joel movie without Billy Joel's approval.
And judging by the response coming from Joel's camp, the Piano Man isn't exactly singing along.
