His idol was only a few doors down, but Billy Joel never took advantage of meeting John Lennon when he was his neighborMeeting John Lennon was a rare privilege and honor for many artists in the music industry. Many idolized The Beatles, and Lennon was a hero for many musicians who rose to fame in the 1970s and 1980s. Billy Joel was a massive fan of The Beatles before becoming a famous singer himself, but he never got the chance to meet John Lennon, despite living near him. Billy Joel grew up in Long Island, just outside New York City, in the 1950s and 1960s. New York was the epicenter of the music industry, but the biggest artist during the 1960s came from Liverpool. The Beatles took over the industry, and Beatlemania reached a feverish peak during the 60s, making them the world’s most prominent musical act. In an interview with BBC Radio 2, Joel recalled what it was like to be a Beatles fan at the height of Beatlemania.
Source: Ross Tanenbaum/cheatsheet.com