Billy Joel rejects biopic project 'Billy and Me', states he will not grant the music rights
Plans to produce a biographical film about the legendary musician Billy Joel are unlikely to run smoothly. The singer of the hit ‘Piano Man’ has publicly stated that the latest project about his life does not have official rights and will not involve his musical works.
The news emerged after Variety reported that the feature film Billy and Me would begin shooting in the autumn. The project is being developed by director John Ottman and screenwriter Adam Ripp. Earlier in 2022, Ripp had been linked to a Joel biopic under the working title Piano Man.
In response to the report, Billy Joel’s official representative (the 77-year-old artist) issued a firm statement opposing the project. “Since 2021, parties involved have been formally notified that they do not own the rights to Billy Joel’s life story and will not be able to obtain the music copyrights necessary for this project,” the representative said in the statement.
The spokesperson added that the Grammy winner does not endorse the project in any capacity. “He has not granted permission or support for the project in any capacity, and any effort to proceed without that permission is misguided, both legally and professionally.”
According to Variety, Billy and Me would be told from the perspective of Irwin Mazur, the former manager who oversaw Joel’s career on the cusp of his big breakthrough with the song ‘Piano Man’ in 1973. Reportedly Ottman and Ripp hold exclusive rights to Mazur’s life story and to drummer Jon Small, who was involved in the production. It is noted that Joel’s first wife, Elizabeth Weber, was once married to Small.
Ottman is an Oscar-winning editor who previously worked on the biopic about Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, and supervised the score for the Michael Jackson biopic Michael.
Before this rejection, Billy Joel’s life story had already reached television in a two-part documentary titled Billy Joel: And So It Goes. Directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, the documentary aired on HBO in July 2025 with the artist’s full consent.
In an exclusive interview at the documentary’s premiere, Joel voiced his reluctance about projects about him. “I’ve long rejected things like this. I’m tired of talking about myself,” Joel said. “Some of the foolish things I’ve done are painful to talk about. [But] they asked for thematic guidance from me. I said, ‘Just say it as honestly as you can.’”
The official documentary offers a private look at the singer of “Uptown Girl,” including his struggles with substance dependency, mental health issues, and his current life with his wife, Alexis, and his three daughters.