Billy Joel Says Elton John Crossed a Line—And It Nearly Ended Their Friendship

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Billy Joel Says Elton John Crossed a Line—And It Nearly Ended Their Friendship originally appeared on Parade.

There was a time when seeing Billy Joel and Elton John share a stage felt like magic. Two piano legends, one spotlight, endless hits. But behind the scenes? It wasn’t always harmony.

On Friday, July 25, HBO dropped the second installment of its new two-part docuseries Billy Joel: And So It Goes. And in it, Joel finally opens up about a rift with his longtime tourmate that, as he puts it, left “bad blood.”

"Elton had made a comment that he thought I needed real rehab," the 76-year-old “Uptown Girl” singer says in the documentary, referencing John’s 2011 Rolling Stone interview. “He chalked it up to, ‘Oh, he’s a drunk.’ And that really hurt me.”

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It wasn’t just a careless remark. At the time, Joel had just finished touring with the British artist. And hearing those words—publicly—hit hard. “I said, wait a minute? Don’t you know me better than that?” Joel says. “And there was bad blood for a little while.”

John’s 2011 quote wasn’t exactly subtle. “He’s going to hate me for this, but every time he goes to rehab they’ve been light,” the “Rocket Man” hitmaker said. “When I went to rehab, I had to clean the floors. He goes to rehab where they have TVs. I love you, Billy, and this is tough love. Billy, you have your demons and you’re not going to get rid of them at rehab light. You’ve got to be serious. People adore you, they love you and respect you. You should be able to do something better than what you’re doing now.”

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Joel first entered rehab in 2002, checking into Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut for alcohol-related issues. He returned to treatment in 2005 at the Betty Ford Center—an “ultimatum” given to him by then-wife Katie Lee. Meanwhile, John had checked into Parkside Lutheran Hospital in Chicago back in 1990, after years of drug and alcohol use. He’s credited that stay with helping him get sober and he’s remained that way ever since.

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In the doc, the “Piano Man” reveals the comments left him feeling “clobbered,” adding, “I was disillusioned with what I thought it was all supposed to mean.” He continues, “It was like all the signs were pointing to me: Enough. And I wrote this letter to the band, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m gonna stop.’”

Joel didn’t fully quit performing, but he did scale back. He wrapped up his co-headlining Face to Face run with John in 2010 and later shifted to a slower-paced solo residency at Madison Square Garden, which kicked off in 2014.

In 2023, he told the Los Angeles Times he eventually gave up drinking entirely: “I just got to a point where I’d had enough. I didn’t enjoy being completely inebriated, and it probably created more problems in my life than I needed.”

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The new doc also lands at a tough time for Joel. He recently revealed he’s been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a neurological condition that affects balance, hearing, and vision. It’s forced him to cancel all 2025 tour dates and step away from performing.

“I know a lot of people are worried about me and my health, but I’m okay,” Joel told People earlier this month. “What I have is something very few people know about… I’m doing my best to work with it and to recover from it.”

At the same time, John is also navigating health issues of his own. He lost sight in his right eye last summer after a serious infection, and his vision in the other remains limited.

In an interview with the British newspaper The Times, the 78-year-old “Tiny Dancer” crooner called it “a very stressful time,” especially not being able to watch his sons, Zachary, 14, and Elijah, 12—whom he shares with husband David Furnish—play. He's remained focused on family and music, releasing a new album with Brandi Carlile this year, but has stepped back from touring since finishing his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in 2023.

Both parts of Billy Joel: And So It Goes are now streaming on HBO.

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Billy Joel Says Elton John Crossed a Line—And It Nearly Ended Their Friendship first appeared on Parade on Jul 27, 2025

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