It’s been over a year since Billy Joel‘s last concert, and his performance calendar remains empty as he continues to recover from normal pressure hydrocephalus, a brain condition. But Joel’s entire touring band will reconvene March 12 at Carnegie Hall for a special “Music of Billy Joel” tribute concert featuring Rob Thomas, Rufus Wainwright, Tanya Tucker, Itzhak Perlman, Betty LaVette, Wyclef Jean, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Alexa Ray Joel, and many others.
The show — and the long-running Music Of tribute concert series at Carnegie Hall — is the brainchild of City Winery founder Michael Dorf, a mainstay of the New York City live music scene since he opened the Knitting Factory in 1986. Over the past 20 years, he’s staged Best Of shows honoring everyone from Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen to Van Morrison, Led Zeppelin, Aretha Franklin, and Prince.
Every penny they’ve generated, over $2 million and counting, has gone to music education programs. “One of the things that I’m most proud of,” says Dorf. “They’re always the first to get cut when budgets are cut. Every couple of weeks, there’s a new climate change issue. There’s healthcare problems. I mean, the world’s fucked up, and so there’s always needs for fundraisers and charities. And they come to me, and I’m like, ‘This series is consistent for music education. I’m not veering.’”
The roots of the series go back about 25 years to Dorf’s days on the Music for Youth Foundation, which was affiliated with the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York. “I was the youngest guy on the board,” he says. “It made my parents proud that their nice young Jewish boy was contributing.”
Every year they’d hold a luncheon to honor an industry heavyweight like Walter Yetnikoff, David Geffen, and Ahmet Ertegun, and give the proceeds to music education charities. But this became difficult once Napster emerged around the turn of the millennium, tightening the pockets of industry executives. Sometime around 2003, they held a meeting to try and figure out possible next steps.
“I very sheepishly raised my hand, because BMI and ASCAP and Sony and Warner and everyone’s in the room, along with these lawyers,” Dorf recalls. “And I’m like, ‘Why don’t we do a show?’ And they’re like, ‘That’s so risky. You’re out of your mind.’”
He explained his vision for a concert at Carnegie Hall honoring the music of Joni Mitchell. When they continued to push back, Dorf made a promise that he’d give 100 percent of the net proceeds to charities, and personally absorb any losses. “There was no risk to them,” says Dorf. “I said, ‘I’m just asking you, all you big machers, buy some tickets. And if you could help me with some talent. I need 20 artists.’ And they were like, ‘You’re crazy, kid. Sure, go ahead, do your thing.’”
The Music of Joni Mitchell took place Feb. 9, 2006, at Carnegie Hall with a lineup that included Judy Collins, Shawn Colvin, Cowboy Junkies, and many others. It was such a success that he followed it up with a Bob Dylan tribute seven months later at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall. That bill included the Roots, Phil Lesh, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and Patti Smith.
He planned a Springsteen one at Carnegie Hall the following April, and days before it took place, he received notice that Springsteen himself was going to perform as a surprise to the fans. “My heart started racing at that moment,” Dorf says.
Following an incredible night of Springsteen music from Steve Earle, the Hold Steady, Jesse Malin, Ronnie Spector, and Odetta, Springsteen appeared and sang “The Promised Land” and “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” — the place went absolutely insane. “Bruce was one of the greatest mensches that night,” says Dorf. “He stood on the side of the stage and thanked every artist when they came off. And it wasn’t just related to the performance. He’d go, ‘I love the song that you put out on your second record.’ He had a ten-second really nice thing to say that showed that he knew everybody.”
Later that night, Dorf learned that Springsteen’s daughter Jessica was competing the following morning at an equestrian event in Florida. “Bruce finished the show and he got on a plane at 2 a.m. so he wouldn’t miss it,” says Dorf.
It was a tough moment to top. But Dorf came pretty close in 2009 when R.E.M. were the surprise guests at their own Best Of show at Carnegie Hall. They played “E-Bow the Letter” with Patti Smith and members of her band. It wound up becoming their final live appearance before they broke up two years later. “When they were getting really amazing applause, Michael Stipe came to the side of the stage and grabbed my hand and walked out with me to have me share in the experience,” says Dorf. “No one had ever done that before.”
In the years that followed, the Music Of became a regular part of the concert calendar, usually taking place in March. There are no firm rules, but Dorf focuses on living singer-songwriters. And he always get their permission. “I’ve been trying to get Stevie Wonder or Dolly Parton to agree to be honored, and I’ve not had success yet with them,” he says. “They either have other projects they’re thinking about or they just don’t want to be honored.”
Dorf approached Elvis Costello during a rehearsal for the 2013 Prince tribute at City Winery. “I’m like, ‘Mr. Costello, what do you think? Could we look at doing one of these?’” says Dorf. “And he’s like, ‘Fuck off. I’m not dead yet.’”
The idea of a Billy Joel show had been percolating for a while. But Dorf decided the time had come after watching the HBO documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes. “I reached out, and they immediately responded positively. I think there’s a lot of love for Billy, and a desire to hear his music,” he says. “The fact that it is his band, that’s exciting for people. We sold out without a single artist mentioned who’s performing, and we got a great lineup, as people trusted. Fingers crossed, let’s see if we have any special guests.”
Joel’s only live appearance in the past year took place Jan. 2 when he made an unexpected cameo with the Billy Joel tribute band Turnstiles during a show in Wellington, Florida. He played “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and “Big Shot.” Might something like that happen again March 12? Dorf merely says that Joel has been invited, like every act he’s ever honored. “There’s a box for the band, and if we’re lucky and they want to jump on stage, great,” Dorf says. “But it’s really for them as much as it is anybody.”
The Billy Joel tribute is the first time Dorf put an event on-sale before announcing any of the performers. He plans on going even further next time by putting the show on-sale before announcing who they are honoring. “I can’t tell you who, but I can tell you this,” he says. “I’ve been bugging this particular artist for about 10 years and it’s always been, ‘Well…’ But we got him. He wants to do it. We’re going to announce the date for 2027.”
Even though Dorf has been at this for 20 years now, he has no plans to stop. “There’s no question there are more than enough incredible singer-songwriters to be honored,” he says. “The list can keep going. And probably if I could fantasize, I got the next 40, 50 years that I could schedule. I just don’t know if I’m going to live long enough to do all the ones I want to do.”
