MSG NETWORK TO PREMIERE EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL,“BILLY JOEL HOME AT THE GARDEN”
THE SPECIAL CAPTURES THE FIRST YEAR OF BILLY JOEL’S GROUNDBREAKING FRANCHISE RUN AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
NOVEMBER 10 AT 11:00 PM
New York, NY (November 6, 2014) – MSG Network announced today the television premiere of “Billy Joel Home at the Garden,” featuring the legendary musician in behind-the-scenes footage providing fans an exclusive glimpse into preparations for Joel’s triumphant concerts at Madison Square Garden. “Billy Joel Home at the Garden” will also include interviews with band members and road crew. The program premieres Monday, November 10 at 11:00 p.m. immediately following the Knicks home game against the Atlanta Hawks. The 30-minute special will also air on Tuesday, November 11 at 10:30 p.m. following the Rangers home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In “Billy Joel Home at The Garden,” Joel talks about what it’s like playing at Madison Square Garden saying, “Every time we come back it’s like a homecoming…Madison Square Garden is probably the best sounding room with the most enthusiastic audience so it doesn’t get much better than that.”
In December 2013, Billy Joel became the first-ever music franchise of The World’s Most Famous Arena, joining the ranks of other legendary Garden franchises: New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty. The renowned performer kicked off his franchise run at The Garden on January 27, 2014. Joel will play a record-breaking 13th show at Madison Square Garden on Friday, January 9, 2015 as part of the Time Warner Cable Concert Series. In 2006, Joel set a Madison Square Garden record by becoming the first solo artist to sell out 12 consecutive shows in a single run, a feat memorialized by the raising of a banner dedicated to the legendary performer. The January 9th show marks Joel’s 13th consecutive show at MSG since he embarked on his franchise run and his 59th overall performance at Madison Square Garden.
Having sold 150 million records over the past quarter century, Billy Joel ranks as one of most popular recording artists and respected entertainers in history. The singer/songwriter/composer is the sixth best-selling recording artist of all time, the third best-selling solo artist and is one of the highest grossing touring artists in the world. This month, Billy Joel will receive both The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song which honors living musical artists’ lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of cultural understanding; entertaining and informing audiences; and inspiring new generations, and the once-in-a-century ASCAP Centennial Award, which is presented to American music icons in recognition of their incomparable accomplishments in their respective music genres and beyond.
In December 2013, Joel received The Kennedy Center Honors, one of the United States' top cultural awards. He is also the recipient of six GRAMMY® Awards, including the prestigious Grammy Legend Award. Joel has been inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has received numerous industry awards. “Movin' Out,” a Broadway musical based on Joel’s music choreographed and directed by Twyla Tharp, took home two Tony Awards, including Best Orchestrations – Joel’s first Tony Award win – and Best Choreography. For his accomplishments as a musician and as a humanitarian, Joel was honored as the 2002 MusiCares Person Of The Year by the MusiCares Foundation and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Joel has also performed alongside other music greats at two of Madison Square Garden’s most extraordinary benefit concerts – “12-12-12, The Concert For Sandy Relief,” which raised awareness and money for those affected by Hurricane Sandy and “The Concert for New York City,” which was held to help aid 9/11 victims and heroes. Billy Joel received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, adding another milestone to his extraordinary career.
Madison Square Garden now offers a rich visual history of Billy Joel and his many Garden performances through a scrollable timeline featuring archival images, video insights from Billy, sharable images and lyrics, plus direct links for ticketing. Visit MSG.com and billyjoelmsg.com for more information. Join the conversation with #BillyJoelMSG.
“Billy Joel Home at The Garden” was produced by Hock Films. Hock Films is a New York based independent production company founded and run by 9-time Emmy Award winning filmmaker Jonathan Hock.
MSG Networks is the exclusive local television home of the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres (Upstate New York only), New York Liberty and New York Red Bulls, and the official regional sports networks of the New York Giants. MSG Networks also telecasts over 135 live college basketball games and over 25 live college football games from top national conferences including ACC and Big 12, as well as horse racing, boxing and award-winning original programming. In 2014, MSG Networks received 16 New York Emmy Awards, including 14 for MSG Network and one each for MSG+ and MSG.com. MSG Network’s 99 Emmys over the past seven years are more than any single network or station in the region during that time.
About The Madison Square Garden Company
The Madison Square Garden Company is comprised of three business segments: MSG Sports, MSG Media and MSG Entertainment and is built on a foundation of iconic venues and compelling content that the company creates, produces, presents and/or distributes through its programming networks and other media assets. MSG Sports owns and operates the following sports franchises: the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Rangers (NHL), the New York Liberty (WNBA), the Westchester Knicks (NBADL) and the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). MSG Sports also features the presentation of a wide variety of live sporting events including professional boxing, college basketball, bull riding and tennis. MSG Media is a leader in production and content development for multiple distribution platforms, including content originating from the Company’s venues. MSG Media’s television networks consist of regional sports networks, MSG Network and MSG+, collectively referred to as MSG Networks. MSG Entertainment is one of the country's leaders in live entertainment. MSG Entertainment creates, produces and/or presents a variety of live productions, including the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the New York Spring Spectacular, both featuring the Rockettes. MSG Entertainment also presents or hosts other live entertainment events such as concerts, family shows and special events in the Company’s diverse collection of venues. These venues consist of Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, the Forum in Inglewood, CA, The Chicago Theatre, and the Wang Theatre in Boston, MA. More information is available at www.themadisonsquaregardencompany.com.