The international singer star, Billy Joel, is among the best entertainers of all time. He is nicknamed the Piano Man, and he had a hit in the 1980s, which has the same title as his nickname. The singer is behind the famous hit songs. We Didn’t Start the Fire and Uptown Girl.
It is clear that Piano Man is American by nationality. But what most people do not know about is whether or not he is Italian. In fact, we have been receiving a question: Is Billy Joel Italian.
To clarify this matter, let us take a close look at his ethnicity. This will be brief so read until the end.
Is Billy Joel Italian?
Piano Man has a German-Jewish heritage. His parents as Jewish, Russian, and English roots. But the singer is listed in the Biographies lists as Italian American. So perhaps, he has Italian roots.
However, there is no clear evidence that can support this. The ancestry race of the singer’s family is not adequately documented. But based on a source, he has more German-Jewish roots than Italian.
Billy Joel Ethnicity
His father, Howard Joel, was born in Nuremberg, Germany. The singer’s father was running a company of clothing and textile there. But since he was Jewish, he had no choice but to put his company on sale and leave Germany in 1938 during World War II.
The family of the singer had to escape because if not, they would be imprisoned for their Jewish heritage. They then moved to Switzerland and later on to Cube. But they did not live for long in Cuba. They took the opportunity right away when they were allowed to enter the United States.
The mother of the pianist, Rosalind Nyman, also comes from a family of Jewish. Both of her parents moved to New York, the USA, from England. She was born in Brooklyn. Aside from her Jewish ancestry, she also has Russian and English ancestors.
What Is Billy Joel’s Nationality?
As mentioned earlier, the family of the singer had to move to the United States. That is where he was born and raised, which means that Piano Man is a citizen of America.
It’s A Wrap!
Is Billy Joel Italian? By nationality, the singer is American. But in terms of his ethnicity, the family of the pianist has Jewish ancestry. The music icon’s father was from Germany, while his mother was from Brooklyn.
They are both born to Jewish parents. Whether or not he has Italian roots is not clear. He is listed to have Italian roots, but it is not properly documented.
So that’s it for today’s content! Thank you for reading!