At the Tribeca Film Festival this June, a striking new film pulled back the curtain on an untold chapter of music history. Sean Weber-Small broke his silence about life with former stepfather Billy Joel in Billy Joel: And So It Goes.
The fresh HBO film unites Weber-Small with his mother, Elizabeth Weber. She once managed Joel while they were married, and their accounts paint an intimate picture of life during Joel’s rise to stardom. The tale starts at Weber-Small’s birth, when Joel still played music with Jon Small, his biological father. Joel started seeing Elizabeth while she remained married to Small.
“My mother and I have been silent about any of our time with Billy since really 1983,” said Weber-Small to People. “Those memories we had, they were ours. So I’ve kind of felt like by talking about them, it would kind of cheapen them somehow.” Now, he says that his mother deserves recognition for her contributions during her time with Joel, and the documentary was a healing experience.
His choice to speak now stems from wanting justice for his mom. He continued, “My mom didn’t get her due for a long time and kept her mouth shut, and kind of, in my opinion, took the high road. So people are going to get to hear her story and our story. And I think that’s really exciting.”
The film sheds light on Joel’s dark times. He tried to end his life twice before fame struck and struggled with drinking. He also crashed on his motorcycle and nearly cut everything short.
In July, HBO viewers can catch this excellent new documentary. For the first time, mother and son step forward to share their slice of the Piano Man’s story.
