Billy Joel is putting the “no” in “Piano Man.”
A music biopic chronicling the iconic musician’s early years, titled “Billy & Me,” is moving ahead without Joel’s blessing.
John Ottman, who worked as an editor on 2018’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and this year’s “Michael,” is set to direct the film. Adam Ripp is set to write the script and produce the film.
“Since 2021, the parties involved have been officially notified that they do not possess Billy Joel’s life rights and will not be able to secure the music rights required for this project,” Joel’s representative said in a statement obtained by Page Six.
“Billy Joel has not authorized or supported this project in any capacity, and any attempt to move forward without it would be both legally and professionally misguided,” they added.
“Billy & Me” is set to explore Joel’s origin story through the eyes of his first manager, Irwin Mazur, Variety reported Tuesday.
Ottman said he’s “really proud” of the work he and Ripp have done to “to shape ‘Billy & Me’ into both a deeply emotional and fun story,” per the outlet.
“This is the formative years of Billy and his relationship with Irwin Mazur, the man who recognized Billy’s amazing talent even before Billy did himself,” Ottman’s statment continued. “Sure, the long hair, cigarette smoke and authentic look of the period turns me on as a filmmaker, but what truly drew me to the material was the humanity at its core.”
Ottman called the film “funny, heartbreaking, and ultimately very inspiring.”
Mazur discovered Joel, 77, in 1966 and oversaw his career up until he signed with Columbia Records in 1972.
Production has secured rights to Mazur’s life as well as those of Jon Small, a longtime friend and early collaborator of Joel’s.
Joel’s first wife, Elizabeth Weber, was married to Small before she left him for the “Uptown Girl” singer.
The affair led to the dissolution of Joel and Small’s band, Attila.
In the aftermath, Joel suffered from bouts of depression and attempted suicide multiple times, a period of the musician’s life depicted in the 2025 documentary “Billy Joel: And So It Goes.”
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