Billy Joel Says Donald Trump’s Campaign Is ‘Very Entertaining’
While some rockers, like Neil Young, have been disgusted by Donald Trump's presidential campaign, others, like Ted Nugent, have given the real estate mogul/reality television star their full endorsement. But Billy Joel appears to be taking a bemused and detached approach. He recently said Trump's rise in politics "has been very entertaining."
Time reports that, at his show at New York's Madison Square Garden on Friday (May 27), Joel, as he's been doing for several months, dedicated his 1974 hit "The Entertainer" to Trump. Although Joel didn't specify whether he was being genuine or sarcastic, when word got back to Trump, he assumed the former and responded by tweeting, “Thank you @BillyJoel many friends just told me you gave a very kind shoutout at MSG. Appreciate it- love your music!”
Looking for a statement on Trump's praise, Time reached out to the singer. But the e-mail they received from him didn't fully clarify the situation as they had hoped regarding Joel's political leanings. “I’m in the entertainment business," Joel wrote. "Donald Trump’s campaign has been very entertaining. Aside from that, who cares about the political opinions of a piano player?”
Released on his third album, Streetlife Serenade, "The Entertainer" was Joel commenting on the fame after getting his first taste of it as a result of "Piano Man." It reached No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100. It would be Joel's last hit single in the U.S. until "Just the Way You Are" peaked at No. 3 in 1977.
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