Billy Joel’s interrupted 100th Madison Square Garden performance to be re-aired after fan backlash

Virgin Radio

16 Apr 2024, 13:27

Uproar from Billy Joel fans has forced broadcast network CBS to show the performance again.

American broadcast network CBS are being forced to re-air the two-hour performance they ended early to air local late-night news. 

The performance of Billy Joel’s 100th consecutive Madison Square Garden performance began half an hour later than scheduled due to coverage of the Masters golf tournament running over schedule. 

As a result of this, the broadcast was cut off in the middle of fan-favourite, Piano Man. 

The song is popular with his supporters as it is a semi-autobiographical tune about Joel’s own experience as a piano lounge singer, leading to him being adoringly nicknamed The Piano Man.

The blunder from CBS was met with uproar from fans, with many of them taking to X (formerly Twitter) to express their anger with the network. 

Now, CBS are righting their wrongs by re-airing the performance on Friday 19th April, with fans also being able to stream Joel’s performance on Paramount+. 

Julie Holland, CBS’s Vice President of Communications, has issued a statement saying: “A network programming timing error ended last night’s Billy Joel special approximately two minutes early in the Eastern and Central Time Zones.

“We apologise to Mr. Joel, his fans, our affiliated stations, and our audience whose viewing experience was interrupted during the last song.”

Joel will end his record-breaking stay at Madison Square Garden on the 25th July with what will be his 150th show. 

At a press conference last year, Joel expressed his own surprise at the length of his run at the venue saying: “I’m kind of flabbergasted that it lasted as long as it did. 

“My team tells me that we could continue to sell tickets, but 10 years, 150 shows – all right already!”