Musician Billy Joel, 77, has detailed his reasons for ceasing the creation of new music after his 1993 album "River of Dreams," stating he aimed to avoid "diluting his legacy."
In a YouTube interview with music producer Rick Beato, Joel expressed concern that artists who continue to release music past their prime risk diminishing the quality and impact of their earlier work. "I didn’t want to go like that," Joel said, explaining his decision.
He elaborated that he did not want to continue making music simply because of his established fame. "I didn’t want to just keep beating a dead horse and being played because I was Billy Joel," he stated. "I wanted it to be good, and I recognized that I didn’t have the same motivation I used to have, so I said, ‘Stop.’"
Joel felt a sense of completion after "River of Dreams," his 12th studio album, noting that it matched the output of The Beatles. He also mentioned a desire not to isolate himself for the sole purpose of songwriting, as he had done previously. He was married to Christie Brinkley at the time and they had their eldest daughter, Alexa Joel.
He also shared an anecdote about recently being unable to assist a songwriter from a new band, stating, "I go, ‘Well you’re gonna have to fix it because I can’t do it anymore.'" He advised the songwriter to learn to stop writing, warning that the pursuit can lead to self-criticism and frustration when one feels they can no longer reach previous creative heights.
Joel, who married his fourth wife Alexis Roderick in 2015 and has two younger daughters, Della Rose and Remy Anne, has maintained a cordial relationship with his ex-wife Christie Brinkley. Brinkley provided a health update in April, reporting that Joel was "doing well" following a diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH), a rare brain disorder.