Michael Pollack tells his great Billy Joel story on 'Today'
Billy Joel performs at "12-12-12" a concert benefiting The Robin Hood Relief Fund to aid the victims of superstorm Sandy at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. (Dec. 12, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
Michael Pollack, the Roslyn musician whose duet with Billy Joel at a Vanderbilt University class has become an Internet sensation, brought his story to the “Today” show Wednesday.
“Every Long Island piano player aspires to be Billy Joel,” the 18-year-old told the hosts before launching into “New York State of Mind,” the song he performed with Joel. “You don't have a choice.”
Though Pollack got to play with Joel in January (and talked to Newsday about it in February), the video of their interaction went viral this week, landing the Vanderbilt freshman on the “Today” show all morning as the show's “resident piano man” for the day.
Pollack said he has been playing Joel's music since he was 10, and played “Piano Man” later in the broadcast.
“He's just been an idol of mine,” Pollack said. “To actually play with him was the greatest feeling.”
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