Home · Entertainment · Sep 8 archive
Jon Small, Longtime Billy Joel Collaborator, Dies at 79
Confirmed
In Short: Billy Joel mourned the loss of his longtime friend and collaborator, Jon Small, who passed away at the age of 79.
In a 2025 episode of the Glass Houses podcast, Small joked about his frequent involvement in Joel's public life, saying, "It's funny, whenever something is said about Billy, I joke about it, I'm always dragged into it." Their creative partnership was acknowledged in the 2025 documentary "Billy Joel: And So It Goes," which explored the pair's history, including the fallout from the affair and their eventual reconciliation. Small was inducted into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame as a member of the Hassles in 2025, recognizing his early contributions to Joel's career.
Small's influence on Joel's early career was widely acknowledged, and he later started his own production company, earning a Grammy nomination for his work on Joel's Live at Yankee Stadium concert film. According to Joel, "We're gonna destroy the world with amplification," a quote from the documentary that captures the spirit of their early days in the music industry. Small's death marks the end of an era in the history of rock music, leaving behind a legacy of collaboration and friendship.
What's confirmed
- “Elizabeth was very important to me, but I think I was not the guy she hoped I would be,” Small said in the film.
What's still developing
- Small and Joel first met in the 1960s rock band The Hassles before forming Attila Small and Joel first met in the 1960s rock band The Hassles before forming Attila Billy Joel has announced the death of his longtime collaborator and friend, Jon Small, on social media.
- After his second attempt, it was Small who found him and rushed him to the hospital.
- “RIP Jon Small,” Joel, 77, captioned the post, featuring a black-and-white photo of the musicians in their youth.
- Joel and Small first started working together in the late '60s as members of a psychedelic band called the Hassles.
- Joel and Elizabeth then married in 1973, after which she took on the role of his manager. (They later divorced in 1982.) It took years, but Joel and Small eventually reconciled and even started working together again.
- "RIP Jon Small," Joel posted on his social media, sharing a photo of them.