Michael Cavanaugh: The Music of Billy Joel
Saturday, September 18, 2021
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Program
Billy Joel Overture
Movin' Out
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
She's Got a Way
Crocodile Rock
Pinball Wizard
Longest Time Medley
Waltz No. 1
Pressure
Goodnight Saigon
River of Dreams
Intermission
Act II- Opening Medley
New York State of Mind
Dig In
Uptown Girl
Air/Dublinesque
Just the Way You Are
Fifties Medley
You May Be Right
Piano Man
Michael Cavanaugh
Michael Cavanaugh is the new voice of the American Rock & Roll Songbook and a charismatic performer and musician made famous for his piano/lead vocals in the Broadway musical Movin’ Out. Handpicked by Billy Joel to star in Movin’ Out, Cavanaugh evokes a style rivaling the Piano Man. He appeared in the show for three years with over 1,200 performances and received multiple accolades. The show culminated in 2003 with both Grammy and Tony award nominations.
Michael began playing at age seven, when his parents bought their first piano. Encouraged by family and friends, and inspired by his hero Billy Joel, Michael formed his first band at age 10 and began playing local functions, fine-tuning the craft that would become his chosen career. His first full-time gig as a musician was an extended engagement in Orlando, Florida, at a piano bar called Blazing Pianos. In January of 1999, Michael received an offer that would unknowingly change his life: an opportunity to play Las Vegas at the famed New York, New York Hotel and Casino. It was there that Billy Joel spotted Michael and joined him on stage one fateful night of February 2001. It only took two songs before Billy was convinced that he had found his new Piano Man: Michael Cavanaugh. Michael closed up shop at New York, New York and moved to New York City to work alongside Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp to shape the Broadway Musical that would be called Movin’ Out. In the lead role, he received both Tony and Grammy nominations.
With the close of Movin’ Out at the end of 2005, Michael began touring in his own right, creating a show that reinterprets the modern pop/rock songbook. Michael soon became one of the hottest artists in the private events market, and he continues to perform worldwide for company and charity events as well as sporting events including many PGA tour events, the SuperBowl, and the Indy 500. His interpretation of the modern rock/pop songbook led to Billboard calling him “The New Voice of the American Rock and Roll Songbook,” and he was recognized by Reuters as Entertainer of the Year for the private events market.
It wasn’t long before symphony orchestras discovered Michael’s talents and audience appeal. He accepted his first orchestral booking, “Michael Cavanaugh – The Songs of Billy Joel and More,” which debuted in April 2008 with the Indianapolis Symphony and continues to tour today. In October 2008, he signed with Warner/ADA to distribute his first CD, In Color. In June 2010, Michael debuted his second symphony show in the Generations of Rock series titled “Michael Cavanaugh: The Songs of Elton John and More” and then debuted his third symphony show, “Singers and Songwriters: the Music of Paul Simon, Neil Diamond and James Taylor,” in 2012. In 2015, he debuted his fourth symphony show: “Rockin’ Christmas with the Pops.” He continues to tour all four symphony productions along with performing with his band in performing arts centers and other public venues.
“The Way I Hear It”, his second commercial album, was released in April 2017, and it debuted at #17 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. In 2020, Michael Cavanaugh reached the POLLSTAR Live75. The top 75 active touring acts in the country.
Bio from www.michaelcavanaugh.com
Billy Joel
Born in 1949 in New York City, Billy Joel is a triple threat with extensive capabilities as a singer, pianist, and songwriter, and he is one of the most successful solo musical artists of all time. His career spans half a century and has produced such enduringly popular hits as “Uptown Girl” and “Tell Her About It.”
Joel signed to Columbia Records in 1973 and had moderate commercial success with the album Piano Man. His true breakthrough came in 1977 with the album The Stranger, which sold more than 9 million copies and won 2 Grammys for the single “Just the Way You Are.” Since then, Joel has been showered with accolades: a total of 5 Grammys, 33 Top 40 hits, induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the Kennedy Center Honors.
Billy Joel’s music combines influences from Rhythm & Blues, Doo Wop, and early rock and roll with memorable pop melodies and an emphasis on his piano playing. Aptly nicknamed “The Piano Man,” he has been included in the Steinway Hall collection and was the first pianist from the pop music world to receive this honor.
More recent projects have included Joel’s jukebox musical, Movin’ Out, and college masterclasses as part of his ongoing advocacy for music education. From “New York State of Mind” to “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Billy Joel has secured a position as one of America’s musical legends.
© James Thompson, 2021
About the Artist
