Monday, May 15, 2006

Give Us a Speech You're the Piano Man

Three Syracuse University graduates held up red signs demanding "Sing Us a Song Piano Man" when entertainer Billy Joel took the Carrier Dome's stage during Sunday's commencement.
Despite Joel's staff telling SU officials he wouldn't be singing during the joint commencement of SU and the State University College of Environmental Science and Forestry, he did.
"I'm not here to give you a big song and dance," Joel said a few minutes into his six minute address.
But then Joel paused and held up a piece of yellow paper.
"Well, maybe a song," he said. "I scribbled a little thing on the way up here."
Joel thrilled the crowd of 16,701 people by clapping out a beat, which the crowd immediately picked up.
"Well, come on everybody, take a trip with me, Upstate to Syracuse University," Joel sang.
He pointed to the crowd each time it was their turn to chime in with the chorus of "Hey, hey, hey, yeah."
During the ceremony, SU awarded Joel an honorary doctorate of music.
"Now I can get out of this dead end job and get a real career going for myself," Joel quipped.
He stressed to graduates the importance of being happy with their career choices.
"If there's any advice I can give to you, it's do what you love," Joel said. "Don't do it for security, or status, prestige, money, or, for crying out loud, don't do it for somebody else . . . if you're doing what you love, you will be good at it."

1 comment:

  1. I saw Billy Joel recently in MSG. He had many jokes about how he needed our money to pay for his car insurance. Great choice by SU to have him be the keynote speaker.

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