In film capturing long-lost 1971 interview, Billy Joel deems Madison Square Garden ‘kind of a ripoff’

By Andrea Dresdale Aug 13, 2026 | 11:12 AM

‘1971: Billy Joel’s Lost Interview’ still (Courtesy Adam Ripp)

Billy Joel broke multiple records with his historic 10-year residency at Madison Square Garden. But back when he was still an unknown, he declared in his first radio interview that the iconic New York City venue was “kind of a ripoff.”

The new documentary film 1971: Billy Joel’s Lost Interview will premiere at the Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame’s Music Documentary Film Festival on Sept. 25. The 20-minute short contains audio from a 1971 radio interview Billy did with a student named Ed Mann for college radio station WCWP. At the time, Billy was an unknown who’d just released his debut album, Cold Spring Harbor.

In the trailer, Mann asks Billy if he’d eventually “like to get into the big places, Madison Square Garden or something like that.” Billy replies, “No, I don’t think I’d ever like to work Madison Square Garden. … That place is kind of a ripoff, really.”

When Mann asks why, Billy says, “Because what it is, in effect, is just jamming as many people and making as much money as you can out of a one-night thing. Unless you’re up front or up close, it’s just wasted. But Madison Square Garden’s just too big.”

The twist of this film is that only the audio of the interview exists. Director Adam Ripp has used AI to visually recreate Billy, his manager Irwin Mazur and Mann for the film. Tom Needham, executive director of the festival, says in a statement, “This film demonstrates how technology, when used thoughtfully, can help us reconnect with important moments in music history.”

“1971: Billy Joel’s Lost Interview allows audiences to see a young Billy Joel before worldwide fame changed his life, and we hope people will experience it with curiosity and an open mind,” adds Needham.

Mann, who executive produced the film, will participate in a Q&A after the premiere, along with Ripp and Mazur.