Billy Joel slams unauthorized biopic as ‘legally and professionally misguided'
'Billy & Me' will follow the inception of Joel's career through the eyes of his former manager, Irwin Mazur
www.independent.co.ukHere’s the latest on Billy Joel and the condemned biopic.
- Summary: Billy Joel publicly condemned an unauthorized biopic project titled Billy & Me. His representatives say the filmmakers do not hold his life rights and cannot secure the necessary music rights, and Joel has not endorsed or supported the project. This condemnation was reported across multiple outlets in May 2026.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Key details you might find helpful:
- Why condemnation happened: The project reportedly intends to tell Joel’s early career story through his first manager, Irwin Mazur, but lacks Joel’s life rights and music rights, making the project legally and commercially unlikely to proceed as planned.[3][1]
- Official statements: Joel’s spokesperson emphasized that the project would be legally and professionally misguided if pursued without Joel’s involvement, and that Joel has not authorized or supported it.[2][3]
- Media coverage: The story was first widely reported around May 19–20, 2026, with multiple outlets echoing the condemnation and noting the fall filming timeline rumored for the project.[5][1][3]
- Public reactions: Coverage includes reminders that the music rights are a gating factor, which often becomes a central issue in authorized vs. unauthorized biopics.[2][5]
If you’d like, I can pull together a concise timeline of the reporting, verify the current status (e.g., has there been any official update since May 2026), or summarize what the different outlets say about the rights issue and potential implications for similar projects. I can also provide a short note on how unauthorized biopics typically handle music rights and licensing.