Billy Joel announces Madison Square Garden residency

Rock 'n' roll icon Billy Joel announced Tuesday plans for a residency at New York's Madison Square Garden arena. Joel will perform a show a month, as long as there is demand, starting Jan. 27. The first four previously announced shows -- Jan. 27, Feb. 3, March 21 and April 18 -- are sold out. Tickets for the just announced May 9 show, which is also Joel's 65th birthday, will go on sale to the general public Dec. 7. "Since his first show in 1978, Billy has performed 46 shows at Madison Square Garden, including an unprecedented 12 consecutive sold-out shows that have earned Billy a spot among the Garden greats with a banner raised in his honor. Today, we take that relationship even further and are extremely honored to have Billy as the Garden's first music franchise," James L. Dolan, executive chairman of The Madison Square Garden Co., said in a statement. "This new partnership will ensure that someone who has been such an important figure in our past, will also be a major part of our future. We welcome Billy home and look forward to many unforgettable nights of music at the Garden." "Today's announcement that Billy Joel is joining the Madison Square Garden family as their first music franchise is truly a momentous occasion," said Andrew M. Cuomo, governor of New York. "It is particularly fitting that these two great icons are coming together to make entertainment history right here in New York. I offer my congratulations to Billy Joel and Madison Square Garden and the millions of fans worldwide who will benefit from this collaboration for years to come." "Performing at Madison Square Garden is a thrilling experience. I've played different venues all over the world, but there's no place like coming home to the Garden. Since my first show in 1978, I've always looked forward to the energy of the crowd. I'm honored to be joining the Madison Square Garden family and look forward to taking the stage of the newly transformed Garden to create many more memorable nights," Joel said.