Billy Joel donates to help jazz musicians
Music icon Billy Joel, of Centre Island, has donated $25,000 through his foundation to the New York City SmallsLIVE Foundation for jazz musicians. Credit: Myrna Suarez
Billy Joel has a long reputation for being a giver. Throughout his 49-year career as a solo artist, the Piano Man has always been generous to local charities.
This week his Joel Foundation announced a donation of $25,000 to Smalls Jazz Club & Mezzrow in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. The club of more than 25 years created a nonprofit organization called SmallsLIVE Foundation for Jazz Art and Education.
“Their mission is to subsidize the operation of the clubs, independent artist sponsorships including recordings and tours, their initiative with The New School, emergency funds for jazz musicians in need and extensive audio/video archive,” says a new statement from the Joel Foundation. “Hopefully, we can relieve some of their hardship and make things a little easier during this crisis.”
This is the Joel Foundation’s third coronavirus relief donation. Last week the foundation helped Long Island Cares to purchase freezer units and additional equipment for the food bank's Hampton Bays facility. Last month, a donation of $500,000 in the form of personal protective equipment (PPE) was made to BStrong [Bethenny Frankel’s disaster relief initiative] to purchase masks, coronavirus test kits and hazmat suits for the doctors and nurses working in hospitals throughout New York State.
Over the years, Joel has performed a series of charitable shows such as the 9/11 benefit "The Concert for New York City" at Madison Square Garden and the "America: A Tribute to Heroes" telethon in 2001, a Long Island Cares benefit at The Paramount in Huntington in 2013 and a benefit for the Long Island Baymen at Jones Beach in 1990.
For more information about the SmallsLIVE Foundation, visit: smallslive.com. Those in need of food assistance can visit licares.org and click on “locate.” People wishing to donate can go to licares.org and click on “COVID-19 Relief Fund.”
David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.
