Elio Pace celebrates Billy Joel’s legacy ahead of Birmingham tour date: ‘His music changed my career and my life'

“He has always had an incredible ability in knowing he’s a star, but to still make you feel like you’re listening to him play in your front room - that is a truly wonderful skill.”

Elio is currently planning his latest tour, bringing Joel’s music to audiences across the UK in September and October this year and March and April 2026. The exciting run includes a date at the Symphony Hall on Sunday, September 28.

Preparations for the tour briefly stalled earlier this year, when Billy Joel initially announced he would be postponing, then later cancelling his UK dates.

Elio was shocked to hear his ‘musical hero’ had been diagnosed with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (a condition caused by excess fluid in the brain, which can lead to neurological symptoms).

“It was awful news to hear, as we were all so looking forward to those two UK shows this summer,” Elio said. “Hearing the words ‘brain disorder’ associated with the man whose music changed my career and my whole life, was so, so sad.

“I wasn’t sure how I felt about the news, or how to respond to it, for a few weeks. In that time, I saw so many messages of love from fans to Billy on social media, and I was receiving messages from friends about it too.

“Then we had our first show after the news came out, and it was very much on my mind how to approach it.

“But the people coming to our show were coming out to celebrate Billy’s music, his artistry, and that fact had not changed with the news of Billy’s health issues.

“They want to hear those songs being played, and if it’s not Billy, and it’s not us, then who would it be?

“It’s probably more important we have this show out on the road now than ever because we all are, and always have all been, huge fans of Billy’s work.

“From the bottom of my heart, I truly believe that Billy Joel is the greatest singer/songwriter of all time. So, I’m honoured that it’s me who gets to do the show. It’s an honour and privilege to be the guy behind the piano, singing these songs.

“I’m a strong believer that the power of music is medicine. It really is. Music is important and I’m extremely proud to be a musician.

“When we acknowledged Billy’s situation in Paris, the audience reaction was so positive in sending good vibes so we will be talking about it on the tour – in honour of Billy and to ensure the shows really are a celebration of his music.”

Elio has long maintained that The Billy Joel Songbook is not a ‘tribute show’ in the way that that title has come to describe a type of show, and that it’s about celebrating an incredible body of work while at the same time retelling Billy’s incredible story.

The latest tour marks Elio’s 11^th year of touring The Billy Joel Songbook, and Elio and the band have something special in store for their long-term fans.

“When I created the show with a friend of mine, we went over every song for hours, days, weeks, looking for the opening number, the closing, first act close, every moment of the show,” Elio explained.

“We wrote that set list in 2014, and in all the years since – we’ve only ever changed the odd song or two… Until now! This year, we’re taking out four songs which have been there since the beginning – not Piano Man, Uptown Girl, anything like that… But of course, there will be someone who says ‘he’s got rid of my favourite’.

“Having recorded the album shows, and after playing venues like The London Palladium – as well as the show being hosted on BBC Sounds for the best part of six months after BBC Radio Wales recorded it fully for broadcast last year, it felt like the right time to mix it up a bit and to offer something fresh.”

Elio has been a fan of Billy Joel and his music since discovering his work as a teenager – a moment he describes as being like a light switching on, and an instant influence over everything he did as a musician.

“I was 16 or 17 at sixth form college in Hampshire, when I fell in love with Billy Joel’s music,” he said. “I was already music mad, already gigging, even at that age but from that moment, I envisaged, one day, singing my favourite Billy Joel songs on stage.”

He forged a successful career as a musician in his own right, touring with Albert Lee, Shakin’ Stevens and Suzi Quatro, as musical director for Bill Kenwright musicals, starring in West End jazz musical Song Of Singapore, and appearing as Sir Terry Wogan’s featured-artist and musical director for BBC Radio 2’s Weekend Wogan, before turning his attentions to The Billy Joel Songbook – a journey which began in 1993, when he spoke to a contact.

“I pitched the whole concept for a show called Piano Man,” Elio explains. “He looked through it and said he could see my passion, that it was a brilliant idea, but he said at that time we were too soon because Billy was still touring.

“But 20 years later, almost to the month, in 2013, I started booking shows for The Billy Joel Songbook.”

Since then the show has built up a loyal following across the country, from initial audiences of a few dozen people, to The London Palladium in 2024.

As a true musician, Elio’s emphasis with The Billy Joel Songbook is always first and foremost the music – and it’s from this point that he has such great respect for Billy Joel.

“I always tell people, and it’s really important to me to make this distinction, I am not a Billy Joel ‘tribute artist’ – I’m not out there on stage with a goatee or black glasses pretending to be Billy Joel” he said. “I’m out there as me, paying tribute to the music, and celebrating the music and the musician with my world-class band and telling his story.

“I’m there telling you how much I love this songbook, reminding you how much of the music you also love but may have forgotten – or never even realised – that it was Billy Joel’s work. Songs like She’s Always A Women, Allentown, New York State Of Mind… They are classic Billy Joel songs, but you forget that.

“I just have this absolute bee in my bonnet about getting this under-rated genius out there to get the credit he should. Billy’s popularity has definitely risen in the UK during the past 10 years.

“When we started out, Billy Joel hadn't toured anywhere around the world for years and really wasn't in the public eye or in the media like he had been.

“The Billy Joel Songbook starting in 2014 coincided with Billy beginning his monthly residency at Madison Square Garden in New York. However, there was no ‘Billy Joel show’ travelling around theatres in the UK, or the world for that matter.

“We were the very first and if we have played even a small part in helping to bring Billy’s music back to people’s ears and reminding everyone of his genius, then that makes me very proud.

“The greatest rock and roll songbook in the history of popular music, in my humble opinion, should never be allowed to die and as long as I can keep doing it, I will continue to do my part in sharing the Joel love to everyone, far and wide.”

For more information about The Billy JoelSongbook and to book tickets, visit www.eliopace.com/tours