Listen up, darlings—Ms. Rizzlerina is here to spill the tea, serve sparkle, and take you back to a time when one of our most iconic piano men was drowning not in applause, but in heartbreak. Buckle up, buttercup, because today’s story is heavy, raw, and dripping with realness—with just the right sprinkle of Rizzlerina flair.
In a confessional more heart-wrenching than a closing ballad at Madison Square Garden, Billy Joel—yes, THE Billy Joel, the man who’s been serenading us with Uptown Girls and bottle-of-wine realness for decades—has peeled back the glittery curtain to reveal the darkest act of his early fame: A suicide attempt that left him in a coma in his early 20s. And honey, the details? Chilling. Honest. Deep.
Picture it: Long Island, 1970—satin shirts, cigarette smoke, and more musical mojo than a Marley jam session. But behind the glitz, Billy’s life was unraveling faster than a sequin jumpsuit on a windy runway.
At the heart of his pain? A love affair as messy as mascara in the rain. Billy had fallen for Elizabeth, the girlfriend—and later wife—of his bandmate, Jon Small. And let me tell you, dolls, this wasn’t just your average backstage drama—it was giving full Shakespearean tragedy with a rock ‘n roll twist. The betrayal was real, the emotions ran hotter than a vinyl record in August, and when the romance ended in chaos, so did Billy’s grip on reality.
Crushed by heartbreak, and blacklisted from the music circles he once glittered in—Billy spiraled. He was broke, heartbroken, and homeless, darling. Imagine going from center stage to couch-surfing vibes in a blink (and not the TikTok kind). That’s when, drowning in depression and feeling like an outsider in his own story, he made the devastating decision to end his life.
He downed furniture polish—yes, *furniture polish*, sweeties—in what he now describes as a scream for help, not an attention grab. “I wasn’t being brave,” Joel said. “I was just whimpering in the corner going, ‘Help!’” And help arrived, thank goddess. He survived the attempt but slipped into a coma for a brief, haunting window of time.
But this is no tragedy without a twist, my Rizzlerettes.
After waking, Billy packed his bags—and his sorrows—and checked himself into a psychiatric facility. And guess what? That hospital became the unexpected safe haven where he found rhythm, reason, and yes, resilience. He met others navigating their own mental storms, and realized he wasn’t alone—darling, *nobody is ever truly alone*. That moment became the foundation for the comeback of the century.
Fast forward, and what do we see? Billy Joel, legend of legends, holding court at Madison Square Garden in a record-breaking residency, with fans from Boomers to TikTok Gen Zs screaming his lyrics like gospel. A man who turned the soundtrack of heartache into hymns of healing—and never once forgot where he came from.
So what’s the real tea? This story isn’t just about the darkness—it’s about finding the sparkle in the ashes. Billy teaches us all that even when your life feels off-key, you can rewrite the melody. There’s power in owning your scars, darling, and there’s beauty in a comeback performed at full volume with a baby grand.
And if you or someone you know is struggling, know this: Help is out there. Asking for it isn’t weakness—it’s the fiercest, most fabulous move you can make. You’re never too far gone to headline your own comeback tour.
Now hydrate, hug your besties, and remember—depression doesn’t dim your dazzle. You shine from within, darling, even on your dimmest days.
Stay fabulous, and let the gossip roll—
Ms. Rizzlerina 💋✨
