NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — Singer-songwriter Billy Joel was honored at a ceremony in New York on Wednesday to mark the performer’s 100th Madison Square Garden concert and the 54th in his long-running residency at the storied arena.
To commemorate the milestone, Madison Square Garden unveiled a Steinway piano and a plaque that will be displayed in front of MSG’s main Chase Square entrance.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was also on hand for the festivities and declared Wednesday to be “Billy Joel Day” in New York, Newsday reported.
“That’s 40 years in this town in front of the toughest audiences on the globe,” Cuomo told the assemblage. Then, responding to a heckler, he added, “as you heard from that gentleman there. You can’t fool New Yorkers for 40 years.”
Joel’s astonishing 100-show run at MSG currently holds the record for the most concerts by a performer at the venue, as well as the record for the most shows in a single run. We’re going to go out on a limb and suggest that no one will be challenging Joel’s record any time soon.
Both of those records are marked by banners that hang from the arena’s ceiling, along with notable achievements from the arena’s other franchises, including the Knicks, Rangers, and Liberty.
Joel performs his 100th MSG concert on Wednesday, July 18th.
