Songwriters Hall of Fame Billy Joel – HuffPost 12.30.11

Mike Ragogna: How does it feel to be at such a gathering to honor some of our great songwriters?

Billy Joel: I think it’s great. I’ve done this a couple of times now. Songwriters don’t always get the recognition they deserve, and that’s actually the toughest part of the job.

MR: What was your reaction when you heard that you’d be performing “Shameless” with Garth Brooks?

BJ: I was totally shocked. I thought the song was kind of a Jimi Hendrix sort of thing, and it turned out to be a country-western song. (laughs) It’s like if your kid went off to Nashville and became a big success.

MR: Billy, what advice do you have for new artists?

BJ: Hang in there. It’s not always going to be fun, especially nowadays. It’s a weird time right now. Nobody’s selling albums, radio is weird. I don’t know what advice to give as much now because I’m an album artist. It’s gonna be tough, but we need more good music. So if you’re good, please hang in there.