Billy Joel will soon join the Knicks, the Rangers and the New York Liberty as Madison Square Garden’s fourth franchise. At a news conference Tuesday, the 64-year-old singer said that he will play the venue once a month, starting Jan. 27, as long as fans buy tickets.
“Playing Madison Square Garden is an experience that never gets old,” the Long Island native said to a crowd that included Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “Since my first show in 1978, I’ve always looked forward to the energy of the crowd.”
Such artist residencies are popular in Las Vegas, where Celine Dion and Elton John have set up shop. Later this month, Britney Spears will be joining them.
As the Garden’s first entertainment franchise, Mr. Joel received his own logo to sit beside the teams. The arena’s executive chairman, James Dolan, told the singer that having him as the resident musician felt “like having the pope as your parish priest.”
Mr. Joel has a loyal following in the New York area, and tickets for the first four shows are already sold out. On May 9, he will celebrate his 65th birthday at the arena. Tickets for that show go on sale to the public on Saturday.
The pianist has performed at Madison Square Garden nearly 50 times throughout his four-decade career, including 12 sold-out shows in 2006, an arena record. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. He will play Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on New Year’s Eve.
Write to Megan Buerger at megan.buerger@wsj.com
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