Billy Joel Mourns the Loss of Early Bandmate Jon Small

Jon Small, a name most casual fans might not recognize, passed away earlier this month, a fact Billy Joel shared with a short, somber post on social media. The exact age and cause of death weren’t disclosed, but the news stirred a wave of memories among musicians who knew the early days of the future "Piano Man."

Small and Joel first crossed paths in the mid‑1960s as members of The Hassles, a teen‑or‑young‑adult garage‑rock outfit that gigged the clubs of Long Island. When The Hassles folded, the two formed the hard‑rock duo Attila, releasing a self‑titled debut in 1970. During that period, Joel moved in with Small and his wife, Elizabeth Weber, a kind of makeshift roommate arrangement that seemed ordinary—until it wasn’t.

As the documentary And So It Goes reveals, the three lived together for a while, but an affair between Joel and Weber shattered the camaraderie. "Elizabeth was very important to me, but I think I was not the guy she hoped I would be," Small said in the film. "I kept seeing that Billy was not the same guy. Something was the matter. And Billy one day came up to me, became a little honest, and said to me, ‘I’m in love with your wife.’ So it was a very devastating thing for me, because these were basically my two best friends."

The confession led to an ugly confrontation. Joel later recalled, "I felt very, very guilty about it. They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker… I was just in love with a woman, and I got punched in the nose, which I deserved. Jon was very upset. I was very upset." The fallout dissolved Attila, ended the house‑share, and forced Joel out onto the streets for a brief spell.

Time, however, has a way of softening even the sharpest edges. Small eventually forgave Joel, saying, "He never really said anything to me, the only practical answer I can give as to why Billy took it so hard was because he loved me that much and that it killed him to hurt me that much. Eventually I forgave him." Their reconciliation was more than personal; it turned professional. Small later directed several of Joel’s concert films, including Live from Long Island and Live at Shea Stadium, and even helmed the music video for "Baby Grand." He also ventured beyond Joel, directing videos for Reba McEntire, Enrique Iglesias, and Brooks & Dunn.

Elizabeth Weber and Joel eventually remarried, but their union lasted only until 1982. Still, the tangled history between the trio has become a footnote in rock lore, a reminder that behind every hit song lies a messy, human story.

Fans and fellow musicians have taken to social platforms to pay tribute, recalling Small’s drumming talent and his role in shaping the sound that would later catapult Joel to worldwide fame. While details of his passing remain private, the outpouring of respect underscores how much he mattered to those who knew him.