THIS IS A 3-PIECE ITEM. All framed and never out of the Music Row workshop where it was made.
Piano Man is Billy Joel’s signature song. He wrote it and recorded it as a result of
his real-life experience as a lounge singer in Los Angeles in 1972-73. All of the song’s characters are based on
actual customers in the (now defunct)
Executive Room Bar in the “Wilshire”
district of L.A.
His given name is William Martin Joel, so his
“stage name” as we know him is accurate
– which is nearly rare for actors and performers.
Piano Man has sold millions of records, both as a single and as the album of the same
name. Millions and millions worldwide
and certified Gold and/or Platinum in numerous countries as well as the U.S.
where it was certified 5X in 2021 (still selling) by RIAA™.
So strong are his lyrics and “true-to-life,” that the Library of Congress selected Piano
Man for preservation in its National Recording Registry for its “cultural, historic, or artistic
significance.”
Of important note is the fact that the album labels and
cassette insert are ORIGINALS printed in 1973.
They would not exist ANYWHERE except for the fact that my father, Ken Kittinger, was the premier gold & platinum awards
maker, and ALL record labels, including Columbia for this
album, would provide hundreds and often
thousands of freshly printed and cut labels,
CD cover and cassette inserts to him which might be used in creating his
awards. He passed in 2016 at 91 years
of age and left an extraordinary 5,000 items of memorabilia, inventoried awards (some dating back a half
century), personal photos taken
backstage at the Grand Ole Opry and other concerts (and many hand-signed), and much more.
This award requires special handling and packaging and is
guaranteed with safe delivery or replaced.
It is wood & glass (as are the 9 X 12 additional
frames) and measures 15” X 21”. Award has black velvet backing.