Billy Joel Surprises Tourists on NYC Pedicab Blasting His Music
New York, NY – July 22, 2025
In a heartwarming moment that captured the spirit of New York City, music legend Billy Joel surprised a group of tourists riding a pedicab through Manhattan while listening to his iconic song “New York State of Mind.” The encounter, which took place on July 21, 2025, was shared widely after Joel posted a video of the interaction on social media, delighting fans and sparking a wave of excitement online.
According to reports, Joel was driving through the city when he noticed a pedicab playing his 1976 classic. The “Piano Man” rolled down his window, leaned out, and shook hands with the pedicab driver, who was visibly thrilled. Two women in the pedicab, beaming with excitement, engaged Joel in a brief conversation, asking about his health following his recent diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus, a brain disorder that led to the cancellation of several concerts. The video, shared by Joel and reposted by outlets like TMZ, cuts off before his response, but sources note he discussed his condition candidly on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast, describing it as feeling like he’s “on a boat all the time” but assuring fans he’s managing.
The moment resonated widely, with posts on X capturing the sentiment. User @uzettesalazar called it “too cool!” while @screensourced highlighted the surprise as a quintessential NYC story, noting, “Billy Joel unexpectedly surprises tourists during a pedicab ride in NYC. #BillyJoel #NYC.” The interaction underscores Joel’s down-to-earth persona, a hallmark of the Long Island native who has long embraced his “everydude” image despite selling over 160 million records and holding a decade-long residency at Madison Square Garden.
Joel, now 76, has faced health challenges recently, but this spontaneous encounter shows he remains connected to his fans and the city that inspired much of his music. The pedicab surprise joins other memorable moments in his career, like his 2013 performance at the Frank Sinatra School of Arts with Tony Bennett or his 2024 train ride to a Cardiff concert, where he posed with a Great Western Railway worker. For the tourists, it was a once-in-a-lifetime memory, proving that in New York, even a pedicab ride can turn into a “Billy Joel state of mind.”