The Reason Billy Joel Loses $20,000 At Every Show
The reason Billy Joel loses $20,000 at every show.
Not that he needs the money, but Billy Joel loses $20,000 at every show because he doesn’t sell the seats in the front rows. We found this story on cheetsheet.com.
Billy plays a lot of shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City and they sell out all the time. Joel has performed at least one show a month at the venerated arena since 2014. Joel plays sold-out stadiums across the nation and the globe. He has performed in cities worldwide, including Dublin, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, and Melbourne. Each show’s total ticket sales can make millions of dollars.
He is 73-years-old now and has played 134 shows at Madison Square Garden throughout his career and has no plans of retiring anytime soon.
Why Is Billy Joel Losing Money At Every Show
At every show, he never sells front-row tickets. In fact, he leaves the first few rows unsold. But that doesn’t mean those seats remain empty. He explained in an interview on Jimmy Kimmel back in 2014, that the first-row tickets are always scalper tickets. Billy knows his real fans cannot afford front row tickets and they are stuck way in the back. So, he decided not to sell the front row seats anymore, he gives them away. Billy sends crew members to the seats in the back to find enthusiastic ticketholders. The crew upgrades them to free front-row tickets, and Joel enjoys seeing genuine fans’ reactions while he performs.
This loses Joel $20,000 to $50,000 per show, but Joel believes that having real, passionate fans in the front rows is priceless.

This Florida City Has Been Named One Of The Best Cities In The South
A Florida city has been named as one of the best cities in the South by Southern Living. We know that the state of Florida have some great cities, but only one is on the list. The list is voted on by the publication’s readers.
There are ten states on the list with four states that have three cities on their list. Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia are the states with the most cities. Many of these southern cities you have most likely visited and would probably visit again. I am surprised that more Florida cities aren’t on the list. Driving through Florida there are beautiful cities to visit, but this list didn’t name them. Maybe the publication’s readers will visit more cities in Florida and put them on next year’s list.
The Only Florida City On The List
Orlando is the only city in Florida to make the list. Orlando is home to the world for its amusement and theme parks. It is home to Gatorland, SeaWorld, Disney, Universal and many more attractions. Plus all of the many place to visit along International Drive and throughout the Orlando Area. It is also home to the Kia Center (formally Amway Center), home of the Orlando Magic. In actuality, there’s more to enjoy beyond the park walls than ever before. There are dozens of new restaurants in the area that get strong recognition, with the 2023 James Beard Foundation Awards nominating several Orlando chefs for top prizes.
When looking at this list I can totally understand the top cities. Southern Living says, “The South’s many metros are destinations that do it all. They’re hubs of art, culture, and cuisine, not to mention athletics and yes, even outdoor adventure.”
Even though one Florida cities made the list of best cities in the South we know Florida has the best cities. Check out the list below.

Launa is part of Tampa Bay's Hometown Morning Krewe on 99.5 WQYK. She has been with the station for 7 years and joined J.R. and Kevin on the morning show 4 years ago. Since then, they have been nominated for not only a CMA but also an ACM. Launa has been in radio for the past 28 years and in the Tampa Bay market for 22 of those years. While working in radio, Launa has also served as an entertainment reporter on a local TV show and has hosted many charity events in the community. Using her popularity from QYK, Launa loves to help raise money for shelter animals and has been a volunteer at local shelters for years. Launa loves the community and writes articles on local news, entertainment, and events and highlights people who are shining in Tampa Bay that she knows others like her would also be interested in reading.