Billy Joel “didn’t enjoy” Woodstock.
The 76-year-old star attended the legendary music festival in 1969, but he didn’t actually have much fun at all.
He told People: “I didn’t enjoy it, to tell you the truth.
“I wanted to see [Jimi] Hendrix. I wanted to see The Who, and I missed them. I just saw the first day. And it was so muddy and rainy and messy and no place to use the bathroom, and everybody was drugged out. I wasn’t doing drugs or anything back then.”
Despite this, Billy can understand why so many people remember the festival so fondly.
The singer also appreciates the “communal aspect” of the festival.
He said: “I got that. And same thing with what I loved about the Beatles. I loved the Beatles, but I recognised, as I grew, it wasn’t just about the Beatles. It was about us.
“I had a lot in common with my fellow boomers who were listening to the Beatles. ‘This is great. Everybody’s on the same page. We’re all growing up and listening to this stuff.’ I really appreciate that about my own generation.”
Billy is the focus of a new HBO documentary series called Billy Joel: And So It Goes, but the veteran star recently admitted that he was hesitant about committing to the project.
He told People: “I’ve resisted this kind of thing for so long. I’m sick of talking about myself. Some of the stupid stuff I did, that’s painful to talk about. (But) they asked me for some thematic guidance. I said, ‘Just tell the truth.'”
The chart-topping star initially just wanted to get the documentary – which features contributions from his family and friends – “over with” because he doesn’t enjoy talking about himself.
The Uptown Girl hitmaker – who is one of the best-selling artists of all time – said: “My goal was to get it over with.
“When I do interviews, people just ask you about yourself and you get a little self-conscious about it eventually. It’s almost embarrassing.
“When you’re talking about your personal life detached from the material … I suppose there’s a little bit of wariness involved.”