‘Billy Joel: And So It Goes’: Everything to know about the two-part documentary on the Piano Man

An in-depth look at the life of Long Island songster Billy Joel is heading your way in a new documentary entitled Billy Joel: And So It Goes. The first installment of the doc, of which there are two, recently debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in the wake of the news that Joel is taking a break from performing for health reasons.

And now the first trailer for And So It Goes has debuted. The preview features clips of interviews with Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Howard Stern, and Joel himself.

So ahead of its broadcast and streaming premieres next week, here's everything you need to know about Billy Joel: And So It Goes.

What's it about?

Billy Joel.

Ok, if we're going to get more specific, here's how the official synopsis describes the project:

The two-part film is crafted around in-depth, exclusive interviews with Joel, illuminating the key moments that forged his character and the events and muses that inspired his music for more than six decades. Exploring revelatory new territory and enriched by dynamic video and performance clips from Joel’s musical oeuvre, many never before seen, the documentary gives a window into his process and chronicles his monumental successes, while diving into the hidden complexities of his life. From his childhood on Long Island, shaped by the absence of his father, to his first bands, the women he loved, and the colleagues and collaborators who both supported and betrayed him, Joel’s decades of songwriting mirror his rich, complicated autobiography. Sharing origin stories about such chart hits as “Just the Way You Are,” an ode to his first love, and “Uptown Girl,” famously about second wife Christie Brinkley, the film points to the close symbiosis between his life and art, revealing the music that transformed his career, sculpted his legacy, and saved his life.

What are the critics saying?

Response to the first half of the documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival was generally met with positive write-ups. Vulture's Fran Hoepfner headlined her write-up thusly: "There’s Never Been a Better Time to Love Billy Joel."

And Variety's Owen Gleiberman called the first part "an infectious celebration," writing, "Part 1, which is two hours and 27 minutes long, takes you right up through 1980, when Joel has already released his seventh album, 'Glass Houses.' So I feel confident in reviewing it as a stand-alone experience. And what took me by surprise is the movie’s emotional gravity. Directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, 'And So It Goes' is not a once-over-lightly, papering-over-the-dark-side portrait of a pop star. It includes a lot of warts, but more than that it shows how Billy Joel’s complicated and not always happy life fueled his incandescent and in some ways deceptively buoyant pop."

When does it air?

Part 1 of And So It Goes airs July 18 at 8 p.m. ET on HBO, with Part 2 following on July 25, also at 8 p.m. ET.

When does it stream?

Both parts will stream on HBO Max at the same time as their broadcasts.