Small, who played with Joel in the Hassles and Attila, later worked on several of Joel’s concert films and videos after the two reconciled.
Billy Joel has announced the death of Jon Small, the drummer and early bandmate whose relationship with Joel was once fractured by a personal betrayal and later repaired. Small’s age and cause of death were not known at press time.
From the Hassles to Attila
Joel and Small played together in the Hassles in the 1960s before forming the hard rock duo Attila. The group released its debut album in 1970, during a period when Joel was living with Small and Small’s wife, Elizabeth Weber.
That arrangement became the center of one of the most painful chapters in Joel’s life. As detailed in the recent documentary And So It Goes, Joel fell in love with Weber, an affair that ended Attila, damaged his friendship with Small and led to Joel being evicted from Small’s house.
Small described the fallout in the film as devastating. Joel said he felt guilty and called himself a “homewrecker,” while Small said he eventually forgave him.
A friendship that came back around
Joel and Weber later reunited and married. Their marriage lasted from 1973 to 1982.
Small and Joel also found their way back to each other professionally. After the breakup, Small worked on Joel’s concert films Live From Long Island and Live at Shea Stadium, and directed the “Baby Grand” video. He also directed music videos for Reba McEntire, Enrique Iglesias and Brooks & Dunn.
Joel’s tribute lands after decades of history
Joel marked Small’s death with a brief tribute on social media. It was a small gesture for a relationship that carried a long history: bandmates, friends, rivals, and eventually collaborators again.
Small’s death closes a chapter that ran through some of Joel’s earliest career turns, from the garage-band years to the concert-film era. For Joel, it was never just a bandmate lost. It was someone tied to one of the most consequential personal and professional ruptures of his life.
