A top 5% of podcasts in the world, Garage to Stadiums is a podcast for true music fans — the ones who want more than just headlines and hype. This show is for listeners who care about the full story behind the artists: their childhoods, musical influences, early gigs, personal battles, journey to stadium-level fame and the drama in between.

Why are we different? In each episode host Dave Anthony features guests who know their stuff and bring real insights from their time with the performers — from respected rock journalists to documentary filmmakers.

If you want smarter music commentary and behind-the-scenes stories you won’t hear anywhere else, subscribe now and get your backstage pass to music history.

Billy Joel is the fourth best-selling solo artist in U.S. history, yet most fans aren’t familiar with the extremely challenging and fascinating journey he took from little Jewish boy piano prodigy on Long Island to rock and pop icon of the 1970s and ’80s. In this episode:

1. How Billy's broken home challenged his childhood
2. His intense battles with mental illness and addiction
3. The part-time job that led to one of his biggest hits
4. How his wife became a key part of charting his career
5. Overcoming a corrupt manager that threatened his livelihood
6. The resurrection of his career with one of the most successful set of gigs ever

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Guest Bio
Fred Schruers, author of Billy Joel: The Definitive Biography interviewed extensively a variety of people in Joel's circle to create a compelling and honest portrait of the man. Fred is a long-time feature writer for such publications as Rolling Stone and the LA Times.

Tom Petty is one the most popular and recognizable song catalogs and has a legion of young and old fans alike. To get to the top Tom had to overcome a difficult childhood, a series of music failures and even a lawsuit that ended up changing the entire music industry forever. In this episode:

• How Tom overcame a difficult home life in Florida
• How Tom participated in gigs as a teenager with Lynryd Skynryd, and the Allman Brothers
• The details behind the groundbreaking Petty lawsuit that changed the music industry forever
• Why Tom was chosen by Bob Dylan & George Harrison into a supergroup
• The interesting second career as a cartoon voice on a popular show
• How Tom's relationship with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac turned into a winning music formula
• The details behind Tom's battle with a heroin addiction

Guest Bio - Warren Zanes

Warren is the author of Petty: The Biography, and a New York Times best selling author, an Oscar winning and Grammy nominated music documentary producer. Warren was also a member of Del Fuegos rock band making three records for Warner Brothers. His band actually was an opening act for Petty's band on a couple tours. Warren then earned his PhD in visual and Cultural Studies and currently teaches at NYU. He's been the VP of Education at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He's been a producer on the Oscar winning documentary 20 feet from stardom, about the role of backup singers. And his book on Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska album is the basis for the upcoming biopic on Bruce, starring Jeremy Allen White, and is also a producer on that film.

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