Don Frese and Billy Joel, who were born to be wild, share a common interest

click on photo to enlarge

BY MARILYN MONSRUD FRESE

Class of 1963

A recent Early Levittown blog story was headlined YOU KNOW YOU'RE FROM LONG ISLAND WHEN and included the line "You have a friend who swears they saw Billy Joel somewhere in Oyster Bay." Well, count in my husband Don who is shown above.

Billy Joel has a motorcycle shop there, not to sell bikes, but to display his collection and it is open to the public. Amazing shop! Lots of bikers hang out in Oyster Bay. Don was in Billy's shop a few weeks ago and Billy was there just walking around and working on some of his bikes along with some of his mechanics.

He spotted Don's bike (he has three of them) parked outside and asked if that was his. Don said yes. It's a Boss Hoss (a V-8 with the Corvette engine... thing is HUGE!) and Billy went out to get a better look. He was fascinated by it and asked Don if he would allow him to sit on it. Don said sure, and when Billy got on it Don had to help him stand it up. The thing weighs a ton and Billy is not a big guy. They then had a great conversation about motorcycles for quite a while.

I just love Long Island.

Zippy cartoon strip, "Ode to Billy Joel" by Levittowner Bill Griffith

Click on cartoon to enlarge

Jon Buller, class of 1961, thought this recent Zippy the Pinhead cartoon might interest you. He wrote, "Billy Joel grew up in Levittown, as did Bill Griffith (McArthur High School '62). The lyrics to Joel's song "Allentown" were originally about Levittown, but he was advised by his manager that Levittown was not a good subject for a rock song. So he changed it to "Allentown."

According to Griffith, "It would be interesting to see if former Levittowners remember the "Allentown" song and its Levittown origins.

Bill Griffith's website: http://www.zippythepinhead.com/

His email address: griffy@zippythepinhead.com

If you know Billy Joel's "Allentown", Griffith's lyrics may run through your brain for the next 24 or so hours. If you are an early Levittowner, can't you smell the chickens and turkey pot pies cooking at Zorn's? Few fragrances were more intoxicating.

Note: Joel resided in a Levitt house but lived just across the border and attended Hicksville High School.