Billy Joel AI documentary to premiere using lost 1971 interview

A new documentary titled ‘1971: Billy Joel’s Lost Interview’ will premiere on September 25 at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. The 20-minute short uses artificial intelligence to visually recreate a 55-year-old radio interview recorded in December 1971 at C.W. Post’s WCWP station.

The project utilizes authentic audio from a quarter-inch reel-to-reel tape featuring a 22-year-old Joel, shortly after the release of his debut solo album, ‘Cold Spring Harbor’. Director Adam Ripp collaborated with a Canadian AI company to generate visual representations of Joel, his manager Irwin Mazur, and interviewer Ed Mann to match the original audio.

Notably, the documentary includes a disclaimer stating it is an independent work and has not been approved, partnered with, or endorsed by Billy Joel. The interview captures a young, then-unknown musician discussing his views on venues like Madison Square Garden.