Who is Jon Small? All about Billy Joel’s best friend as singer details affair with wife

Billy Joel: And So It Goes tries to capture and retell the story of the Piano Man singer’s life and career, including the affair with his best friend Jon Small’s wife. According to People Magazine, the first part of the documentary premiered at New York City’s Tribeca Festival and shed some light on one of the toughest phases of his life.

The singer recounted his affair with Elizabeth Weber Small, who was married to his best friend. The documentary revealed that Bill Joel had moved in with Jon and his family during his early 20s. It also marked the start of their relationship, as Elizabeth recalled in the documentary (via People Magazine),

“Bill and I spent a lot of time together.”

Elizabeth Weber, in her interview, called the relationship a “slow build.” Jon Small eventually found out about it, and Joel told him, “I’m in love with your wife.” In his documentary, the singer said,

“I felt very, very guilty about it. They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker. I was just in love with a woman and I got punched in the nose which I deserved. Jon was very upset. I was very upset.”

Apart from being his best friend, Jon Small, aka Jonathan Craig Small, was also a part of the rock bands The Hassles and Attila with Billy Joel. Together in Attila, they released just one eponymous studio album in July 1970, according to AllMusic. Their partnership was short-lived, and the band broke up after Joel’s affair with Small’s wife started.

Jon, who was a drummer and songwriter in Attila, later became a music video director and producer. He has been credited as director-producer for multiple live albums, music videos, and documentaries of artists and groups, including Billy Joel, Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Run-D.M.C., and more, per Mubi.

Despite the break-up of their band and personal issues, Jon Small continued to collaborate with Billy Joel for years. The Stranger singer’s fifth live album, “Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert,” was directed and produced by his former Attila bandmate.

Billy Joel attempted suicide after Jon Small found out about his relationship with Elizabeth Weber

The former Attila members are still friends today, but that wasn’t the case during the early ‘70s. After Jon Small found out about the affair, it put a halt to his friendship with Billy Joel. According to People Magazine, Elizabeth Weber left Jonathan while the "River of Dreams" singer's drinking problem also began. He revealed in his documentary about attempting to end his life during that period,

“I had no place to live. I was sleeping in laundromats and I was depressed I think to the point of almost being psychotic. So I figured, 'That’s it. I don’t want to live anymore.' I was just in a lot of pain and it was sort of like why hang out, tomorrow is going to be just like today is and today sucks. So, I just thought I’d end it all.”

Per People Magazine, Joel’s sister Judy Molinari was a medical assistant at that time and had given the singer sleeping pills to help him sleep. She said in the documentary,

“But Billy decided that he was going to take all of them… he was in a coma for days and days and days. I went to go see him in the hospital, and he was laying there white as a sheet. I thought that I’d killed him.”

Billy Joel talked about attempting suicide again once he was out of the hospital. The singer’s sister claimed that he drank a bottle of "lemon Pledge,” but this time Jon Small rushed him to the hospital. Joel acknowledged that his best friend saved his life. In the documentary, Jonathan also remarked on why Billy might have taken such drastic steps,

“He never really said anything to me, the only practical answer I can give as to why Billy took it so hard was because he loved me that much and that it killed him to hurt me that much. Eventually I forgave him.”

Billy Joel and Jon Small became friends again, and the singer married Elizabeth Weber in 1973. Their marriage lasted nine years, as the pair parted ways in ‘82.

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The two-part Billy Joel: And So It Goes also explores other segments of the singer's life, which viewers will get to witness with its release on HBO in July.

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