Long Island native Billy Joel headlines final concert at Veterans Memorial Coliseum

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FILE - In this July 25, 2015, file photo, singer-songwriter Billy Joel performs in concert at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. For the 32nd time, the Piano Man played at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum before it closes for a major renovation. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Billy Joel opened his final show at the soon-to-be shuttered Nassau Veteran Memorial Coliseum with his 1977 hit “Movin’ Out.”

The Long Island native, who grew up in nearby Hicksville, was tapped to perform the last show Tuesday night at the coliseum before it closes for a major renovation.

Newsday says (http://nwsdy.li/1IomqP3 ) the Piano Man was introduced by his longtime friend Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Paul Simon appeared as his surprise guest and the pair performed three songs, including “Homeward Bound.”

Joel’s set also included songs he rarely plays, including “Just the Way You Are.”

He quipped that he’d be fine if a road isn’t named for him, referring to a proposal to rename a stretch of Route 107 in Hicksville after him. He said, “I’d rather be alive.”

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Information from: Newsday, http://www.newsday.com

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