Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Entertainment

Review: Crystal Taliefero earns the spotlight in latest music documentary (Includes first-hand account)

Taliefero has finally earned the spotlight with a feature in the new documentary, Rock n Roll Guns for Hire: The Story of the Sidemen.

She first joined Joel’s band in 1989, where she served as a multi-instrumentalist and background vocalist. She plays percussion, saxophone, harmonica and sings backing vocals. She was raised in Gary, Indiana.

A Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Joel praised Taliefero for being a total “professional.” “When we are on stage, she delivers. She is a show unto herself,” he said, in the documentary.

“I can always rely on her to come through no matter what we are doing and that’s a great thing to be able to rely on. I never have to worry about what she is going to do and how she does it,” Joel added.

Taliefero acknowledged that she never wanted to be a star, not even in her youth. “I didn’t even know what a star was,” she admitted. “This whole thing chose me. I am glad it turned out this way. I’m having the best time of my life,” she added.

On August 23, 2018, Billy Joel honored the late “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin at his concert at Madison Square Garden, where Taliefero performed the R&B classic “Respect,” with maximum heart and charisma.

In addition to Billy Joel, Taliefero has worked with such artists as John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, and the late Joe Cocker.

The Verdict

Overall, Crystal Taliefero is the epitome of grace, humility, and natural talent, and she rightfully deserved the spotlight in the documentary, Rock n Roll Guns for Hire: The Story of the Sidemen, especially for being the most important sidewoman to Billy Joel.

Read More: Digital Journal chatted with Crystal Taliefero back in the summer of 2018, where she spoke about her career and the impact of technology on the music industry.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 20,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

You may also like:

World

Calling for urgent action is the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

Business

Saudi Aramco President & CEO Amin Nasser speaks during the CERAWeek oil summit in Houston, Texas - Copyright AFP Mark FelixPointing to the still...

World

Immigration is a symptom of a much deeper worldwide problem.

Business

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal infers that some workers might be falling out of the job market altogether.