Billy Joel is remembering Jon Small as far more than a longtime musical collaborator following his death.
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The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer shared the news on social media this week, posting a black-and-white photo of himself and Small when they were young.
“RIP Jon Small,” Joel, 77, wrote in the initial tribute.
A cause of death has not been disclosed.
Joel returned to Instagram Thursday, Sept. 10, with a much longer message about the friendship that began when the two were young musicians trying to find their way in the music industry.
“I wanted to take a few days to gather my thoughts on the passing of my best friend, Jon Small,” he began. “Jon was like a brother to me. No matter the distance or how much time passed, we shared a bond that never changed.”
He spoke about when they both began music.
“Jon and I were just kids when we decided we wanted to become professional musicians together. That decision became a turning point in both of our lives. We took a huge gamble on a life of creativity, without knowing where it would lead us. Jon went on to build a successful company and create extraordinary work in film and television, but at the end of the day, we were still those two kids who formed a band together,” he noted.
Joel and Small’s musical partnership dates to the 1960s, when they played together in the rock group The Hassles. Small was the band’s drummer, while Joel was a member of the group before embarking on his solo career.
The friends later formed Attila, a hard rock duo that released its self-titled album in 1970. Although their time performing together was relatively brief, Joel said Small remained connected to his career for decades.
“Jon was part of my career long after he stopped playing music. In so many ways, he was a founding member of it,” Joel wrote.
Their relationship eventually extended beyond music. Joel revealed that he became the stepfather of Small’s son and remained close with Small’s wife, Jeanine, and their families.
“But what we shared went far beyond music or careers. Jon saved my life, metaphorically and physically,” he added. “Our lives and families became intertwined in ways I could never have imagined when we first met.”
Joel described Small as “kind, humble and enormously talented” and said his friend’s impact would extend beyond his professional accomplishments.
“He wasn’t simply my oldest friend. He was family.”
Joel ended his tribute by reflecting on the difficulty of losing someone who had been part of his life for so long.
“Losing Jon has hit me in a way I have never experienced. It is difficult to imagine this world without him in it,” the iconic singer heartbreakingly added.
He added, “I will miss him terribly. A part of me will always be with him, and a part of Jon will always be with me.”