NAMES IN THE NEWS : Joel Wants Full Credit for Songs

Billy Joel says he feels like part of his family has been taken when others claim ownership of his songs.

Joel told Rolling Stone magazine in the Jan. 9 issue that he is “not all that rich” and may, in fact, owe money.

The 40-year-old singer is touring and has just released “Storm Front,” his most successful album in a decade, but he said copyright disputes over some of his past songs have made his financial status questionable.

“For better or worse, your songs are your kids. Then somebody comes along and tells you that they’re not your kids any more. The bank is going to take your kid,” he said.

He said part of the problem is that artists are “knuckleheads when it comes to business. Money isn’t why I did what I’ve done with my life. I did what I did because it made me happy. But I’m tired of getting it taken away from me by other people who haven’t earned it.”

Meanwhile, he says people too often misunderstand his relationship with his wife, super-model Christie Brinkley, “as if somehow Christie and I don’t love and hurt and feel the same things that anybody else does.”

“What do they think we do--walk in the door and fly around on gossamer and glitzy gliders? Don’t people realize that the minute the door closes, all of the silly rock star/super-model stuff goes right out the window? Then it’s just me and her and real man-and-wife time,” Joel said.