Billy Joel Thrills With Surprise Performance at Daimler Event

Billy Joel during his Daimler Customer Appreciation Night performance by Seth Clevenger/Transport Topics

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SAN DIEGO — Billy Joel thrilled an audience of trucking industry leaders as the surprise entertainment at Daimler Truck North America’s 2022 Customer Appreciation Event.

The singer-songwriter and pianist from Long Island, N.Y., performed a nearly two-hour set for an invitation-only audience of about 1,200 fleet executives and other guests at the harborside Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, a downtown outdoor venue.

DTNA, the manufacturer of Freightliner and Western Star trucks and Detroit engines, hosted the private concert Oct. 24 during American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference & Exhibition.

Joel performed a long list of iconic hits spanning his legendary career, including “Piano Man,” “Movin’ Out,” “My Life,” “Just the Way You Are,” “Uptown Girl,” “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” “Only the Good Die Young,” “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and “The River of Dreams.”

For an encore, he concluded the memorable evening with covers of ZZ Top’s “Tush” and The Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night.”

In keeping with tradition, the identity of the evening’s entertainment was a closely guarded secret until DTNA CEO John O’Leary and Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing David Carson made the announcement just moments before the concert began.

Previous editions of the annual event during the past several years have featured performances by Bon Jovi (2021), Luke Bryan and Maddie & Tae (2019), Carrie Underwood and Florida Georgia Line  (2018), Jason Aldean (2017), The Rolling Stones (2016), Paul McCartney (2015) and The Eagles (2014).

A memorable night for trucking industry leaders! @billyjoel⁩ performing a private concert at the @DaimlerTruckNA customer appreciation event at #ATAmce22 in San Diego. pic.twitter.com/yMZ5x9FxBe — Seth Clevenger (@SethClevenger) October 25, 2022

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