27. Billy Joel

Long Island’s piano man had a roller coaster of a year. The pop singer/fishermen’s rights advocate/classical pianist started 2003 by crashing his Mercedes into a tree in Sag Harbor, allegedly while driving drunk, which was allegedly covered up by Suffolk police. That’s the kind of power the ordinary Joe doesn’t enjoy. Joel ended the year with his songs being the focus of a smash Broadway musical, Movin’ Out, which took home a Tony Award for best orchestration.