Billy Joel’s former rhythm guitarist Russell Javors recently opened up about the emotional impact of the band’s 1989 breakup. He described the experience as feeling “disowned by family” in an interview with Classic Rock History.
Javors was asked directly about the circumstances surrounding the band’s dissolution and his personal reaction to Joel’s decision to end what he considered a successful musical partnership.
“Of course, I was disappointed,” Javors said. “Not only did I lose a great gig, but it was like being disowned by your family. It was a humbling experience.”
The guitarist emphasized his deep connection to the band and his identity as a musician within that group structure.
“I never thought of myself as a session musician,” he continued. “I loved being a part of a band. Being a part of the band I played with since I was a kid meant everything to me.”
Following the breakup, Javors took time to reassess his career and personal direction.
“When it was over, I needed to take a break from it all,” he said. “So, I challenged myself to do things that interested me that I didn’t have time to do when I was in the band. I reinvented myself. The journey eventually brought me to Hong Kong, where Suzanne and I lived for many years.”
The 1989 band dissolution was part of a broader restructuring that affected multiple longtime members of Joel’s touring and recording ensemble.
Fox News reported that the split came during production of the Storm Front album with producer Mick Jones of Foreigner. Joel replaced Javors and most bandmates except drummer Liberty DeVitto, saxophonist Mark Rivera, and bassist Jeff Berlin. The changes followed Joel firing manager Frank Weber over a financial controversy. This prompted a complete band overhaul.
Javors learned of his dismissal in a particularly painful way. iHeart noted that he discovered his firing indirectly by hearing Joel’s new album on the radio, with “nobody ever saying a word to me after all those years… I didn’t even get a phone call.”
The band lineup that was dissolved in 1989 had been Joel’s core group for years. Wikipedia documented that this lineup included Richie Cannata on saxophones and organ, Liberty DeVitto on drums, Russell Javors and Howie Emerson on guitars, and Doug Stegmeyer on bass.
The aftermath of the breakup led to legal disputes between Joel and some former band members. 30 Days Out revealed that drummer Liberty DeVitto later answered his termination with a lawsuit. Both he and Javors recalled their experiences of the sudden departure from what had been a successful musical partnership.
