Jon Small Obituary: Billy Joel’s Former Bandmate and Music Video Director Dies at 79

Jon Small, the Long Island musician who helped launch Billy Joel’s career before becoming an influential music-video director, died Friday, September 4, 2026, at the age of 79.

Small died of cancer at his home in West Palm Beach, Florida, according to his son, Sean Weber-Small. His passing brought tributes from the music community and renewed attention to a career that connected the early days of Long Island rock with the rise of the music-video era.

For many listeners, Small is remembered as the drummer who recruited a young Billy Joel into The Hassles. For others, his most enduring work happened behind the camera, where he directed and produced videos and concert films for some of the biggest names in popular music.

The Long Island Band That Brought Billy Joel Into the Spotlight

Small grew up in Jericho, New York, in a family with strong musical connections. His father was a professional trumpeter who had played with Gene Krupa and Benny Goodman.

In 1964, Small became a founding member of The Hassles, a Long Island rock-soul group that rehearsed in the basement of his mother’s wallpaper store in Syosset.

The band developed a following through performances at local venues, including the Plainview nightclub My House. When the group needed a new keyboardist, Small recruited Billy Joel, then a member of The Lost Souls.

The Hassles went on to sign with United Artists and release two albums. Their recordings and live performances became an important part of Long Island’s music history, while the group provided Joel with one of his first major professional opportunities.

Small and Joel later formed Attila, an unusual hard-rock duo built around drums and keyboards. The group released its self-titled album in 1970.

Although Attila was short-lived, the partnership became another chapter in the early career of one of America’s most successful singer-songwriters.

A Friendship That Survived a Painful Break

Small and Joel’s relationship extended far beyond their work together.

The two were close friends, but their bond was severely damaged when Joel fell in love with Small’s wife, Elizabeth Weber, who later became Joel’s first wife and manager.

The difficult period was revisited in the 2025 documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes. Joel described the guilt and emotional turmoil he experienced, while Small spoke about the pain of losing both his marriage and his closest friendship.

Despite the rupture, Small helped Joel during a serious personal crisis. Their friendship was eventually repaired, and the two resumed working together years later.

That reconciliation became an important part of their shared history. Their relationship was not defined solely by the conflict, but also by the decades of music, friendship and creative work that followed.

Reinventing Himself Behind the Camera

After his performing career, Small established himself as a director and producer specializing in music videos and concert films.

The transition placed him at the center of a rapidly changing music industry. As music television became increasingly important, directors were finding new ways to translate songs into visual stories.

Small became one of the filmmakers associated with that era, working with artists across rock, pop, country and R&B.

His credits included videos for Billy Joel, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers, Anita Baker, Luther Vandross and other major performers.

He also directed the landmark 1986 video for Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” a collaboration that helped bring rock and hip-hop audiences together and became one of the defining music videos of its era.

The Billy Joel Videos That Reunited Them

Small’s professional relationship with Joel resumed during the 1980s.

He worked on videos associated with songs including “Tell Her About It,” “Keeping the Faith,” “Uptown Girl” and “Baby Grand,” bringing the two former bandmates together in a new creative setting.

Their collaboration also extended into concert films. Small’s work on Joel’s Live at Yankee Stadium earned him a Grammy nomination in 1992.

The partnership demonstrated how both men had evolved since their days performing together in Long Island clubs. Joel had become an international recording star, while Small had built a successful career directing the visual presentation of popular music.

Honored by the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame

In June 2025, The Hassles were inducted into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame.

The recognition celebrated the group’s contribution to the region’s musical history and its role in the early career of Billy Joel.

Small’s involvement in the induction also brought attention to his achievements beyond the band. By then, his career had spanned decades of recording, music-video production and concert filmmaking.

The honor connected his later accomplishments with the Long Island music scene where his professional journey began.

Jon Small’s Cause of Death and Family

Small died September 4, 2026, at his home in West Palm Beach, Florida. His son, Sean Weber-Small, told Newsday that his father died of cancer.

He was 79 years old.

Small is survived by his wife, Jeanine Small, their daughter and his son, Sean Weber-Small.

His son remembered him as a resilient figure who rebuilt his life and career after significant personal setbacks. That determination became part of the larger story of Small’s professional success.

Billy Joel Pays Tribute

Billy Joel publicly mourned Small’s death on September 7, sharing photographs of the two together from different periods of their lives.

The tribute reflected a friendship that had begun when they were young musicians and continued through decades of personal and professional change.

For Joel, Small was more than a former drummer or video director. He was a friend who had played an important role in his early career and remained connected to him through some of the most difficult and successful periods of his life.

The photographs offered a simple reminder of how much history the two men shared.

Funeral Arrangements and Lasting Legacy

Reports indicate that Small’s funeral is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, 2026, in Great Neck, New York. Anyone planning to attend should confirm the service details through the family or an authorized funeral announcement.

Jon Small’s legacy is unusually broad. He helped bring Billy Joel into The Hassles, recorded with him in Attila, and later became a successful director whose work helped shape the visual language of popular music.

His career also demonstrated the possibility of reinvention. After his years as a drummer, he built a second professional life that brought him recognition across multiple genres and generations of artists.

For Long Island’s music community, his passing marks the loss of a figure who was present at an important moment in the region’s rock history. For the wider music industry, he leaves behind a body of work that includes influential videos, concert films and collaborations with artists whose music continues to reach audiences around the world.

Disclaimer

This obituary is based on reporting available as of September 8, 2026. Jon Small’s death at age 79 on September 4 and the reported cause of cancer are attributed to information provided by his son to Newsday. Funeral arrangements should be confirmed through the family or an authorized announcement before attending. Additional personal or medical details should not be assumed beyond those publicly confirmed.