In honor of the new Billy Joel Boulevard coming to Long Island
Rebecca Schiller

19:41 2nd June 2015

Now that the 'Billy Joel Boulevard' bill has passed the New York State Senate, there might be a road named after the Piano Man coming to the Long Island town of Oyster Bay.


No stranger to the area, not only is Joel from Long Island, but he also owns an Oyster Bay-based motorcycle shop called 20th Century Cycles, and he referenced Oyster Bay in his 1974 song ‘The Ballad of Billy the Kid’.

But Billy Joel isn’t the first musician to be honored with a street. Here’s a look at 19 other musicians and bands who have had streets named after them, from Justin Bieber to Anthrax.

  • Bob Dylan Way - Duluth, MN: In 2006, Dylan's Minnesota hometown installed a 1.8 mile pathway that runs through Duluth's downtown to commemorate the singer's 65th birthday. Since its initial installation, a group of citizens have raised money to put into place 30 street signs that mark the pathway.

  • Elvis Presley Boulevard - Memphis, TN: Elvis Presley Boulevard is not just a tribute to the King, but it's also the street that his estate Graceland can be found on. You might also recognize its name from his 1976 album From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee.

  • Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter Road - Kwara State, Nigeria: This road was given its name in 2006 in honor of Jay-Z's efforts to raise money to help fight Nigeria's water crisis.

  • Korn Row - Bakersfield, CA: In 2006, Korn's hometown of Bakersfield not only gave the band a road, but they also inaugurated it with a celebratory "Korn Day". Speaking at the ceremony, frontman Jonathan Davis told fans: "It kind of makes us get teary-eyed a little bit... It's because of all you coming and supporting us."

  • Dave Grohl Alley - Warren, OH: Grohl's hometown dedicated a street to the musician, as well as gave him a key to the city and celebrated Dave Grohl Day, in 2009. The alley also features plenty of murals painted by fans (although someone vandalized much of the artwork last year - but it's since been restored/repainted).

  • Joey Ramone Place - Manhattan, NYC: The corner of Bowery and 2nd Street became Joey Ramone Place in 2003, and it has since become one of the most stolen street signs in NYC. Every time the sign has been stolen, its replacement has been posted at a higher level to deter thieves. "Now you have to be an NBA player to see it," Marky Ramone said once the sign was posted 20 feet above street level.

  • Tina Turner Highway - Nutbush, TN: Tina Turner was born and raised in Nusbush and she sang about the town in her 1973 song 'Nutbush City Limits'. In return, the town dedicated a portion of Tennessee State Route 19 to Turner in 2002.

  • John Lennon Drive/Paul McCartney Way/Ringo Starr Drive/George Harrison Close - Liverpool, England: The Fab Four's hometown has plenty of tributes to the band, which includes streets that have been named after each of its members since the 80s. In 2011, Ringo's predecessor Pete Best got two roads named in his honor - Pete Best Drive and Casbah Close - after a Facebook campaign was started.

  • Anthrax Street - Fayetteville, NC: This street name was approved back in 1996, after it was suggested to surveyor Mike Tate by one of his employees. While he had never heard of the band, he thought the name sounded "unique and different". However, residents of the street weren't too pleased with the name and they signed a petition to get it changed. The street ended up becoming Allegiance Avenue in 2002.

  • Justin Bieber Way - Forney, TX: Although it was only temporary, Bieber was given a street in Texas after 11-year-old Caroline Gonzalez won the town's "Mayor for a Day" contest. Her first act as Mayor was to change the name of Main Street to Justin Bieber Way for the day.

  • U2 Way - Manhattan, NYC: 2009 saw another temporary street name change when West 53rd Street became U2 Way, in collaboration with their week-long residency playing The Late Show With David Letterman and the release of No Line On The Horizon. "New York is a place that people come to [and] feel at home," Bono said at the ceremony, "and we truly do feel at home here in New York."

  • Flaming Lips Alley - Oklahoma City, OK: Oklahoma City is where The Flaming Lips started as a band, and in 2006, they were honored with a street in the center of the city's Bricktown arts district. Click here to watch footage from the ceremony, and to see Santas and aliens on a stage as Wayne Coyne accepts the street sign.

  • Placeta Joe Strummer - Granada, Spain: The late Clash frontman was honored with the Placeta Joe Strummer in 2013, as he had spent a great deal of time in Granada during the 80s. Fans launched a Facebook campaign to name the area after him. In a press release announcing the naming, the city government said: "Joe Strummer will forever be linked to the history of Granada and also to its heart", while city councilor Rocio Diaz said the location was chosen "with great care as we wanted it to be a very meaningful place in the city."

  • Darius Rucker Boulevard - Charleston, SC: The Hootie and the Blowfish man, who grew up in the Charleston area, was honored with a street in 2013. Darius Rucker Boulevard is the street leading to the North Charleston Coliseum, a venue the band had played at in the 90s, shortly after it opened. Along with posting the above photo to his Facebook, Rucker wrote: "Want to take a stroll down Darius Rucker Boulevard? Charleston, what an honor. Thank you."

  • Buddy Holly Avenue - Lubbock, TX: To mark what would have been his 60th birthday, Buddy Holly's hometown renamed Avenue H to be Buddy Holly Avenue in 1996. The city also used to host an annual Buddy Holly Music Festival (but it was renamed Lubbock Music Festival after Holly's widow increased usage fees for his name).

  • Run DMC JMJ Way - Hollis, Queens, NYC: The late DJ Jam Master Jay was honored in 2009 when the corner of Hollis Avenue and 205th Street was renamed Run DMC JMJ Way. Run said at the unveiling ceremony: "I lived right down that block," while DMC added: "We are who we are because of you people."

  • Frank Zappa Strasse - Berlin, Germany: Street 13, which took on Zappa's name in 2007, is the home to Orwo Haus, a massive studio complex that has practice rooms for up to 160 bands. The Orwo Haus association decided to name the street after Zappa because "he was without taboo, musically versatile, provocative, and didn't allow himself to be captured by capitalistic enterprises."

  • ACDC Lane - Melbourne, Australia: What was once Corporation Lane is now named after AC/DC. The name change happened in 2004 to honor the Australian rock band, although the council wouldn't allow for there to be a slash in the name, as it was against policy.

  • Willie Nelson Boulevard - Austin, TX: In 2010, Austin City Council voted to give Second Street a second name, Willie Nelson Boulevard. They also honored the musician two years later with a life-size statue, located on the street in front of Austin City Limits studio.


Photo: Wenn