Rocker BILLY JOEL's darkest days are set to be exposed in an explosive new biography, which reveals the longtime boozer was once found passed out in a closet after guzzling furniture polish.
Newlywed Joel, who has just completed a stay at a rehabilitation centre to finally kick his alcohol drink demons, is portrayed as a heavy drinker who once slept with his best friend's wife in HANK BORDOWITZ's BILLY JOEL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF AN ANGRY YOUNG MAN.
A source at publishers BILLBOARD BOOKS says, "The book will recount how Billy moved in with one of his best friends and the friend's wife when he was living in New York.
"When his friend was out of the house, Billy allegedly crawled into the wife's bed."
Bordowitz also reveals, "He (Joel) was known as a blackout drinker, getting so drunk he couldn't remember what he did the night before."

--NY Post Page 6

A look at the superstar's life, including his troubled youth as a gang member; the controversy surrounding his first hit, "Captain Jack"; his legal problems; his storied marriage with Christie Brinkley; and his continued artistic frustration. "The Beatles did 'Michelle' and 'Yesterday,'" he has said. "They also did 'Revolution' and 'Helter Skelter' and they weren't pegged as balladeers. But because I had hit singles that were ballads, I became known as a balladeer. I've always resented it." Joel, one of the top ten touring acts of the decade, continued his standing road date with Elton John on the never-ending Two Pianos tour. It was one of the world's top-grossing tours in 2009, just behind U2 and Bruce Springsteen.