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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsNo public ruling establishes that Billy Joel scammed his longtime drummer, Liberty DeVitto, out of royalties. DeVitto sued Joel and Sony Music in 2009 over royalties he said were owed on 11 albums; the case settled in April 2010, with no settlement terms disclosed. DeVitto later described the dispute as involving internet royalties and recalled Joel calling it an accountant’s mistake.
Why did Liberty DeVitto sue Billy Joel?
DeVitto played with Joel from 1975 to 2005. In May 2009, he sued Joel and Sony Music, alleging unpaid royalties connected to 11 albums recorded from 1975 through 1990. Contemporary reports said DeVitto had gone ten years without an accounting. The lawsuit concerned those records; it does not establish that royalties went unpaid throughout DeVitto’s roughly 30-year association with Joel.
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The amount DeVitto claimed was not specified in contemporaneous reporting. His lawyer said album sales were subject to an audit. Pollstar reported in 2010 that the albums had sold more than 100 million units worldwide; that is a reported combined sales figure, not a measure of royalties owed to DeVitto. Pollstar’s April 2010 report and ABC News Australia’s account summarize the allegations and settlement.
What happened to the lawsuit?
The case was reported settled on April 21, 2010. Joel’s lawyer, Paul LiCalsi, said, “The case has been amicably resolved.” Neither side’s lawyers disclosed the settlement terms in the contemporary reports. A settlement ends a dispute, but by itself does not establish that either side admitted liability or that a court found wrongdoing.
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What did DeVitto later say about the dispute?
In a 2020 interview, DeVitto said he had sued over “internet royalties and stuff like that.” He recalled Joel telling him, while they were with lawyers, that “it was a big mistake that his accountant made.” DeVitto characterized the episode as a “big misunderstanding” and said he did not regret suing. These are DeVitto’s retrospective recollections, not a court finding or an independently published accounting. Rolling Stone Australia’s 2020 interview records his account.
Was there a scam, and how much did DeVitto receive?
The public reporting cited here establishes an allegation and a settlement, not a finding that Joel committed fraud or stole royalties. It also does not disclose whether, or how much, money changed hands. DeVitto’s later account points to an alleged accounting mistake and internet royalties, but it does not independently resolve what was owed or paid.
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Is this the same as the separate 2026 drum-performance case?
No. A January 12, 2026 order in Roderick v. Joel et al. concerns a separate claim by Joseph Roderick Jr., who alleged that his drum performance was used on “You May Be Right.” That case is distinct from DeVitto’s royalty lawsuit; the order does not decide DeVitto’s dispute. The Southern District of New York order addresses Roderick’s claims.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where can readers find DeVitto’s own account?
DeVitto’s official website describes his 2020 autobiography, Liberty: Life, Billy and the Pursuit of Happiness, as an account of his three decades with Joel. It is a personal memoir, useful for his perspective rather than as a neutral legal record. DeVitto’s official website provides information about the book.
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- Format: Vinyl...
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