TeaFlix Tuesday with Liberty DeVitto
May 12
13:07
2026
TeaFlix Tuesday with Liberty DeVitto
Liberty DeVitto (born Liberatori) grew up in Brooklyn, New York, in an Italian-American family. His father served as a New York City police officer, and his upbringing was rooted in a working-class environment.
He developed an early interest in music, first learning the snare drum in school. A turning point came around age 11 when he received a used drum kit from a cousin. However, his true inspiration arrived in 1964 after watching The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show, which convinced him to pursue drumming seriously.
In case you missed the live show, here it is:
As a teenager, he was also influenced by rock drummer Dino Danelli, helping shape his energetic, hard-hitting style.
DeVitto’s major break came in the mid-1970s when he joined Billy Joel’s band. He became part of Joel’s classic lineup beginning with the 1976 album Turnstiles, and remained his drummer for roughly 30 years.
During that time, DeVitto played on many of Joel’s most successful recordings, including:
The Stranger (1977)
52nd Street (1978)
Glass Houses (1980)
An Innocent Man (1983)
His powerful, driving drumming style became a defining element of Joel’s sound, contributing to records that collectively sold over 150 million copies worldwide.
Beyond Joel, DeVitto also worked as a session drummer with major artists such as Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, Carly Simon, and Meat Loaf.
After decades of collaboration, DeVitto’s relationship with Billy Joel deteriorated, and he left the band following the 2006 tour but in later years the two reconciled personally and Billy even wrote the foreword to Liberty’s fantastic book.Liberty: “ Life, Billy & The Pursuit of Happiness.”
DeVitto has four daughters, including actress Torrey DeVitto. His life has had its ups and downs including divorce and the pressures of long-term touring – topics he later addressed in his memoir.
After leaving Joel’s band, DeVitto remained active in music and other ventures:
He co-founded the rock band The Slim Kings and later became a member of The Lords of 52nd Street, which performs classic Billy Joel music live.
He continued to perform, tour, and collaborate with various artists, maintaining a presence in the music industry.
More recently, he published his autobiography Liberty: Life, Billy and the Pursuit of Happiness, offering an inside look at his career and personal struggles.
He supports the nonprofit Little Kids Rock, helping provide instruments and music education to underserved children.
As of the 2020s, he continues performing, recording, writing, and appearing at music events and clinics, remaining an active figure in rock drumming. And even writing forewords for OTHER people’s books such as MY forthcoming Innovative Ink Publishing tome called “They Didn’t Start The Fire” – more on that later.
Liberty DeVitto is widely regarded as one of the defining drummers of late 20th-century pop-rock. From his Brooklyn upbringing and early Beatles inspiration to his three-decade tenure with Billy Joel, he helped shape some of the most recognizable recordings in modern music.
After leaving Joel’s band, he successfully reinvented himself as a performer, author, and mentor – continuing to contribute to music well into his later career.
Learn more and buy the book at https://libertydevitto.com
Teaflix is sponsored by https://MrsMcCartneysTeas.com
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