Billy Joel has said that Ray Charles is the only artist he has consciously tried to emulate. He described Charles as a major inspiration because of his ability to combine technical musical skill with emotional directness, suggesting that Joel sees him as a model for communicating feeling through songwriting and performance.

Joel highlighted Charles’s piano playing, singing and stylistic range, noting his influence across rhythm and blues, soul, jazz and country. Although Joel has drawn on many musical traditions during his career, he said Charles stands apart as the performer whose approach he has actively sought to learn from.