Billy Joel has paid tribute to Jon Small, his longtime friend and collaborator, following news of Small's death. Joel announced the loss on Instagram on 7 September, sharing photographs of the pair without giving further details, while a podcast dedicated to Joel's career confirmed Small died on 4 September and would be buried in Great Neck, New York, on 9 September. The pair's bond stretched back decades and shaped much of Joel's early career, making Small's death a significant personal loss for the singer.

Joel and Small first played together in the 1960s band the Hassles before forming Attila, though their friendship was later strained when Joel fell in love with Small's wife, Elizabeth Weber, whom Joel went on to marry in 1973 before divorcing in 1982. Despite the rift, Small stood by Joel during a dangerous personal crisis, and the two later reconciled in the 1980s, with Small producing Joel's "Uptown Girl" and "Keeping the Faith" videos and earning a Grammy nomination for the Live at Yankee Stadium concert film; Small also worked with artists including Kenny Rogers, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton.