Here Are the Big Shots Billy Joel Wants in His Superband

Billy Joel has been back in the headlines lately, with his first new song released in 17 years and a performance at the Grammys. Now, the Piano Man is stirring the pot for fans even more with talk of a superband, and he's got quite the wish list for his dream team of performers. The Consequence of Sound reports that Joel made a special Valentine's Day appearance on Howard Stern's SiriusXM radio show, where Stern noted how great it would've been if the 74-year-old singer had been asked to be in the Traveling Wilburys, the late '80s-early '90s supergroup with George Harrison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison.

"I wanted to do something like that," Joel replied, and then revealed what the lineup of his superband is in his head: himself, Sting, Eagles co-founder Don Henley, "and maybe John Mayer on guitar." He mentioned Ringo Starr, too, noting that the former Beatle is "a great drummer. He doesn't get the credit he deserves."

However, Joel is shying away (at least for now) from one person in particular: his friend—and Starr's former bandmate—Paul McCartney. "I can't. He was in the superest group of all," Joel said, per CNN, adding he didn't "have the nerve" to ask McCartney, even though they talk "a lot." As for why this supergroup has never come together, Joel noted: "Everybody's busy. You always say to the other guys, 'Yeah, I'll see you on the road and we'll get together,' and you never do it." (More Billy Joel stories.)