Billy Joel in Shea Stadium farewell

10:10pm Saturday 19th July 2008

Billy Joel bid a stirring farewell to Shea Stadium during a sold-out concert that marked the final show at the same ballpark where the Beatles famously ushered in a new era in rock 'n' roll four decades ago.

The New York Mets' home stadium is to be destroyed after the baseball season to make way for a new ballpark across the street.

The show came 43 years after the Beatles' legendary show in front of 55,000 screaming fans at Shea Stadium at the height of Beatlemania - the first concert at the ballpark.

"They're gonna be tearing this place down, but I wanna thank you ... for letting me do the best job in the world," said Joel.

And as if New Yorker Joel playing the last concert at Shea was not thrilling enough, high-wattage guests turned up the excitement level. Tony Bennett sang New York State of Mind with Joel and Garth Brooks appeared on stage wearing a Mets jersey.

In the audience, one of Joel's famous fans - ex-wife Christie Brinkley - sang along, word for word, to the chorus of She's Always a Woman.

Joel also performed at the venue on Wednesday when he played three Beatles songs - A Hard Day's Night, Please, Please Me and She Loves You.

"I want to thank the Beatles for letting us use their room. Best band that ever was, best band that ever will be," Joel told the fans at Wednesday's gig.

Diane Gentile saw the Beatles play at Shea in 1966 -- their second visit to the stadium after the historic show a year earlier. Her recollection of that summer night 42 years ago: "Oh, my God, there are the Beatles on that stage, and here am I.

"It was unbelievable. It was exciting; you could feel the electricity. Right before the concert we were singing 'Happy Anniversary' to John (Lennon) because his anniversary was that day," said Ms Gentile who was also at Joel's farewell to the Shea.

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