Billy Crystal - Early Life

Early Life

Crystal was born in The Bronx and as a toddler moved with his family to a house on Neptune Boulevard in Long Beach, on Long Island, New York. He and his older brothers Joel and Richard, nicknamed Rip, were the sons of Helen (née Gabler), a housewife, and Jack Crystal, a record company executive and jazz producer who also owned and operated the Commodore Music Store, founded by Helen's father, Julius Gabler; musician and songwriter Milt Gabler was Helen's brother. The Crystal family later moved to 549 East Park Avenue in Long Beach. Crystal grew up in a Jewish family in which the three young brothers would entertain by reprising comedy routines from the likes of Bob Newhart, Rich Little and Sid Caesar records their father would bring. Jazz artists such Arville Shaw, Pee Wee Russell, Eddie Condon and Billie Holiday were often guests in the home. With the decline of Dixieland jazz circa 1963, Jack Crystal lost his business, and died that year at age 54 after suffering a heart attack while bowling. Billy Crystal was 15. Helen Crystal died in 2001.

After graduation from Long Beach High School, Crystal attended Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia on a baseball scholarship, having learned the game from his father, who pitched for St. John's University. Crystal never played a game at Marshall because the program was suspended during his freshman year, and because he was too busy being the Editor in Chief of The BG News from 1969–70. He did not return to Marshall as a sophomore, staying back in New York with his future wife. He instead attended Nassau Community College and later New York University, where he graduated in 1970 with a BFA from its Tisch School of the Arts.