Many names in the song (some of course were gone before it was released). With the death of Brigitte Bardot it’s down to 3.

Chubby Checker, Bob Dylan, and Bernie Goetz

The list:

https://qv.neocities.org/billyjoel

Wheel of Fortune was mentioned in the song. Some videos show Pat Sajak at that point.

I had assumed Chubby Checker was long dead, didn't realize he was still alive.

I mi$$ Pat Sajak!!

I had assumed Chubby Checker was long dead, didn't realize he was still alive.

Still twisting at 84.

I’m not sure how remembered Bernie Goetz is nowadays. Here’s his Wikipedia page——


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_New_York_City_Subway_shooting

I had assumed Chubby Checker was long dead, didn't realize he was still alive.

I always confuse Chubby Checker and Fats Domino. Fats Domino died in 2017.

ChatGPT (https://chatgpt.com/share/6952aea3-ba24-800c-9b4d-02d755208969) got this one right.

Here’s the current count (as of late 2025) of people mentioned by name in Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” who are still alive:

✅ Still Alive (as of now)

3 people remain alive:

Bob Dylan – Musician referenced in the song.

Chubby Checker – Musician (“The Twist”).

Bernie (Bernhard) Goetz – Notorious New York subway vigilante referenced by name.

❌ Recently Deceased

Brigitte Bardot — French actress and activist who had been listed among the living but died on December 28, 2025.

Summary

So only three people mentioned by name in the song are still living as of December 2025: Bob Dylan, Chubby Checker, and Bernie Goetz.

📌 Note: This counts only individuals explicitly named in Joel’s lyrics, not broader references like “Beatlemania” or generic events.

FATS Def had good music!!