Christie Brinkley and Billy Joel were one of the most recognizable celebrity couples of the 1980s, and their only child together has grown up with talents of her own. Alexa Ray Joel, now 40, has built a career that reflects both sides of her famous family.
According to Yahoo Entertainment, rather than following Brinkley directly into modeling, she found her calling in music. The singer-songwriter and pianist has developed her own sound while occasionally sharing the stage with her legendary father. Along the way, she has also embraced fashion opportunities that highlight the influence of her supermodel mother.
Alexa Ray Followed Billy Joel Into The Music Business
Born in December 1985, nine months after Brinkley and Joel married aboard a yacht in New York Harbor, Alexa grew up on Long Island. Her parents divorced in 1994 and later expanded their families, making her the oldest of five children between them. With a world-famous musician for a father and one of the era’s biggest models for a mother, there was plenty of curiosity about which path she might eventually choose.
Music ultimately became her passion. As a singer-songwriter and pianist, she has created a style that combines pop and soul with piano-driven, jazz-influenced sounds. She has also performed alongside her father on several occasions, including duets of songs such as “New York State of Mind” and “Say Goodbye to Hollywood.” Billy has spoken proudly about watching his daughter perform, describing the joy he feels when she takes the stage and delivers a strong performance.
She Also Inherited Christie Brinkley’s Flair for Fashion
Although music became her primary career, Alexa Ray also entered fashion and beauty. She appeared on Bella magazine’s cover in 2018 and joined Brinkley and half-sister Sailor Brinkley-Cook for a Sports Illustrated shoot in 2017. She also became a Prell shampoo spokeswoman. Brinkley remains one of her biggest supporters, proudly celebrating Alexa’s 2024 Madison Square Garden performance with Billy Joel on social media.
Those performances offer a full-circle moment for fans who remember Brinkley and Joel as a celebrity power couple. The pair married in 1985, and although their marriage ended years later, Alexa remains their enduring connection. Rather than living in her famous parents’ shadow, she has built her own creative identity through music and fashion. Decades after fans knew her as Christie Brinkley and Billy Joel’s little girl, Alexa has become a performer with a career of her own.