Alexa Ray Joel (born December 29, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is the daughter of singer/songwriter Billy Joel and model Christie Brinkley. Joel released an EP Sketches (2006) and several singles on independent record labels. She has performed at numerous charity events and New York City fashion events.
Early life Joel was born on December 29, 1985,Billy Joel, Christie Brinkley have their first child, a girl (archive), Lexington Herald-Leader (Kentucky, U.S.), article published December 31, 1985. Born "about 11:45 pm Sunday"; December 29 fell on a Sunday in 1985. in Manhattan, New York City. She is the daughter of singer-songwriter Billy Joel and model Christie Brinkley."In Focus: Billy Joel" from photos section of movies.msn.com showing Joel at the age of two years with parents; photo dated June 27, 1988. Her middle name, Ray, honors the musician Ray Charles, with whom her father recorded the song "Baby Grand".Stout, Gene, "Billy Joel Delivers – Few Surprises," seattlepi.com (Seattle Post-Intelligencer), December 3, 1986 (retrieved July 21, 2009) ().Mrowicki, Matt, "Turning A Fantasy Into A Promising Career" interview (archive), Chorus and Verse, June 2006. Through her mother, she has a half-brother, Jack Paris Brinkley ( Taubman, born June 2, 1995), and a half-sister, Sailor Brinkley Cook (born July 2, 1998)."Christie Brinkley" model profile (archive), New York magazine, undated profile was downloaded March 9, 2011. Joel also has two half-sisters on her father's side: Della Rose (born August 12, 2015) and Remy Anne (born October 22, 2017).
Her father wrote his 1993 song "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" for her. It is her favorite song he has written.SHOWBIZ TONIGHT transcript (archive), CNN, November 17, 2006.Schlansky, Evan "Alexa Ray Joel: Q&A" (archive), American Songwriter, May 1, 2007. His 1989 song "The Downeaster Alexa" was named after a boat he named for her, although the song itself concerns the struggles of Long Island fishermen.Ragogna, Mike, "Life Is Good: Conversations With Jason Mraz and Alexa Ray Joel, Plus Alexa's New Video 'Notice Me'" (archive), The Huffington Post, November 18, 2010. She is also referenced in his 1989 song "Leningrad" (with the line "...He made my daughter laugh, then we embraced...").Joel, Billy, "Billy Joel 'Leningrad' Lyrics" for lyrics (archive), and "Billy Joel Biography & Timeline" (), billyjoel.com, downloaded March 26, 2011.
Like her father, Joel is known for melodic songwriting and has noted that her musical upbringing gave her a “unique inside view into the songwriting process,” adding that “it’s no wonder I write music in the same way: melody first, and lyrics second.” Joel said that by age 15, she was finishing complete songs with piano accompaniment and writing poetry.
Career In 2005, at age 19, Joel assembled a bandDeming, Mark, [ Biography], All Music Guide, AMG (later AllMusic), presented with attribution to AMG by [ Billboard.com] and without attribution to AMG by (), late 2006. and performed her first live show at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey. In 2006, Joel played nearly 100 shows, including a Hard Rock Cafe tour completed in May 2006.Waddell, Ray, "Like her father, Joel embarks on musician's life" (archive), Reuters attributing to "Reuters/Billboard," October 22, 2006.
Sketches Joel self-released and independently distributedMadison, Tjames (sic), "Alexa Ray Joel 'Sketches' out tour" (archive), LiveDaily (succeeded by Soundspike.com), September 21, 2006. the six-song EP Sketches in August 2006."Alexa Ray Joel a Strikes Chord of Her Own" (archive), People magazine, October 8, 2006. Joel explained "It's called 'Sketches' because it's like raw sketches... About three of the songs, actually, were done in one take." Joel designed and illustrated the CD cover, packaging, and inserts that included her handwritten lyrics.Worley, Gail, "Alexa Ray Joel" (archive), LivingRoomNY interview, after October 16, 2008, performance at Hammerstain Ballroom. Sketches also included a pop/rock cover of Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down".
After Sketches Joel performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (April 2007),"Billy Joel's Daughter Makes Solo Debut"(), Artistdirect, article published April 25, 2007. Photo: nojazzfest.com Gallery "53 of 80" the 2007 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (June 2007),"Schedule" of the 2007 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (archive) and the Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival (September 2007).Brooks, Albert (photographer), Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival (archive), albanyjazz.com, Albany, New York, September 8, 2007.
Joel performed onstage with her father during the 2008 Rainforest Foundation Fund Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall on May 8, 2008."In Focus: Billy Joel" from photos section of movies.msn.com (), event date: May 8, 2008, Rainforest Foundation Fund benefit. Other charity events at which Joel has performed include the "Save Sag Harbor" benefit concert (2008),Tuma, Debbie, "Christie Brinkley, Billy Joel gush as daughter Alexa wows 'em in concert" (archive), New York Daily News, August 31, 2008. the "Stage For The Cure" benefit for pediatric cancer (New York City, 2008),"GNYC presents M.E.A.N.Y. FEST 2008 kick off Stage For The Cure Benefit for Pediatric Cancer" (archive), Highline Ballroom (New York), October 2, 2008. a benefit for "The Art of Elysium" (artists for seriously ill children; The Hamptons, 2009),"Alexa Ray Joel and Michelle Trachtenberg" (archive), InStyle, July 20, 2009. a benefit for Habitat for Humanity (Long Beach, New York, 2010),"Alexa Ray Joel performs in Long Beach" (archive), newsday.com, event date June 12, 2010. the "Right To Play Day" benefit (Sag Harbor, New York, 2010),Stirling, Jay, "Hamptons Play Day A Success" (archive), Right to Play website, August 16, 2010, publication date for August 14, 2010, event. and the Eric Trump Foundation benefit for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (New York City, 2010)."After Party at Hudson Terrace" (archive), EricTrumpFoundation.com, September 14, 2010. She has also supported animal rights, including the Animal Haven's Speakeasy Bash (New York City, 2012).
Joel and her father performed the song "Baby Grand" at a Barack Obama election fundraiser at the Hammerstein Ballroom on October 16, 2008.Rush, George and Hutchinson, Bill. "Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel headline Barack Obama midtown cash bash" (archive), New York Daily News, October 17, 2008.
In 2009, Joel debuted her single "Invisible" on The Wendy Williams Show in October 2009,Web pages from wendyshow.com: "Alexa Ray Joel" (archive) with embedded October 21, 2009, "WendyWilliamsShow" YouTube video (archive) of Joel's debut vocal performance of "Invisible"; and Alexa Ray Joel Is Not “Invisible” (archive) (flash player) vocal performance of "Invisible"; and "Invisible" (archive) includes video of Joel explaining story behind "Invisible." the song being described as a "piano-driven ballad... about a bad breakup."Gamboa, Glenn. "LI Sound: Alexa Ray Joel's 'Invisible' is strong intro" (), newsday.com, October 30, 2009.
The next year, Joel's single, "Notice Me","Alexa Ray Joel’s New Beau" (archive), hollywoodnews.com, June 22, 2010. was listed as a "Hit-Bound song" on the Sirius XM Hits 1 satellite radio channel in August 2010.See voting box at right side of page at archive of sirius.com/siriusxmhits1 website, archived on August 8, 2010. Newsday described the single as having a "carefree braininess" and "bouncy guitar riffs and an instantly hummable chorus" that made Joel's work "sound like Regina Spektor crossed with Katy Perry".Gamboa, Glenn. "Long Island Sound: Taking notice of Alexa Ray Joel" (), newsday.com, June 10, 2010. "Notice Me" is Joel's first collaboration with producer Tommy Byrnes and her first since signing with Long Beach, New York management company OCD Music Group/The Hang Productions.The ocdmusicgroup website "The Hang Productions" (archive), "About Us" tab and "Artists" tab. Joel described the "Notice Me" video as using fashion to show both a modern look and a vintage throwback look.
Joel did residencies in New York City, including the Oak Room of the Plaza Hotel (late 2010-2011,Gamboa, Glenn. "Review: Alexa Ray Joel @ The Oak Room, 1.10.11" (archive), Newsday.com, January 11, 2011. said to add a "contemporary vibe"Gallagher, Brian Thomas. "Midtown Girl: Alexa Ray Joel Goes Ahead with Her Own Life at The Plaza's Oak Room" (archive), The New York Observer, January 4, 2011. to the "storied venue") and the Café Carlyle at the Carlyle Hotel (April 2014).
Fashion Joel is active in New York fashion events. She performed at Manhattan's "Fashion's Night Out" in 2009 (Elie Tahari),Pascoe, Jessie. "Fashion's Night Out 2009 – A guide to navigating the evening's boutique bacchanalia" (), MetroMix, published September 3, 2009. 2010 (Bloomingdale's),Kalikow, Liat, (), MTV.com, September 11, 2010. and 2011 (Bloomingdale's).Amodio, Joseph V. "Alexa Ray Joel loves Bloomie's" (archive), Newsday, September 9, 2011. Joel interviewed celebrities and designers as a host for social networking website Julib.com during New York Fashion Week in September 2012"Alexa Ray Joel Hits New York Fashion Week" (archive), Live Trading News, September 6, 2012.Ruggiero, Nina, "Alexa Ray Joel says she wants her own identity" (archive), Newsday, September 13, 2012. and February 2013,"Alexa Ray Joel Playing Host Again For The Style And Social Network JULIB.com" (archive), PapierDoll, February 12, 2013. and she performed at the launch of Bobbi Brown's book Pretty Powerful: Beauty Stories to Inspire Confidence,Rodulfo, Kristina, "Inside Bobbi Brown's Book Launch Party for Pretty Powerful" (archive), Harper's Bazaar, September 21, 2012. also appearing with Brown on Today. (), MSN, September 27, 2012. In 2017, Joel posed for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue along with her mother, Christie Brinkley, and her half-sister, Sailor Brinkley Cook.
She was on the cover of BELLA magazine's Beauty Issue in 2018.
Endorsements In February 2010, Joel was chosen the new spokeswoman for Ultimark Products' Prell brand of shampoo, with Joel's songs to serve as background for commercials.Gamboa, Glenn (Newsday), "Alexa Ray Joel becoming Prell shampoo spokeswoman" (archive), Boston Herald, February 24, 2010.
Joel became part of The Gap's "Back to Blue" television ad campaign, performing an interpretation of her father's 1977 song "Just the Way You Are" in September 2013.
Personal life On December 5, 2009, Joel ingested a large quantity of Traumeel, a homeopathic alternative to ibuprofen. Joel was reported to have taken "several pills"; an NYU Medical Center toxicologist said the drug has "no active ingredient" and indicated that it was essentially impossible to overdose ("basically you'd be taking more of nothing").Gaskell, Stephanie. "Nearly impossible to overdose on drug – Traumeel – that Alexa Ray Joel took", New York Daily News, December 7, 2009 (archive). Interviewed six months later by ABC News, Joel described herself as having been "distraught and in so much pain"Launier, Kimberly, and Escobedo, Monica, "Alexa Ray Joel Opens New Chapter With New Album"(online article with embedded video), abcnews.com, June 17, 2010 (archives of and full article text). Related YouTube video "Alexa Ray Joel Opens Up"() was posted to YouTube channel "ABCNews" on June 16, 2010. after the end of a four-year romantic relationship but not wanting to bother anyone since it was the holiday season. "I wasn't trying to kill myself. I was panicked. I was not thinking clearly at all. I was in so much pain and I just wanted to numb it." "The intent was to calm me down because I was having a panic attack."