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BILLY Joel is one of the most iconic, recognized, and best-selling musicians of our time, selling over 160 million records worldwide.
Throughout his 60+ years in the music industry, Billy Joel has solidified himself as a rock music legend, while also finding time to walk down the aisle four times – and become a father of three in the process.
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How many kids does Billy Joel have?
Billy Joel has welcomed three children over the course of his life, with two different women.
He shares a daughter with his second wife, Christie Brinkley, named Alexa Ray Joel.
Alexa Ray, born on December 29, 2015, is a singer, songwriter, and pianist like her father.
She is best known for her self-released and independently distributed August 2006 EP, Sketches, and for performing with and without her father in the New York City fashion and charity scenes.
On February 9, 2024, Alexa Ray performed at Joel’s 99th consecutive sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, singing Say Goodbye to Hollywood and New York State of Mind.
Alexa Ray has a half-brother and half-sister on her mother’s side, from Brinkley’s third and fourth marriages.
She also has two half-sisters on her father’s side, from Joel’s fourth and current marriage to Alexis Roderick.
Joel’s two youngest daughters are named Della Rose and Remy Anne Joel.
Della Rose was born on August 12, 2015, just over a month after Joel tied the knot with Roderick, while his youngest daughter, Remy Anne, was born on October 22, 2017.
Since the two are still relatively young, not much is known about their lives, though Joel has brought them along to red carpet events, and they can regularly be seen at his concerts.
Joel, Roderick, Della, and Remy also posed for some family photos at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
They also notably attended Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Tampa, Florida, on March 15, 2023, earning Joel “very cool dad points” according to Billboard.
“Rockin’ into our new ‘era’ thank you @Taylorswift we loved the show!” Joel captioned the post on Instagram, alongside the hashtags #swifties, #taylorswift, and #theerastour.
How many children does Billy Joel have with Christie Brinkley?
Billy Joel walked down the aisle with model Christie Brinkley on March 23, 1985.
The duo got married on a yacht on the Hudson River in New York.
It was the second marriage for both of them, with Brinkley having been wed to French artist Jean-François Allaux from 1973 to 1981, and Joel married to Elizabeth Weber Small – who also briefly became his manager – from 1973 until July 20, 1982.
Joel and Brinkley had one child together, daughter Alexa Ray Joel.
She was born on December 29, 1985, and was reportedly named after one of Joel’s musical idols, Ray Charles.
The power couple’s relationship was short-lived, however, with the musician and model parting ways after just over a decade of marital bliss.
They were officially divorced on August 26, 1994.
Notably, both Joel and Brinkley went on to remarry twice.
Brinkley married real estate developer Richard Taubman, who proposed to her while she was still with Joel, on December 22, 1994, in Telluride, Colorado.
They parted ways in 1995, shortly before welcoming one son, Jack Paris Brinkley, on June 2, 1995.
Brinkley then married architect Peter Halsey Cook on September 21, 1996.
They welcomed a daughter, Sailor Lee Brinkley Cook, on July 2, 1998.
Brinkley and Cook separated in July 2008, with their divorce finalized sometime between September and October of that year.
As of April 2024, Brinkley has yet to remarry, though she briefly dated another famous singer-songwriter, John Mellencamp, from September 2015 to August 2016.
Joel, meanwhile, married chef Katie Lee on October 2, 2004.
Despite their age gap – Joel was 55 while Lee was 23 – Brinkley attended the nuptials and gave the couple her blessing, while Joel and Brinkley’s daughter, Alexa Ray, served as Lee’s maid of honor.
Joel and Lee announced their separation on June 17, 2009, with their divorce finalized shortly thereafter.
Joel’s fourth marriage was to equestrian and former Morgan Stanley executive, Alexis Roderick.
The couple, who had been dating since Joel’s separation from Lee in 2009, tied the knot on July 4, 2015, at Joel’s estate in Long Island.
Andrew Cuomo, the Governor of New York at the time, conducted the ceremony.
Joel and Roderick welcomed two children together, daughter Della Rose Joel on August 12, 2015, and daughter Remy Anne Joel on October 22, 2017.
As of April 2024, Joel and Roderick are still together.
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What has Billy Joel said about fatherhood?
Billy Joel has had a longtime career as a Piano Man, but he’s also been a Girl Dad for nearly 40 years.
Being a good father “is the most important thing in my life,” Joel once told NBC-TV, as reported by Ocala StarBanner.
In 2017, Joel said “it feels fantastic” to be a dad again, and that he’s fine being a “house dad” when he’s not touring or making music, as reported by Extra.
His wife also chimed in, saying both she and Joel are hands-on parents.
“People think we don’t see our kids… we’re awake when they’re awake and we’re sleeping when they’re sleeping,” she said.
In 2019, Joel opened up to Rolling Stone about parenting, admitting that he often gets mistaken for his youngest daughters’ grandfather.
“I take [them] to school and one of the other parents will go, ‘Oh, your granddaughter’s so cute,’ ” he shared.
“I still love being a dad. I didn’t know that I would be a father again at this age, but I’m glad I am,” he said.
“They keep you young,” he added.
Joel was 36 years old when he and Christie Brinkley welcomed Alexa Ray, and 66 and 68 years old when he and Roderick welcomed Della Rose and Remy Anne, respectively.
Still, despite his age, Joel recently shared that he scored “very cool Dad points” for taking his two youngest daughters to see Taylor Swift live in concert.
While all three of Joel’s daughters have joined him on stage at his concerts, there’s no word on whether they’ll make an appearance – or even a surprise performance – at his 100th consecutive sold-out show at Madison Square Garden.
His record-breaking residency, which began in January 2014, will be coming to an end on July 25, 2024, which will be his 150th show at Madison Square Garden.
Before then, he’ll be ringing in his 100th performance at the venue on Sunday, April 14, 2024.
The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden will also be Joel’s first concert to air on a broadcast network beginning at 9 pm ET.
The show will air LIVE on CBS, and be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.
