Alexa Ray Joel | |
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Born | New York City, U.S. | December 29, 1985
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Years active | 2006–present |
Partner(s) | Ryan Gleason (2018–present; engaged) |
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Musical career | |
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Alexa Ray Joel (born December 29, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is the only mutual child 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.
Joel was born on December 29, 1985, [1] [2] [3] in Manhattan, New York. [1] [2] She is the daughter of singer-songwriter Billy Joel and model Christie Brinkley. [3] [4] [5] Her middle name, Ray, honors the musician Ray Charles with whom her father recorded the song "Baby Grand". [6] [7] Through her mother, she has a half-brother, Jack Paris Brinkley ( né Taubman, born June 2, 1995), and a half-sister, Sailor Brinkley Cook (born July 1, 1998). [8] Joel also has two half-sisters on her father's side: Della Rose (born August 12, 2015) and Remy Anne (born October 22, 2017). [9]
Her father wrote his 1993 song "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" for her. It is her proclaimed favorite song he has written. [10] [11] His 1989 song, "The Downeaster Alexa", bears the title of a boat he named after her but is about the struggles of Long Island fishermen. [12] She is also referenced in her father's 1989 song "Leningrad" (with the line "...He made my daughter laugh, then we embraced..."), in which "He" refers to a Russian man who became a circus clown after being in the Red Army. [13]
Like her father, Joel is known for her own melodic songwriting and has noted that her musical upbringing gave her a "unique inside-peek into the songwriting process", and that "It's no wonder I write music in the same way (my father) does: melody first, and lyrics second." [7] Joel said that by the age of 15, she was finishing complete songs with piano accompaniment, and writing poetry. [7]
In 2005, at age 19, Joel assembled a band [14] and performed her first live show at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey, [14] In 2006, Joel played nearly 100 shows,[ citation needed ] including a Hard Rock Cafe tour completed in May 2006. [15]
Joel self-released and independently distributed [16] the six-song EP Sketches in August 2006. [17] Joel explained "It's called 'Sketches' because it's like raw sketches... About three of the songs, actually, were done in one take." [15] Joel designed and illustrated the CD cover, packaging, and inserts that included her handwritten lyrics. [18] Sketches also included a pop/rock cover of Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down." [18]
Joel performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (April 2007), [19] the 2007 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (June 2007), [20] and the Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival (September 2007). [21]
Joel performed onstage with her father during the 2008 Rainforest Foundation Fund Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall on May 8, 2008. [22] Other charity events at which Joel has performed include the "Save Sag Harbor" benefit concert (2008), [23] the "Stage For The Cure" benefit for pediatric cancer (New York City, 2008), [24] a benefit for "The Art of Elysium" (artists for seriously ill children; The Hamptons, 2009), [25] a benefit for Habitat for Humanity (Long Beach, New York, 2010), [26] the "Right To Play Day" benefit (Sag Harbor, New York, 2010), [27] and the Eric Trump Foundation benefit for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (New York City, 2010). [28] She has also supported animal rights, including the Animal Haven's Speakeasy Bash (New York City, 2012).[ citation needed ]
Joel and her father performed the song "Baby Grand" at a Barack Obama election fundraiser at the Hammerstein Ballroom on October 16, 2008. [29]
Joel debuted her single "Invisible" on The Wendy Williams Show in October 2009, [30] the song being described as a "piano-driven ballad... about a bad breakup." [31]
Alexa Joel's single, "Notice Me", released on May 24, 2010, [32] was listed as a "Hit-Bound song" on the Sirius XM Hits 1 satellite radio channel in August 2010. [33] 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." [34] "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. [34] [35] Joel described the "Notice Me" video as using fashion to show both a modern look and a vintage throwback look. [12]
Joel did residencies in New York City, including the Oak Room of the Plaza Hotel (late 2010-2011, [36] said to add a "contemporary vibe" [37] to the "storied venue," [36] ) and the Café Carlyle at the Carlyle Hotel (April 2014). [38]
Joel is active in New York fashion events. She performed at Manhattan's "Fashion's Night Out" in 2009 (Elie Tahari), [39] 2010 (Bloomingdale's), [40] and 2011 (Bloomingdale's). [41] Joel interviewed celebrities and designers as a host for social networking website Julib.com during New York Fashion Week in September 2012 [42] [43] and February 2013, [44] and she performed at the launch of Bobbi Brown's book Pretty Powerful: Beauty Stories to Inspire Confidence, [45] also appearing with Brown on Today. [46] In 2017, Joel posed for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue along with her mother, Christie Brinkley, and her half-sister, Sailor Brinkley Cook. [47]
She was on the cover of BELLA magazine's Beauty Issue in 2018. [48]
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. [49]
In September 2013, 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." [50]
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"). [51] Interviewed six months later by ABC News, Joel described herself as having been "distraught and in so much pain" [52] 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." [52] "The intent was to calm me down because I was having a panic attack." [34]
Joel told People magazine that her April 2010 nose job came after five years of consideration and was to correct a deviated septum and to feel better about herself, [53] Joel having been "self-conscious of pictures taken from the side." [54] Joel explained that her surgery waited until she "was in a better place" than at the time of her Traumeel incident four months earlier, further stating that she is "done with plastic surgery". [54]
In a July 2010 interview with 20/20 , Joel talked about "moving out of (the) shadows" of her "two megastar parents" and about recovery from her December 2009 crisis with depression. [55] While she acknowledged that it had been "scary" to be "compared to a rock and roll legend", her confidence was said to be "helped along by a wider acceptance" by others. [55] Stating that "I'm not a blond girl with blue eyes and that's fine", [55] she added that Ultimark Products approaching her to be the face of Prell shampoo was a "big confidence booster". [55] Describing overcoming the relationship dependence that triggered her December 2009 Traumeel incident, she said: "I've got to get a new band, whole new songs, whole new career plan. Everything changed after that incident." [55]
In 2013, Joel began dating restaurateur Ryan Gleason. [56] They became engaged on January 1, 2018. [57] As of 2021, the wedding was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [58]
(August 2006)(EP, Audio Bee (label)) [59]
(January 2008)(single, Audio Bee (label)) [60]
(October 2009)(single) [30]
(May 2010)(single, [61] Audio Bee or OCD Music Group/The Hang Productions [34] or ARJ Music [62] (label))
August 1, 2011 (single, ARJ Music) [62]
(November 8, 2011)(single, ARJ Music) [62]
(September 16, 2013)(single) [50]
William Martin Joel is an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man" after his signature 1973 song, Joel has had a successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s. From 1971 to 1993, he released 12 studio albums spanning the genres of pop and rock, and in 2001 released a one-off studio album of classical compositions. Joel is one of the world's best-selling music artists and the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States, with over 160 million records sold worldwide. His 1985 compilation album, Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II, is one of the best-selling albums in the United States.
Christie Lee Brinkley is an American model. Brinkley appeared on an unprecedented three consecutive covers of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues in 1979, 1980, and 1981. She spent 25 years as the face of CoverGirl; has appeared on over 500 magazine covers; and has signed contracts with major brands, both fashion and non-fashion.
River of Dreams is the twelfth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on August 10, 1993. River of Dreams presented a more serious tone than found in Joel's previous albums, dealing with issues such as trust and long-lasting love. It was rumored that the themes of trust and betrayal, particularly certain lyrics from the songs "A Minor Variation" and "The Great Wall of China", stem from Joel's legal disputes with his former manager and ex-brother-in-law, Frank Weber, who reportedly embezzled millions of dollars from Joel and used dubious accounting practices to cover it up. It was Joel's fourth and last album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart, a position it held for three consecutive weeks.
Kontsert is the second live album by Billy Joel, released in 1987. The album was recorded during the Soviet leg of Joel's 1987 The Bridge tour. This album was co-produced by Jim Boyer and Brian Ruggles, and mixed by Jim Boyer.
"Uptown Girl" is a song written and performed by American musician Billy Joel from his ninth studio album An Innocent Man (1983), released in September 1983 as the album's second single. The lyrics describe a working-class "downtown man" attempting to woo a wealthy "uptown girl". The 12" EP has the tracks "My Life", "Just the Way You Are" and "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", whereas some 7" single versions featured "Careless Talk" as a B-side.
Linda Stein was an American rock music manager and real estate broker.
"New York State of Mind" is a song written by Billy Joel that is featured on his fourth studio album, Turnstiles (1976). Although it was never released as a single, it has become a fan favorite and a song that Joel plays regularly in concert. Joel famously played the song at The Concert for New York City, the October 2001 benefit concert for the New York City Fire and Police Departments, as well as the loved ones and families of first responders lost during 9/11. He reprised the song and theme, playing it during his set at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 12, 2012, where he changed lyrics to include the likes of "Breezy Point".
Liberatori "Liberty" DeVitto is an American rock drummer. He is best known for his work as a drummer for singer-songwriter Billy Joel's recording and touring band. He has also been a session drummer on recordings of other artists. He is credited as a drummer on records that have sold a combined total of 150 million units worldwide.
Alexa Chung is an English model and television personality. Chung pursued a modelling career as a teenager after being scouted by a modelling agency at the Reading Festival. She has walked for brands such as Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney and Miu Miu, as well as being the face of Pepe Jeans, Lacoste, DKNY Jeans, Tommy Hilfiger and Longchamp.
Katherine Lee is an American cookbook author, television food critic, chef and novelist born in West Virginia. She has worked in several restaurants and published two cookbooks. She served as a contributor to several magazines and TV shows, including Iron Chef America, an American cooking show competition, where she was a judge in 2007. She is a co-host of Food Network's talk show The Kitchen, and the host of Cooking Channel's Beach Bites with Katie Lee.
"Baby Grand" is the fourth and final single released off Billy Joel's album The Bridge. A duet with Joel and Ray Charles, the song is a ballad dedicated to the baby grand piano, and the relationship it can share with its players. The two originally got together when Joel contacted Charles about the naming of his daughter, Alexa Ray, after Charles. Charles then suggested they create a song together.
"Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" is a song written and originally recorded by Billy Joel which appeared as the final song on his 1976 album Turnstiles. Several live performances of the song have been released. He has performed this song at a number of benefit concerts, including The Concert for New York City for victims of the September 11 attacks in 2001, as well as on the television program Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together for Hurricane Sandy victims in 2012 and during his set at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief. Joel has often tweaked the lyrics to the song at his live concerts, particularly at the Live at Shea and Coming Together concerts. On New Year's Eve 2016, Joel performed at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida, a city just north of Miami Dade County. At midnight, he crooned the traditional "Auld Lang Syne" and then immediately went into "Miami 2017".
"Lullabye " is the seventh track from Billy Joel's 1993 album River of Dreams, released in 1994 as the fourth and final single for the album. It was inspired by Alexa Ray Joel, his daughter by Christie Brinkley. The song is in the key of G major.
"A Matter of Trust" is a song by Billy Joel from his 1986 album The Bridge. It was released as the album's second single and became a top ten hit. The song gained major traction in the Soviet Union as part of a state-sponsored television promotion of Joel's songs in preparation for his 1987 USSR concerts, recorded on Kontsert.
"Glitter in the Air" is a song recorded by American singer Pink for her fifth studio album Funhouse (2008). It was written by Pink and Billy Mann, with the latter producing it. The song is a pop ballad with a soft piano accompaniment and drum beats. Its lyrics discuss the power of love and taking a leap of faith, while using various metaphors. The song was released as the sixth and final North American single from Funhouse on January 31, 2010, by LaFace Records and Jive Records.
The Last Play at Shea is a 2010 American documentary film written by Mark Monroe, directed by Paul Crowder, produced by Steve Cohen and Nigel Sinclair, in conjunction with Billy Joel's Maritime Pictures and Spitfire Films. The film is centered on Billy Joel's 2008 concerts of the same name that occurred at Shea Stadium. The shows were staged on July 16 and 18, 2008, before a combined 110,000 fans, and were the last performances ever to play the historic stadium before it was demolished. The film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2010. The film was released on DVD on February 8, 2011. The CD and DVD from the show were released on March 8, 2011, by Sony.
Douglas Alan Stegmeyer was an American musician who was best known as a bassist and back-up vocalist for Billy Joel. Stegmeyer also performed as bassist for Debbie Gibson and Hall & Oates.
Jenna Rose Swerdlow, best known as Jenna Rose, is an American pop singer who gained media attention with her single "My Jeans".
Sailor Lee Brinkley Cook is an American model and the daughter of supermodel Christie Brinkley.
"I Don't Think About You" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson, from her eighth studio album, Meaning of Life (2017). It was written and produced by the production duo The Monarch, with co-writing by American singer Harlœ and pianist Michael Pollack. The song was issued by Atlantic Records as the album's second single on February 9, 2018.
The 6½-pound girl, as yet unnamed, was born in a Manhattan hospital at about 11:45 pm Sunday, said the spokeswoman, Geraldine McInerney.
Model Christie Brinkley has given her husband – singer-songwriter Billy Joel – something new to sing about, a 6½-pound daughter, a spokesman for the family said Monday.