Alexa Ray Joel

Alexa Ray Joel
Alexa Ray Joel in 2010
Background information
Born	(1985-12-29) 29 December 1985 (age 31) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Origin	Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Genres	Pop, soul, blues, jazz, rock, adult contemporary
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, pianist
Instruments	Vocals, piano, keyboards
Years active	2006–present
Labels	ARJ Music Audio Bee The Hang Productions Inc.
Associated acts	Billy Joel (father) Christie Brinkley

Alexa Ray Joel (born December 29, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is the older daughter of singer-songwriter Billy Joel and first child of model Christie Brinkley. She 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, and in 2010 was chosen to be the spokesmodel for Prell shampoo.

Joel was born in Manhattan, New York, the daughter of singer Billy Joel and his second wife, model Christie Brinkley. Her middle name Ray is in honor of musician Ray Charles. She has a half-brother Jack Paris Brinkley Cook (né Taubman, born June 2, 1995) and a half-sister Sailor Lee Brinkley Cook (born July 1, 1998), both children of her mother Christie Brinkley. She also has a half-sister on her father's side named Della Rose (born August 12, 2015), born to his fourth wife, Alexis.

Her father, Billy Joel, wrote his 1993 song "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" for her, and she has stated it is her favorite song of his. His 1989 song "The Downeaster Alexa" is titled after a boat he named after her, but is about the struggles of Long Island fishermen. Joel is also referenced in her father's 1989 song "Leningrad" (with lyrics: "...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.

Joel is known for her melodic song writing, and has noted that her musical upbringing with her father gave her a "unique inside-peek into the songwriting process," and "It's no wonder I write music in the same way (my father) does: melody first, and lyrics second." Joel said that by age 15 she was finishing complete songs and complementing those songs with piano accompaniment, and writing poetry.