Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley | Source: Getty Images
Billy Joel Says Ex-wife Christie Brinkley Was the ‘Muse’ for Many of His Songs in New Documentary
Jul 28, 2025 - 11:55 A.M.
The "Piano Man" singer opened up about his relationship and marriage with the longtime model in Part Two of his new documentary. The pair were together for over ten years.
Billy Joel released the second part of his HBO Max documentary, "Billy Joel: And So It Goes," on Friday, July 25. In the second installment, the singer recalled the early days of his romance with ex-wife Christie Brinkley.
Christie Brinkley and Billy Joel are seen at Langan's Brasserie on July 4, 1987, in London, United Kingdom. | Source: Getty Images
The former couple met in 1983 while vacationing in St. Barts. They both lived in New York City at the time and decided to stay in touch. Upon their return to the Big Apple, they went on their first date to a Beach Boys concert.
"Here I am dating this beautiful supermodel and... me? I'm from Hicksville. What am I doing with her? What's she doing with me? But that was a very productive time for me," Joel recalled in the film. "I wrote a lot of songs for her. She was a muse."
Christie Brinkley and Billy Joel circa 1983 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
He continued, "It was like being a teenager all over again. Experiencing those same emotions that I had when I was first discovering romance and love." The pair tied the knot in 1985, the same year they welcomed their daughter, Alexa Ray Joel.
A few years down the line, however, Joel's career and internal struggles began to put a strain on their relationship. They divorced in 1994 after nine years of marriage. Joel is now married to Alexis Cook and has been since 2015. Brinkley remains single but open to romance.
