Who is the mother of Billy Joel's daughter Alexa Ray?

Christie Brinkley is the mother of Billy Joel's daughter Alexa Ray Joel. Alexa Ray was born in 1985 to Joel and Brinkley, who married that same year after beginning their relationship in the mid-1980s.

Brinkley was already an internationally recognized model, known especially for her long association with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. Billy Joel was one of the most successful singer-songwriters of his generation, and their marriage attracted considerable media attention. The couple divorced in 1994, but they continued to share a connection through Alexa Ray.

Alexa Ray Joel became a singer, songwriter, and pianist in her own right. Her middle name honors Ray Charles, one of her father Billy Joel's musical heroes. She has performed her own material as well as songs associated with her family background.

A frequent source of confusion is Billy Joel's other former wives. Elizabeth Weber was his first wife, while Katie Lee was his third; neither is Alexa Ray's mother. Christie Brinkley is the single canonical answer to this family-history question.