Alexa Ray Joel | Billy Joel’s daughter | Singer-songwriter, Pianist

American pianist and singer-songwriter Alexa Ray Joel is the daughter of singer-songwriter Billy Joel and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue legend Christie Brinkley. Like her dad, Alexa is passionate about singing and playing the piano. When she was a little girl, her mom would videotape her singing show tunes from Les Miserables and pop ballads made famous by Bette Midler and Whitney Houston. Her father would also play songs by Ray Charles, whom she was named after, and the Beatles. She proclaimed that Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) is her favorite song that her father wrote. At first, Joel struggled with her career due to a medical condition that blocks blood from flowing to the brain. She studied at New York University with a degree in musical theater without worrying about student loans and even considered a career as a songwriter for other artists.

After she successfully released several singles and performed at numerous events, the now 35-year-old singer-songwriter and classical pianist is engaged to long-time boyfriend and New York-based restaurateur Ryan Gleason. We hope her father’s tux is ready since we might hear wedding bells soon!