Billy Joel’s ex-wife, and the inspiration behind the hit “Uptown Girl,” Christie Brinkley, is still very much on good terms with the singer.
Joel’s long-running residency at Madison Square Gardens might be coming to an end this year after 150 shows but he’s still got a few more performances to go before the curtain falls. Over his tenure at MSG the “Piano Man” has seen plenty of big-name guests join him up on stage, although his most recent performance on the 27th of April saw his own daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, singing with him along with a familiar face cheering from the crowd.
Who is Christie Brinkley?
Brinkley is a model who rose to fame in 1976 as the face of CoverGirl Cosmetics – she’s also appeared on screen in films such as National Lampoon’s Vacation. She was also married to Billy Joel for almost ten years – the pair started dating in 1983, tied the knot two years later and divorced in 1994. Many will recognize Brinkley for her appearance in the music video for “Uptown Girl”. The two also had a daughter the same year they were married, Alexa Ray Joel, who performed with her father last Saturday.
What was Christie Brinkley doing at Billy Joel’s concert?
More than four decades after inspiring one of Billy Joel’s catchiest tunes, the model appeared in the crowd to support her daughter and ex-husband. In a video posted to Instagram, Brinkley recorded herself in the crowd singing and dancing along to some of Joel’s biggest hits including “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and, of course, “Piano Man.” She was joined by her other daughter, Sailor Brinkley Cook who also sang along.
The video shows various snippets from the concert as well as the moment Alexa Ray Joel was brought out on stage, and, later in the evening when she paid tribute to the legendary musician by serenading him. In the caption, Brinkley wrote:
Thanks for singing us a song @billyjoel and @alexarayjoel You’ve got us feeling alright! Here’s a few snippets from a magical evening at the garden! ( sometimes with my thumb over the speaker my apologies) @sailorbrinkleycook I must add we were pretty good back up singers right?
Brinkley made another post later on containing clips of her daughter performing another of Billy Joel’s famous tunes, “Say Goodbye to Hollywood.” In the caption she praised Billy Joel’s “historic residency” at MSG, which is set to come to an end in July. In yet another clip posted to her Instagram we see Sailor and Billy having a laugh backstage before the show. Despite it being 30 years since their divorce, Christie Brinkley and Billy Joel are obviously still able to have a healthy relationship and support each other in their endeavors.