Billy Joel's Life in Photos

The best-selling singer-songwriter has released 13 studio albums, won six Grammy Awards and a Tony in his 60-year career

As Tony Bennett aptly put it, Billy Joel is "today's American songbook."

The singer-songwriter, who started playing piano when he was 4, has penned timeless hits over his six-decade career, including "New York State of Mind" and "Vienna." Famously called the "Piano Man" — after the title track of his second album — Joel is a five-time Grammy Award winner, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and a Kennedy Center honoree.

He is also the father of three daughters: Alexa Ray, whom he shares with ex-wife Christie Brinkley, and Della Rose and Remy Anne with wife Alexis Roderick.

See Joel's life and accomplished music career in photos, from The Stranger to a 10-year Madison Square Garden residency, as he kicks of 2025 with a New Year's Eve concert in Elmont, New York.

Billy Joel’s Childhood

William Martin Joel was born on May 9, 1949, in New York City’s Bronx neighborhood to Rosalind and classical pianist Howard Joel. He began studying piano at age 4, and as a teenager, he played at a piano bar to support his sister Judith and single mother financially. 

Due to his job, Joel’s school attendance and grades began to slip. When he couldn’t graduate high school in 1967, he decided to pursue a music career instead.

Billy Joel’s Early Career and Attila

While in high school, Joel joined British Invasion cover band the Echoes, but he left for another group, the Hassles, who were based out of Long Island. In 1969, Joel and Hassles drummer Jon Small broke off from the band to form the rock duo Attila. They released one album, a self-titled record that Joel later labeled “psychedelic bull---” and “a colossal failure" to Alec Baldwin for NPR

The short-lived band broke up one year later, and Joel married Small’s ex-wife Elizabeth Weber in 1973. They remained together for nine years, and he dedicated some of his most famous love songs to her, including “She’s Got a Way” and “Just the Way You Are.”

Joel was signed to Columbia Records by recording executive Clive Davis in 1973, where he became labelmates with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash and Pink Floyd. The singer-songwriter released his first album under the label, Piano Man, the same year, and its title track has become one of Joel’s signature songs — as well as a moniker that follows him to this day.

Billy Joel’s Breakthrough

His fifth studio album, 1977’s The Stranger, became his first major commercial success, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and charting four songs on the Billboard Hot 100. “Just the Way You Are” won him record of the year and song of the year at the 21st Annual Grammy Awards, his first of five. The LP also produced some of Joel’s career favorites, “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” and “Vienna.”

He built on his growing popularity with 1978’s 52nd Street, which became his first No. 1 album and sold over seven million copies.

Billy Joel Wins Album of the Year for ‘52nd Street’

Joel won album of the year for 52nd Street at the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards, along with best male pop vocal performance. He did not attend the ceremony, with producer Phil Ramone accepting the accolades on his behalf.

His most recent Grammy came the following year for best male rock vocal performance with his album Glass Houses. In total, the “Uptown Girl” singer has a total of 23 nominations.

Billy Joel’s Marriage to Christie Brinkley

In 1983, Joel met model Christie Brinkley on vacation in the Caribbean. He wooed her by playing piano at a bar in the presence of Brinkley, Whitney Houston and Elle Macpherson.

“She sat down and started singing, too,” he recalled to Rolling Stone in a 1986 interview. “I got a crush on her right then and there.”

After two years of dating, he popped the question to Brinkley in their home. PEOPLE reported that Joel and Brinkley married on March 23, 1985, aboard a 147-foot yacht in New York Harbor. They welcomed their only daughter Alexa Ray in December 1985.

PEOPLE reported in April 1994 that Joel and Brinkley had decided to divorce after nine years together, having been separated since Thanksgiving of 1993. She revealed that her marriage with Joel “pretty much disintegrated the last two years,” with Brinkley wanting to move closer to California and Joel wanting to stay on the East Coast. The supermodel also expressed frustration with the rock star’s touring schedule.

Touring the Soviet Union

With three shows in Moscow and Leningrad in 1987, Joel was touted as the first American pop star to bring a “full staged rock show to the Soviet Union,” according to Entertainment Weekly. At the time, the country had lifted its ban on rock music. He paid the entire $2.5 million bill for the six shows, and although he never turned a profit — despite a live album, HBO special and a documentary — Joel has no regrets. 

“I’m glad we did that trip,” Joel told Ultimate Classic Rock in 2022. “I think we helped kick the door in a little bit to open it up to Democratic stuff."

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction

Joel was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of a legendary 1999 class that included Springsteen and Paul McCartney. Ray Charles, who featured on Joel’s 1986 song “Baby Grand,” presented the “We Didn’t Start the Fire” singer’s induction. 

In his speech, the pianist thanked his mother Rosalind, daughter Alexa and then-girlfriend Carolyn Beegan, as well as his longtime band members and collaborators. 

“I’ve had the most amazing life, and it’s mostly because of rock-and-roll music,” he stated.

He also expressed gratitude for Black artists like Charles, Little Richard and Chuck Berry who pioneered the rock-and-roll genre.

“I’ve been referred to as derivative. Well, I’m damn guilty. I’m derivative as hell!” Joel said. “Anyone who is derivative like I’m derivative, who should be automatically excluded from this institution, would mean that there wouldn’t be any white people here.”

Billy Joel’s Marriage to Katie Lee

Food Network star Katie Lee first crossed paths with Joel at a bar in 2003. A year later, the two tied the knot at his Long Island home, with his daughter Alexa serving as the maid of honor. 

The pair separated in 2009. At the time, a statement from both Joel and Lee’s reps said, “This decision is a result of much thoughtful consideration. Billy & Katie remain caring friends with admiration and respect for each other.”

According to Fred Schuers’ Billy Joel: A Definitive Biography, Joel knew the marriage was over after she changed the subject when he suggested couples therapy.

Kennedy Center Honoree

In 2013, Joel was recognized at the Kennedy Center Honors alongside Carlos Santana, Shirley MacLaine, Herbie Hancock and Martina Arroyo for his contributions to American culture. Tony Bennett, a 2005 honoree, introduced Joel with a speech highlighting the singer-songwriter’s accomplishments.

“Billy Joel is no less than a poet, a performer, a philosopher and today’s American songbook,” Bennett declared.

Don Henley, Garth Brooks and Rufus Wainwright performed a 15-minute tribute to Joel, covering his songs “She’s Got a Way,” “Allentown,” “Goodnight Saigon,” “New York State of Mind” and “Piano Man.”

Billy Joel’s Madison Square Garden Residency

Starting in January 2014, Joel played one show per month at Madison Square Garden. After 10 years of monthly concerts, the legendary musician announced that his July 25, 2024, show — and 150th at the venue — would be his last of the residency.

In a statement, he said he was “flabbergasted” at the residency’s longevity and called the arena “home.”

“If you Google Billy Joel's house, they show Madison Square Garden, which is kind of cool,” he added.

Throughout his residency, he invited numerous stars to perform with him, from Springsteen, Sting and John Mellencamp to Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus and John Mayer.

Billy Joel’s Marriage to Alexis Roderick

Joel married for a fourth time in 2015 to former Morgan Stanley executive Alexis Roderick, whom he had been with for six years. His spokeswoman issued a statement to PEOPLE revealing that the couple “surprised guests at their annual July 4th party by exchanging vows in front of their family and close friends.”

They welcomed their first child shortly after the nuptials, daughter Della. In 2017, they had another daughter, Remy.

He keeps details of their relationship relatively private, but during his final Madison Square Garden residency show, he dedicated the song “This Is the Time” to his “lovely wife” Roderick, who requested it.

Billy Joel as a Dad

A father of three daughters, Joel never shies away from showing his love for them — and is more than happy to share the stage with them. Alexa, a singer and songwriter in her own right, has performed with Joel on many occasions, while Della has performed “Don’t Ask Me” with her father twice at MSG. 

During his final Madison Square Garden concert, Della and Remy stole the show when they joined him onstage for hugs. As he performed “My Life,” Della sang and danced along. Before they exited, she took the mic and shouted, “Thank you Madison Square Garden!”

“I still love being a dad,” Joel told Rolling Stone in 2019. “I didn’t know that I would be a father again at this age, but I’m glad I am. They keep you young.”