Billy Joel Still Serenades Ex-Wife Christie Brinkley With Uptown Girl After 30 Years
Fans have praised Billy Joel for still singing his iconic song Uptown Girl to his ex-wife Christie Brinkley despite their split 30 years ago. The celebrity couple called it quits in April 1994 after nine years of marriage.
Billy Joel’s Tribute to Christie Brinkley at Madison Square Garden
Despite their split decades ago, the songwriter paid tribute to the mother of his daughter Alexa Ray, 38, while singing the fan-favorite song during his performance at Madison Square Garden on April 26. As Billy belted the chorus of the track to a crowd of nearly 20k people, cameras caught Christie smiling and dancing in the crowd. Fans cheered after noticing that the supermodel was in attendance and enjoying the song which was originally written on her behalf.
The Origin Story of Uptown Girl by Billy Joel
In a 2010 conversation with radio DJ Howard Stern, the New York native revealed that the song was originally titled Uptown Girl(s). The track referenced when Billy was surrounded by several women, his girlfriend at the time Elle Macpherson, Whitney Houston, and Christie. Uptown Girl was originally written about his relationship with Elle, but it ended up focusing on the Sports Illustrated model instead.
The Romance Between Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley
The model and musician met in 1983 on the island of St. Barts in the Caribbean. Two years later, they tied the knot on a yacht on the Hudson River, which was the second marriage for both of them. Their daughter, Alexa, was born on December 29, 1985, eight months after the wedding. In April 1994, Billy and Christie officially called it quits after five months of separation. Their divorce was attributed to several factors, including the supermodel’s wish to relocate to the West Coast from New York, and the difficulties associated with his tour schedule.
The Relationship Journey of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley
The same year the divorce was finalized, Christie married Real estate entrepreneur Richard Taubman. But their relationship was short-lived and they split just one year later in 1995. Immediately after, the supermodel tied the knot again, this time with architect Peter Cook. Their marriage lasted until 2008 when they filed for divorce. Meanwhile, Billy waited until 2004 to remarry post-divorce from Christie, when he said “I do” to author Katie Lee. But they called it quits only five years later in 2009. In 2015, the iconic singer married once again, this time to equestrian Alexis Roderick, a woman 33 years younger.
Christie Brinkley’s Take on Love at 70
In January, Christie opened up about her thoughts on dating in her 70s, to which she complained that the options are limited. Despite saying that she “remains open” to the idea, “there just doesn’t seem to be anybody out there,” she told People. “At the same time, I am pretty comfortable with my life the way it is, so, que será, será!” she added. “I always said my whole life that I think that you have to be happy alone so that you get with a man for the right reasons and you’re not clinging to him because you need to, you know?” The swimsuit model’s last relationship was with singer John Mellencamp, but the couple called it quits in 2020 after a year of dating.