Singer and pianist Alexa Ray Joel has recently shared her emotional reaction to the new HBO documentary about her father, Billy Joel, and his past relationship with her mother, Christie Brinkley. The two-part documentary, titled Billy Joel: And So It Goes, premiered on HBO on July 18 and July 25.
In an interview with People Magazine, Alexa described watching the film as “moving, beyond belief” and an “emotional whirlwind” for her and her mother. “There was people messaging me saying that they were in tears. So let alone, for me, reliving my childhood years,” she said.
The “Ultimate Dream Couple”
Alexa referred to her parents as the “ultimate dream couple,” noting that the world was “enchanted by them when they were together.” She highlighted how they complemented each other’s differences: her mom, an “extrovert” supermodel, and her dad, an “introvert” who she says she is more like.
The documentary features Billy Joel reflecting on his early relationship with Brinkley. He recalled being a “guy from Hicksville” dating a “beautiful supermodel” and how it was a very “productive time” for him, as he wrote many songs for her. He also said that falling for Brinkley was “like being a teenager all over again. Experiencing those same emotions that I had when I was first discovering romance and love.”
The Challenges of Their Relationship
Despite the romance, the documentary also delves into the challenges of their marriage, which lasted from 1985 to 1994. According to Brinkley, their relationship began to deteriorate by 1989 due to Joel’s “tortured artist” persona and struggles with alcohol. She recalled a final argument where she decided to leave with Alexa and Joel simply told her, “Yeah, fine, go.”
Even after their divorce, the former couple has maintained a friendly relationship and has continued to co-parent Alexa. They even appeared together in the documentary, with Brinkley describing the experience of watching it with their daughter as a mix of “beautiful, poignant, painful, and bittersweetly-nostalgic family memories.”
