| Alexa Ray Joel | |
|---|---|
 Alexa Ray Joel autographing a CD for a fan after an August 2009 concert.
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| Background information | |
| Born | December 29, 1985 [1][2] |
| Origin | Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Website | alexarayjoel.com/ |
Alexa Ray Joel (born December 29, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter and pianist. She is the daughter of singer Billy Joel and his second wife, supermodel Christie Brinkley.[1] Her middle name Ray is in honor of the late musician Ray Charles.[3][4]
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Joel was born in Manhattan, New York. She began writing songs at a very early age. Growing up in a musical household, she developed a gift for singing and songwriting and was always encouraged by her mother Christie Brinkley.[5] Her deep love of music stems from as early as the age of two, when her father would sing and play nursery rhymes for her on the piano. Like her father, she pursued classical piano training for quite a few years before developing a knack for songwriting. She would soon find that her skills in classical piano provided a solid foundation for her songwriting.
At 17, she attended the Berklee College of Music's Five Week Music-Fest, where she honed her skills as a performer. She attended New York University, but by the summer after her freshman year, she started to pursue a career as a singer/songwriter. By that fall, Alexa performed her first show at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey, followed by other gigs in the New York City area. She has most recently been performing at colleges and venues around the Northeast United States, and finished up a nationwide Hard Rock Cafe Tour in May 2006.
After playing nearly 100 shows since leaving NYU’s Musical theatre program, Alexa put out her first musical creation in August 2006--a six song EP called Sketches.[6]
In her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Alexa stated that the ballad "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)," found on her father Billy Joel's album River of Dreams, was written for her, and is her favorite song of his.[7] The song "The Downeaster Alexa," on Billy Joel's Storm Front album, shares her name. Alexa wrote the song “Now It's Gone” about her mom’s split from Peter Cook after the allegations of his infidelity.
Ultimark announced in February 2010 that Alexa Ray Joel would be the new spokesperson for its Prell brand of shampoo. Joel follows in the footsteps of her mother, Christie Brinkley, who was the face of Prell in 1986. Joel's rep commented that the deal had been in the works long before her apparent suicide attempt in December of 2009. "We couldn’t be more excited about having a talent like Alexa help us refresh Prell," commented Chris Dominello, chief executive of Ultimark, which bought Prell last year.[8]
Joel attempted suicide in December 2009 by trying to overdose on Traumeel, a homeopathic alternative of ibuprofen. Joel took eight pills, but the dosage was by no means high enough to cause death.[9] She called 911 for emergency medical aid shortly after.
   | Alexa's Official Website - Alexa Ray Joel |
| | Alexa's Online Music Store - Alexa Ray Joel | Amie Street |
| | ''Alexa Ray Joel a Strikes Chord of her Own'' - Alexa Ray Joel Strikes a Chord of Her Own - Alexa Joel, Billy Joel, Christie Brinkley : People.com |
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