Dozens of promising unsigned musicians perform at New York’s Mercury Lounge every year — but very few precede their shows with a dinner at a pricey downtown boite for some 20 guests, many of them boldface names. Then again, very few are the sole offspring of two ’80s superstars: Piano Man Billy Joel and his onetime Uptown Girl, model Christie Brinkley. At the downtown bistro Schillers, Alexa Ray Joel, a slim, brown-haired 21-year-old with her mom’s cheekbones and her dad’s large, downturned eyes, welcomed a group that included novelist Jay McInerney, fashion designer Nicole Miller, Wes Anderson collaborator Waris, and other NYC social fixtures (Brinkley was absent due to last-minute back surgery).
When the entire troupe, stomachs full, heads up to the Mercury to watch the show, they clearly differ from the venue’s usual crowd (indie-rock scruffs clad in weather-beaten black Converse and indifferent expressions). And so does Alexa Ray: poured into a black mini-dress, she takes to the stage and greets the crowd with seasoned showbiz confidence. An album is due out later this year, but for now, the only recorded material is a self-released six-song EP, Sketches (available through her website, streaming on her MySpace page or at Target stores nationwide), a collection of breezy, piano-based pop tunes with Broadway-baby vocals. At least she seems to realize her retro sound isn’t exactly commercial: “It took a couple years to figure out that the songs I like to play / Are often not the songs you hear about on the radio today,” she croons on “Songs of Yesterday.”
Joel is, of course, hardly the only celebrity offspring to try her handat music-making: the current crop includes Hulk Hogan’s daughterBrooke, Sean Lennon, Growing Pains actor Alan’s son Robin Thicke (currently in Billboard’s top 10), and Elvis Perkins, the singer-songwriter son of late Psychostar Anthony. Schadenfreude tends to run rampant when it comes to kidswho were already born on third base trying to score home runs, whichmakes it hard to decide objectively whether Alexa can transcend herbackground. And while her lyrics contain the kind of clichés andfaux-jadedness that only the very young can get away with, she’sclearly inherited at least some of her father’s talent for melody. “TheHeart of Me” is a rollicking mid-tempo rocker, and the pointed, acerbic“Now It’s Gone” — which she dedicated at the show to her mother —should make Brinkley’s philandering ex-husband, Peter Cook, shiver inhis Polo sweater. Joel may never become a great star, but thenagain, she very likely needs neither the money nor approval. As herdad once sang, "I am the entertainer, and I know just where I stand."And indeed, unlike most peers her age, still struggling to find theiridentity, she seems pretty sure of where she is.
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The girl can definitely sing (although she scoops too many notes), and seems to have skills at the piano. That being said, her music has none of the interesting melody or harmony that her dad had, and she certainly hasn’t written anything that is radio ready. Will be interesting to see if she can develop into something more.
I’m not trying to hate but the girl’s EYES look ENORMOUS in just about every picture I’ve ever seen of her….So between the bug eyes & the giant flower in her hair pictured for this item, who can actually concentrate on her music!?
Anyone else think it’s creepy that the daughter looks like the new wife? Ew!
Wow, I can really hear her father’s chord structures and phrasing in her arrangements. But that’s not a surprise, since she grew up listening to his music. It’s probably a part of her genetic code.
I like the songs, but nothing really pops out at me. She’s clearly well-trained, but for me, the best troubadours and poets are the outsiders. But I don’t want her to go changing or to develop unpleasant social tics just so her songs will become more compelling.
I think it’s a testament to her mom that Alexa grew up to be self-aware and self-confident, even in the glare of fame and multiple marriages. Good on you, Christie.
Poor kid looks just like her father.
wow, y’all (EW) are mean, that’s a terrible pic!
Man….I guess genetics really is a crapshoot.
I suppose it was inevitable that Alexa Ray would have a future in music. After all, she was in a music video when she was an infant!
See: “A Matter of Trust” (Billy Joel)
hmm, maybe she just shouldn’t smile, Posh doesn’t…………
Is it just me…but I am expecting her to scream out “No more wire hangers”!
I’m sorry, I know I’m in the minority here, but I think she’s quite pretty (though the eyebrows could get some more plucking). What can I say, I’m a sucker for big eyes.
the picture reminds me of Late Night w/ Conan O’Brien, where they morph pictures to see what two celebrities’ offspring would look like.
She’s about as ugly as Billy Joel.
Can that smile be more creepy?
Freaking shame that she doesn’t look like her Mother. Christie has THE most gorgeous smile ever. Alexa…well, I’m thinking more like The Joker.
i’ve seen other pictures of alexa, and i really think she’s gorgeous, and that this one’s just a bad picture..
and i also really love her music and i definitely think she could become really popular, but it’s just not the kind of music that would get played on the radio, that’s all…
The ugliest thing on this page is comments from people who think it’s OK to make personal attacks on Alexa’s appearance. OK, it’s not the best photo, I suspect that was very deliberate as there are plenty out there where she looks stunning. But none of that matters anyway, because Alexa is a BEAUTIFUL person. If you bother to take a look at her myspace page, see the messages she regularly leaves for her fans where she bares her soul and embraces their support, you’ll see that for yourself. Whether you like her style of music or not, you can’t help but like HER for the person she is and what she is trying to do.
Her name is Joel, she was born with it, has every right to use it, and is proud of it. She is not trying to use it, she wants to make her own way and is doing a bl**dy good job so far from what I can see. She has inevitably got some of her fans from her father, but that’s because they recognise her TALENT in her own right! Listen to her sing, judge her on her music, please!
Lex is beautiful inside and out, which is something you all cant say for yourselves. I bet 70% of you are 250+ lb pigs who live hand to mouth.
She was raised with music, she was raised to play it,create it, and love it; and that’s what she’s doing. If you dont like it, you can go scratch.
You minimum wagers, wearing size XXXL, with zero talent at anything, only WISH you were Alexa Ray Joel. Whether you admit it or not.
Grow the F*** up.
We love you Lex, Lisa (and Lauren too) XXX Keep up the great hard work. You already ARE making it. You have the talent, the right attitude, a great band, and yes you are attractive. Please do not take to heart the comments of people like this. These people criticize you, and others, so harshly because it makes them feel better about themselves and their own shortcomings in life.
Leah Greenblatt, you seem to get off on tearing people down all the time. Does that make you feel good? Makes you look like a piece of crap though.
Clearly, those who have judged her, have not heard her! I was at her show at Mohegan Sun, and it blew me away! The presence that she has on stage can be matched by none. She has a phenomenal voice, and is an excellent song writer. Maybe she doesn’t have aything that would be ready for radio, but that’s only because groups like the PussyCat Dolls (a former burlesque act) and Nelly Furtado (as I recall, she started out as a pop singer, and has just recently turned trashy) currently dominate radio air time. What decent artist has a shot with that kind of trash on the radio?
Bottom line: the apple did not far from the tree. She is just as talented as her father, and may even surpass him one day.
BTW, I would like to see the high school photos of those who judge this photo. I’m sure we’d all have a great laugh!!!
So what if she’s Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley’s daughter? She is so talented in her own right and people need to stop being down on her for persuing her dreams. Yeah, she may have it easier ~ but then again, not really because she’s going to have to overcome all of the skepticism of infantile boneheads that just want to call her names because she has famous parents. People that only post comments that put people down to make themselves feel big need to grow up. Personally, I think that she’s a unique beauty with awesome talent.
What is wrong with you people?!?!?! Alexa ia gorgeous inside and out. Why the attack on her looks in this specific picture? Her music is genuine and she may have an extra advantage on all of us other musicians, but as a musician I think she is extremely talented…this is only the beginning for her.
When will people stop confusing a bad picture day with talent and true beauty?
The ugly people are the ones who think their critique of Alexa’s outside appearance within a not-so-perfect picture or otherwise is helpful to a young lady’s career.
What a wonderful world we live in when we can all sit here and attack someone without getting a response back. Shame on all of you–Grow up!
She is very beautiful, and very talented. That is truly an awful picture that you chose to publish, I hope that everyone that reads this goes to her Myspace profile and listens and looks at her other pictures before they chime in with nasty comments. But WHY are we criticizing MUSICIANS for their looks anyway??? And what 21 year old should be compared to a LEGEND like Billy Joel, no matter that she is his daughter? This piece was VERY biased and unfair.
The lady who wrote this obviously has a chip on her shoulder about something. It sounds like she wrote it before she even watched the show. Is it so crazy that she would want to pursue a career in music with the obvious talent that has been passed down to her???
And to all the people who are actually calling her “ugly” in this picture… get a life! Alexa is a beautiful and talented girl- check out her myspace page and see for yourself instead of judging one picture. I don’t even know what to say… people have way too much time on their hands and apparently this world is filled with perfect people who think they have the right to judge others.
Everyone judges. It’s human nature. If you didn’t judge, you would let your children play with “strange men” probably. We have no more time on our hands than someone who is leaving a positive comment. Old, tired, lame arguments. Us calling her ugly had nothing to do with you. Stop inserting yourself into that part of the conversation. Piss off.
I have to agree with Cynthia. PCD, Nelly, Paris, etc – that kind of garbage is what’s wrong with music. I haven’t heard Alexa, but I will give her a chance. I personally don’t view her any differently because of who her parents are. I actually feel happy for her about that. I wish Billy Joel had been my Dad…lol!!!
Royale with Cheese, your name speaks volumes. Get a life, you pathetic slob.
Alexa is an amazing young woman. I think some of you have nothing better to do than waste your days away reading these blogs and shoving cheese fries down yout throat at the keys. The person who wrote this OBVIOUSLY picked a bad photo and that makes her as guilty as the rest of you losers who have nothing better to do than spew nonsense online. Go to Alexa’s MySpace page and listen to her music. I LOVE the fact that she is playing what she WANTS to play and not what the radio stations want. Kudos to her!!!
Blame and critiscism are charecteristics of low self esteem…people who put down others have to have someone below them so they can feel better than someone…because they don’t like themselves. Pray for people like that..they are lonely and unappreciated….
Well..she is not relying on her dad to put her on some tired Reality Show and she is not trying to be the next Britney (thank goodness!) She actually has talent which is rare. We have so many popular singers out there that do nothing but shake their butt to sell albums. Their managers find people to write their songs and engineers amplify their voices to make them sound like they can sing. And, many of these so called artists can’t even play a single note on an instrument. Alexa has a great voice, writes her own music, plays piano and she is trying to be herself. This picture was not the best picture I have seen of her, but it is not horrible either. Those of you who are criticizing Alexa’s appearance should be ashamed of yourselves. Grow up!
Hats off to all of you for sticking up for Alexa–I second everything you guys said.
To those losers that called my girlfriend “ugly” and said other really ignorant things about her, besides the obvious (which is “F**K YOU”), is that you’re sad and little, and I guess that’s why you take the time to talk sh*t about wonderful, beautiful people that you don’t know and judge someone by one lousy photo. However, your jaded, scathed, miserable little leader Greenblatt didn’t give you much else to go on in her negatively biased piece–not even commenting on Alexa’s voice… Greenblatt, along with all of you, can kiss my ass.