Billy Joel is the kind of guy who doesn't just write songs; he writes anthems for the lovelorn, the dreamers, and the working-class Joes. But for a man who has spent decades singing about the "Uptown Girl" or the "She's Got a Way" mystery, his own romantic track record has been a bit of a rollercoaster. Honestly, if you've ever found yourself humming "Just the Way You Are" and wondering who it was actually written for, you’re not alone. The short answer? Billy Joel has been married four times.
It’s a number that gets tossed around a lot in trivia circles, but the stories behind those four marriages are way more complicated than a simple Wikipedia list. We’re talking about business betrayals, supermodel muses, huge age gaps, and a Fourth of July surprise that finally seems to have stuck.
The First Marriage: Elizabeth Weber (1973–1982)
The story of Billy’s first wife, Elizabeth Weber, is basically the plot of a gritty 70s drama. When they met, she was actually married to his bandmate, Jon Small. Yeah, it was messy. Billy was so distraught over the situation that he reportedly attempted suicide by drinking furniture polish (don't do that, obviously).
They eventually got together and married in 1973. Elizabeth wasn’t just his wife; she was his manager. She was the "tough as nails" negotiator who fought for his royalties. While she inspired hits like "She’s Got a Way," she was also the one who inspired "The Stranger." People close to the singer often say she was the business brain he desperately needed at the time. However, mixing business with marriage is usually a recipe for a hangover. By 1982, the marriage and the business relationship had soured, and they divorced.
That Iconic Era: Christie Brinkley (1985–1994)
If you ask anyone over the age of 40 how many times was billy joel married, they immediately think of Christie Brinkley. This was the "Uptown Girl" era. They were the ultimate 80s power couple: the nerdy, talented kid from Hicksville and the world’s most famous supermodel.
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They met in St. Barts in 1983. Billy was playing at a piano bar, trying to impress her (and Elle Macpherson, who was also there). It worked. They married on a boat in New York Harbor in 1985. This marriage gave us Alexa Ray Joel, Billy's first daughter.
But behind the scenes, things weren't as perfect as the music videos suggested. In her 2025 memoir Uptown Girl and the recent HBO documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes, Christie got real about why it ended. She cited his grueling tour schedules—specifically the two-year River of Dreams tour—and his struggles with drinking as the breaking points. She famously said that "booze was the other woman." They split in 1994 but, interestingly, they’ve stayed remarkably close friends ever since.
The Shortest Run: Katie Lee (2004–2009)
After a decade of being single, Billy surprised everyone by marrying Katie Lee. She was 23; he was 55. The 32-year age gap was a huge tabloid talking point. Katie was a burgeoning chef and TV personality, and they bonded over a love of food.
It was a different vibe for Billy. He was older, more settled, but the distance between their life stages eventually became a chasm. They were together for five years before calling it quits in 2009. There wasn't a huge public blowout; it just seemed like two people who realized they were heading in different directions.
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Fourth Time’s a Charm? Alexis Roderick (2015–Present)
Most people didn't see the fourth marriage coming. Billy met Alexis Roderick, a former Morgan Stanley executive and equestrian, at a restaurant in Huntington, New York, in 2009. They dated for six years before pulling a fast one on their friends.
During their annual Fourth of July party in 2015, they surprised everyone by getting married right then and there. Even then-Governor Andrew Cuomo was there to officiate.
This marriage has been his most private. They have two daughters together:
- Della Rose, born in 2015
- Remy Anne, born in 2017
Billy is now in his 70s, raising young kids and seemingly enjoying the quiet life in Florida and Long Island. Alexis has been his rock through recent health updates, including his 2024/2025 recovery from a brain-related diagnosis that he's been open about with fans.
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Quick Breakdown of the Joel Journey
If you need the "just the facts" version for a bar bet, here it is:
- Elizabeth Weber: 1973–1982 (The manager/muse)
- Christie Brinkley: 1985–1994 (The supermodel/Uptown Girl)
- Katie Lee: 2004–2009 (The chef/foodie)
- Alexis Roderick: 2015–Present (The current wife/mother of his younger daughters)
Why Does It Matter?
Knowing how many times was billy joel married isn't just about celebrity gossip. It’s about understanding the music. Billy Joel is an autobiographical songwriter. When he was heartbroken by Elizabeth, he wrote The Stranger. When he was head-over-heels for Christie, he wrote An Innocent Man. When he felt the loneliness of his second divorce, he gave us "And So It Goes."
His marriages are the chapters of his discography. Without the messy divorces and the whirlwind romances, we wouldn't have the songs that have soundtracked our lives for fifty years.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into Billy’s life, your next step is to watch the 2025 HBO documentary And So It Goes. It features rare interviews with Elizabeth Weber—her first in over 40 years—and provides a much more nuanced look at how these relationships shaped the man behind the piano.