Christie Brinkley, even after over four decades, continues to embody the spirit of an “Uptown Girl.”
During a concert at his residency at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on April 26, the supermodel danced along while her ex-husband Billy Joel performed “Uptown Girl.”
April 27 saw Brinkley sharing a delightful moment on Instagram. She posted a video of herself dancing and singing along to Joel’s popular 1983 hit. In another TikTok video, she was seen thoroughly enjoying the tune on the jumbotron.
In the music industry, “Uptown Girl” stands out as one of Joel’s greatest hits. The music video for this song showcased Brinkley, exuding elegance as an upper-class lady, while Joel portrayed a hardworking mechanic. It’s worth noting that during the making of the video, the two were actually dating. As a testament to its popularity, “Uptown Girl” climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
During a 2010 interview with Howard Stern, Joel confirmed that the song was indeed written about Brinkley. However, he clarified that he wasn’t dating her when he initially started writing it. The inspiration for the track came to him after a serendipitous meeting with Brinkley, Whitney Houston, and Elle MacPherson, whom he was dating at the time.
Christie Brinkley and Billy Joel tied the knot in 1985 and welcomed their daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, into the world. Unfortunately, their marriage came to an end in 1994, leading to their divorce.
In an Instagram clip, Brinkley showcased a heartwarming moment with her daughter, Sailor Brinkley Cook, as they enjoyed Joel’s captivating performances. The crowd was thrilled as Joel played iconic songs like “Piano Man,” “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones, “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” and “The Longest Time.” Brinkley also captured Alexa Ray singing beautifully, performing “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” and serenading her father with Lulu’s classic, “To Sir with Love.”
“Thank you, @billyjoel and @alexarayjoel, for serenading us with your beautiful song. Your performance had us feeling absolutely amazing! It was truly a magical evening at the garden,” Brinkley expressed with joy.
“I think it’s the type of song that, you know, someone should sing to their hero. So it feels appropriate: Dad, you are my hero,” Alexa Ray expressed to her father while acknowledging that he is also considered a hero to New York. She then added, “This is for you.”
While he was seated at the piano, she proceeded to serenade him.
Brinkley shared two additional videos of Alexa Ray singing “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” and was visibly touched by the moment. Joel’s residency, which is set to conclude this year, has clearly left a lasting impact.
“Before @billyjoel’s unforgettable residency at @thegarden becomes a distant memory, there was one last night to cherish! Alexa Ray and her father, Pop, created a beautiful harmony as they performed “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” in this massive arena that Billy has transformed into his own intimate living space,” she expressed in the caption accompanying the videos.
“And as if that delightful pair wasn’t already enough, tears began to well up when she unexpectedly serenaded her Dad with a heartfelt rendition of ‘To Sir With Love’ (unfortunately, technical difficulties prevented me from capturing it on video). But trust me, it was an incredibly touching moment. Billy was at a loss for words, completely overwhelmed with emotion.”