🎹 THE STORM BEHIND THE PIANO – WHEN “THIS IS THE TIME” TURNED INTO A GOODBYE
✨ The lights of Madison Square Garden often masked the shadows in Billy Joel’s life. But behind his upbeat charisma and powerhouse concerts was a love story that turned into a headline-heavy heartache – and a love song that suddenly echoed with melancholy.
💔 THE FAIRYTALE STARTED WITH A SUPERMODEL
In 1983, Billy Joel was already one of the most successful singer-songwriters in the world. His albums were topping charts, his concerts sold out coast-to-coast, and his New York charm made him an unlikely yet undeniable rock star.
Enter Christie Brinkley.
She wasn’t just a model — she was the supermodel. With her radiant smile and golden hair, she had graced the cover of Sports Illustrated three years in a row. The two met during a vacation in St. Bart’s, and despite their contrasting worlds — the piano man from Long Island and the runway queen — sparks flew.
Billy was funny, witty, and could make a room feel alive. Christie was kind, playful, and curious about his world. They fell in love, fast and hard. In 1985, they married in a yacht ceremony that was part rock-star fantasy, part tabloid dream.
But even the most glamorous love stories can unravel under pressure.
🎶 “THIS IS THE TIME” – A LOVE LETTER FROZEN IN TIME
When Billy wrote “This Is the Time” in 1986, it felt like a reflection of his life with Christie. The lyrics spoke of a moment suspended in magic — when everything felt just right.
“This is the time to remember / ‘Cause it will not last forever…”
At the time, they had just welcomed their daughter, Alexa Ray. Billy was glowing in fatherhood, and Christie seemed to balance motherhood and modeling with grace. The song captured that moment — a snapshot of a life that seemed almost too good to be true.
It wasn’t written for Christie directly, but in many ways, it became theirs.
Yet like the song warns, even the most cherished seasons fade. And when they do, the same lyrics can sting.
📸 FAME, DISTANCE, AND DIFFERENT LIVES
As the late ‘80s turned into the ‘90s, Billy and Christie began to drift. While Billy loved the studio, touring, and late nights with his band, Christie was drawn to quiet, nature, and time with their daughter in the Hamptons. The glitz that once glued them together began to feel exhausting.
Tabloids didn’t help. Rumors of affairs, of stress, of career pressures — they all swirled around the couple. And though they denied many of the claims, the distance between them grew.
In 1993, after nearly a decade of marriage, they divorced.
It wasn’t a war — not publicly. But it was loud. Because when someone like Billy Joel — the Piano Man — splits from America’s sweetheart, the media doesn’t whisper. They scream.
🎤 WHEN THE SONGS STARTED SOUNDING DIFFERENT
In the years following the divorce, fans began to hear Billy’s older songs differently. “This Is the Time,” once full of gratitude, now carried a shadow. “She’s Always a Woman” — written for his first wife but often associated with Christie — felt more like a memory than a compliment.
And during live shows, something shifted. Billy would still play “This Is the Time,” but there was a melancholy edge to it. He sometimes changed the phrasing. Sometimes he skipped it altogether.
It was as if he knew that the magic he once captured in song had transformed into something more fragile — a lesson wrapped in melody.
👨👧 THE ONLY THING THAT LASTED – ALEXA RAY
Through all the fame and heartbreak, one thing remained sacred: his love for Alexa Ray.
She was the bridge between two worlds, the living proof that something pure came from the glamour and chaos. Billy and Christie co-parented with surprising harmony, often photographed together at Alexa’s concerts or milestone events.
Billy even encouraged Alexa’s music career. And in doing so, he gave her not just a name — but a legacy.
🌧 REGRETS AND WHAT-IFS
In rare interviews, Billy has hinted at the toll his lifestyle took on his marriage. He’s admitted that the rock ‘n’ roll life wasn’t built for quiet, long-lasting love. Christie, too, has spoken kindly of Billy, calling him a good father and a brilliant man.
There was no scandal, no betrayal to fuel the fire. Just two people growing in different directions, with the world watching.
🎼 AND STILL… HE PLAYS THE SONG
Despite the pain, Billy never abandoned “This Is the Time.”
Maybe because it was real. Maybe because, even if that moment didn’t last, it did happen. And some part of him still honors it — not as a regret, but as a truth.
He sings it now not as a celebration, but as a remembrance. A love that was. A season of life, frozen in chords and lyrics.
And when the final note fades, you can almost hear the echo of what he’s really saying:
This was the time. And I’ll never forget it.