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Billy Joel’s parents were Howard and Rosalind Joel. After they divorced in 1957, Rosalind raised Billy and his sister Judy in Hicksville, New York. Billy later found Howard in Vienna and met his paternal half-brother, Alex; in 1995, the three men appeared together in Nuremberg.
Who were Billy Joel’s parents?
Rosalind Nyman Joel
Rosalind Nyman Joel (1922–2014) was Billy’s mother. Her official obituary says she and Howard divorced in 1957, after which she worked clerical jobs near the family’s Hicksville home while raising Billy and Judy. It also describes her support for Billy’s musical education. Biography.com similarly says she pushed him to study piano (Biography.com’s Billy Joel biography).
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LIFE Billy Joel | $14.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Rosalind’s obituary links her story to “Rosalinda’s Eyes,” describing the song as a tribute. That connection is a glimpse of her place in Billy’s family history, not a complete account of their relationship.
Howard Joel
Howard was Billy’s father. After the 1957 divorce, he moved to Europe, according to a Washington Post retrospective. The documented story includes a later reunion with Billy and Alex, but the available accounts establish events more clearly than they establish the private feelings behind the father-son relationship.
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Does Billy Joel have siblings?
Yes. Billy has a sister, Judy Molinari, and a paternal half-brother, Alexander “Alex” Joel. They are different people, with different places in the family timeline.
Judy Molinari, his sister
Rosalind’s obituary identifies Judy Molinari as her daughter, and a preview of The Legend of Billy Joel refers to Judy as Billy’s older sister (Google Books preview). The family accounts cited here do not establish claims that Judy was adopted, so that should not be stated as fact.
Alexander “Alex” Joel, his paternal half-brother
Alex is Billy’s half-brother through their father, Howard. TIME’s 2025 coverage of the HBO documentary says Billy located Howard in Vienna in the early 1970s and met Alex there (TIME’s documentary coverage). Recent documentary coverage describes Alex as a classical conductor.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How did Billy Joel reconnect with his father and half-brother?
According to TIME’s account, Billy found Howard in Vienna in the early 1970s, where he also met Alex. The family appeared together publicly years later: Howard and Alex joined Billy at a 1995 Nuremberg event. Billy’s official site report records his description of the occasion: “It was a family reunion of sorts.”
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Billy Joel’s family timeline
- 1949: Billy Joel was born in the Bronx to Howard and Rosalind, according to Biography.com.
- 1957: Howard and Rosalind divorced. Rosalind raised Billy and Judy in Hicksville while working clerical jobs, according to her official obituary.
- Early 1970s: Billy located Howard in Vienna and met Alex, as described in TIME’s 2025 documentary coverage.
- 1995: Howard and Alex joined Billy at a Nuremberg appearance; Billy called it “a family reunion of sorts,” according to his official site.
- 2014: Rosalind died. Her obituary records her children and grandchildren.
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