What happened to Billy Joel’s first wife Elizabeth Ann Weber? Former manager breaks silence on their marriage in new documentary

Billy Joel's first wife, Elizabeth Ann Weber, broke her silence about their eight-year marriage 43 years after their divorce.

Weber recently attended the premiere of the HBO documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes in New York City during the 2025 Tribeca Festival. During the event, Weber opened up about her marriage to Joel. She was not only his wife but also his business manager and the inspiration behind many of his songs.

The two were married for nine years, from 1973 until their divorce in 1982. They have no children. Weber first disappeared from the public eye after news of her affair with Joel emerged, as she was married to Jon Small, the drummer of Joel’s first band, known as The Hassles. She chose to leave both men, which had a profound effect on Joel, contributing to his suicide attempts. She eventually returned, and they got married.

The second time Elizabeth Ann Weber left was after their divorce. Both times deeply affected Billy Joel.

Here is what we know about their relationship.

Why did Elizabeth Ann Weber divorce Billy Joel?

Elizabeth ann Weber made a striking appearance at the Tribeca Festival event at the Beacon Theatre with her son, Sean Small, 59, from her first marriage. Speaking about her second marriage to Billy Joel, she told People magazine,

“It was great then, it’s great whenever I think about it, and it’s great now [to revisit].”

This is the first time Weber has spoken about her marriage, as shown in the two-part documentary "Billy Joel: And So it Goes," directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin.

When Joel and Weber reconciled and married in 1973, she became the driving force behind his work and supported him throughout his career. According to a report in Hello magazine, she convinced Joel to release "Just The Way You Are" as a single, which he wrote for her birthday. She went on to inspire many of his tracks, including "The Stranger," "She’s Always a Woman," and "Piano Man."

However, during the 1980s, their marriage became strained due to a mix of personal and professional pressures. As Joel rose to fame, he struggled with substance abuse, which had a lasting impact on his relationship with Elizabeth Ann Weber.

Trending

Around the same time, he also suffered a motorcycle accident while intoxicated that required surgery on both hands. Eventually, Elizabeth Ann Weber chose to walk away from his life and vanished from public view. Joel married Christie Brinkley in 1985, with whom he has a daughter, Alexa Ray.

According to a report in Distractify, he has been married four times. After Christie divorced him in 1994, he married Katie Lee in 2004. He is currently married to Alexis Roderick, and they have two daughters together: Della Rose Joel, who is now nine, and Remy Anne Joel, who is now seven years old.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback