Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm Jeff Stevens. Well Christy Brinkley. She is an author,
she is a model, she's a mom, she's an influencer.
She's awesome, and she's got a great new book called
Uptown Girl. First of all, congratulations on the book. I've
been seeing you all over social media and you know,
different shows and stuff, and you got to feel so
great that this thing is finally out there.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
It is the thrilling. I so pleased with all the
feedback I've gotten. It's all been so positive, and you know,
moments before it comes out, like the couple weeks before,
I was I was really feeling so vulnerable and nervous about,
you know, laying it all out there and would people
(00:43):
get it, would they like it, would it be of
any interest? And the answer is coming back now that
people are absolutely loving it, and I'm so I'm just delighted.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Well, You've had such an amazing career. It's been so
fun to watch you. But I think you are putting
so much stuff out there. I'm sure, like you said, vulnerable,
I saw an interesting interview just a couple of days ago,
you and your daughter Alexa Ray, and I thought it
was cool that she said you know, yeah, there's gonna
be stuff in there about Billy and my dad, and
you know there's gonna be some vulnerable stuff in there.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
But Mom, go for it, go there.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
And I think that's really cool that that had to
make you feel good to hear that from her.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, because she was always saying, it's your story, your
mutual story, and it's his story, and it's your story.
But you know, you've always concealed your story. People don't
know because you know, when I'm doing the fashion magazines
and stuff, if there was ever anything happening in my marriage,
and sometimes there was, I wasn't gonna you know, when
(01:48):
they say how is it, you just go, oh great,
You don't say, well, actually, you know there's this if
you're going to be honest and hope that people can
get something out of the compilation of your life, you know,
which in my case, there seems to be this thread
(02:10):
of bad things happening, but getting through them and using
them to either, you know, to learn the lessons, reap
the lessons from them, let them propel you forward, let
them be your fuel. And sorry about my phone beeping
on And so I think there are things for people
(02:37):
to take home from this book, and I'm getting that.
People are telling me they're moved, they're relating to you know,
whether there's so many different stories in the book, people
that know me really well say, oh my god, I
never knew that about you.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So there's a lot there and people are really enjoying
reading it. It's beautifully written. I had help from Sarah Tolin,
who I started with somebody else that didn't sound like me.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
I have.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
I've had journals for over sixty years where I kept
copious notes and I, you know, poured my heart out
into my journals. So we had a lot of material
that was already there, but she knew how to piece
it together to you know, give it that. It's just
a beautiful book.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
It really is.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
It is, and I think and I want to say
thank you for sharing, because you know, it's just it's
full of story after story after story and which is
which are also interesting. And then you get to the
photos and you know, your life is so much about
photos and photography, and to see the behind the scenes
stuff of vacation and some of your early work in
(03:54):
your modeling, and then just really candid stuff with you
and Billy and Alexi, Ray and and it's just it's
so neat to see all of it right in front
of us. The picture section is fantastic.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Oh, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I would have loved to have had, you know, even
more in there. One of the ideas when I first
went in was to have the book almost be like
my journals, where pictures are pasted all over the different
pages and interspersed with all my little drawings, you know,
and that kind of scrap bookie kind of feel. But
(04:29):
they said, no, no, you have such a story to
tell that you would have those pages just where people
can focus and dive in. And it's so rich. I mean,
I've had people telling me I dreamt I was you
in Paris, Sarah said. She said, I keep dreaming that
(04:52):
I'm in Paris and I'm living your life there.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
That's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Well, and your life has been so on display, obviously,
that's that you know, you you get that, I mean,
everybody knows that about you, obviously through through all your work.
But when you read into this, obviously there's so many things,
and there's so many fun things that you know, some
of the initial years with Billy and and but then
you've got the plane crash or the helicopter crash rather,
(05:18):
and and then you've got you know, vacation with Chevy Chase,
and you know there's there's like you said, it's kind
of like all over the place of serious and fun
and beautiful and amazing.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Yeah, it's a real roller coaster, it really is. You know,
people use that, but it is a e ticket ride
on a roller coaster because it just doesn't really let up.
It never lets up. Yes, you know, it's still you know.
The drawings from my journal were tiny done, you know,
(05:53):
little little rapidiographs, so it's very fine point pins and
I through them thinking someday things will slow down and
I'll turn these into big canvases. So they were just
sketches to remind me of things that I saw, and
(06:15):
that the slowdown hasn't really happened.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Not really yet. You know.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
One of the things that I told a lot of
folks I was getting a chance to chat with you,
and one of the questions that I heard a lot
and I thought, well, you know, let's let's let's ask
you about this is people want to know how you
and Billy Joel are And if I'm not mistaken, didn't
didn't I see maybe it was last fall some time
last year. Didn't he sing Uptown Girl to you?
Speaker 3 (06:42):
At was it? Madison Square?
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Yes, okay, all right, I think I saw that on
on his Instagram.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yeah, he's done that every every time I go there,
he does that. It's it's kind of become a thing,
and it's just so it's sweet, it's lovely. The crowds
love it, and I love it. You know, it's a
it's a beautiful moment. And we're friends, you know, we
(07:08):
you know, he was my true love and I don't
think that the love part goes away. He's the father
of my firstborn and that's very special too. And you know,
we had a very amicable divorce and so we were
able to turn it around and and just be friends
(07:30):
and hold on to that. And after that, it depends
on who.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
He's with how we can be. That's a fair answer.
That is a very fair answer. And real quick, I know,
we have just a minute here. Was it so fun
working with Chevy and everybody on vacation. That seemed like
so much.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Fun, so fun. I had the best time doing that.
I loved it. Chevy's great. I'm doing a book signing
somewhere near him, So I'm going to be seeing him,
oh coming up. Yeah, I'm excited. And but he's he's
so great. He's he's so talented. I mean, that movie
(08:14):
has withstood the test of time. Every time I see
him kiss the Sandwich, it kind of cracks me up
to this day. When he's snoring in the car, the
camera pans around and there he is with his head sounds.
I mean, he's and in real life, you know, he's
always doing those little pratfalls and funny lines and.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Yeah, all of that. So and he instagrammed about your
book too.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
He's he's looking and he's looking to mid Oh of
course it's a classic chevy face. So but he's but
he's still promoting you. So that's pretty awesome. Yeah, well,
I know we got to go. Christy Brinkley, uptown girl. Everybody,
go out and get it.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Thank you. It was so nice to meet you.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Nice to meet you too. Nice.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Okay, good luck. Thank you,
I'm Jeff Stevens. Well Christy Brinkley. She is an author,
she is a model, she's a mom, she's an influencer.
She's awesome, and she's got a great new book called
Uptown Girl. First of all, congratulations on the book. I've
been seeing you all over social media and you know,
different shows and stuff, and you got to feel so
great that this thing is finally out there.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
It is the thrilling. I so pleased with all the
feedback I've gotten. It's all been so positive, and you know,
moments before it comes out, like the couple weeks before,
I was I was really feeling so vulnerable and nervous about,
you know, laying it all out there and would people
(00:43):
get it, would they like it, would it be of
any interest? And the answer is coming back now that
people are absolutely loving it, and I'm so I'm just delighted.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Well, You've had such an amazing career. It's been so
fun to watch you. But I think you are putting
so much stuff out there. I'm sure, like you said, vulnerable,
I saw an interesting interview just a couple of days ago,
you and your daughter Alexa Ray, and I thought it
was cool that she said you know, yeah, there's gonna
be stuff in there about Billy and my dad, and
you know there's gonna be some vulnerable stuff in there.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
But Mom, go for it, go there.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
And I think that's really cool that that had to
make you feel good to hear that from her.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, because she was always saying, it's your story, your
mutual story, and it's his story, and it's your story.
But you know, you've always concealed your story. People don't
know because you know, when I'm doing the fashion magazines
and stuff, if there was ever anything happening in my marriage,
and sometimes there was, I wasn't gonna you know, when
(01:48):
they say how is it, you just go, oh great,
You don't say, well, actually, you know there's this if
you're going to be honest and hope that people can
get something out of the compilation of your life, you know,
which in my case, there seems to be this thread
(02:10):
of bad things happening, but getting through them and using
them to either, you know, to learn the lessons, reap
the lessons from them, let them propel you forward, let
them be your fuel. And sorry about my phone beeping
on And so I think there are things for people
(02:37):
to take home from this book, and I'm getting that.
People are telling me they're moved, they're relating to you know,
whether there's so many different stories in the book, people
that know me really well say, oh my god, I
never knew that about you.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So there's a lot there and people are really enjoying
reading it. It's beautifully written. I had help from Sarah Tolin,
who I started with somebody else that didn't sound like me.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
I have.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
I've had journals for over sixty years where I kept
copious notes and I, you know, poured my heart out
into my journals. So we had a lot of material
that was already there, but she knew how to piece
it together to you know, give it that. It's just
a beautiful book.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
It really is.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
It is, and I think and I want to say
thank you for sharing, because you know, it's just it's
full of story after story after story and which is
which are also interesting. And then you get to the
photos and you know, your life is so much about
photos and photography, and to see the behind the scenes
stuff of vacation and some of your early work in
(03:54):
your modeling, and then just really candid stuff with you
and Billy and Alexi, Ray and and it's just it's
so neat to see all of it right in front
of us. The picture section is fantastic.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Oh, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I would have loved to have had, you know, even
more in there. One of the ideas when I first
went in was to have the book almost be like
my journals, where pictures are pasted all over the different
pages and interspersed with all my little drawings, you know,
and that kind of scrap bookie kind of feel. But
(04:29):
they said, no, no, you have such a story to
tell that you would have those pages just where people
can focus and dive in. And it's so rich. I mean,
I've had people telling me I dreamt I was you
in Paris, Sarah said. She said, I keep dreaming that
(04:52):
I'm in Paris and I'm living your life there.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
That's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Well, and your life has been so on display, obviously,
that's that you know, you you get that, I mean,
everybody knows that about you, obviously through through all your work.
But when you read into this, obviously there's so many things,
and there's so many fun things that you know, some
of the initial years with Billy and and but then
you've got the plane crash or the helicopter crash rather,
(05:18):
and and then you've got you know, vacation with Chevy Chase,
and you know there's there's like you said, it's kind
of like all over the place of serious and fun
and beautiful and amazing.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Yeah, it's a real roller coaster, it really is. You know,
people use that, but it is a e ticket ride
on a roller coaster because it just doesn't really let up.
It never lets up. Yes, you know, it's still you know.
The drawings from my journal were tiny done, you know,
(05:53):
little little rapidiographs, so it's very fine point pins and
I through them thinking someday things will slow down and
I'll turn these into big canvases. So they were just
sketches to remind me of things that I saw, and
(06:15):
that the slowdown hasn't really happened.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Not really yet. You know.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
One of the things that I told a lot of
folks I was getting a chance to chat with you,
and one of the questions that I heard a lot
and I thought, well, you know, let's let's let's ask
you about this is people want to know how you
and Billy Joel are And if I'm not mistaken, didn't
didn't I see maybe it was last fall some time
last year. Didn't he sing Uptown Girl to you?
Speaker 3 (06:42):
At was it? Madison Square?
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Yes, okay, all right, I think I saw that on
on his Instagram.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yeah, he's done that every every time I go there,
he does that. It's it's kind of become a thing,
and it's just so it's sweet, it's lovely. The crowds
love it, and I love it. You know, it's a
it's a beautiful moment. And we're friends, you know, we
(07:08):
you know, he was my true love and I don't
think that the love part goes away. He's the father
of my firstborn and that's very special too. And you know,
we had a very amicable divorce and so we were
able to turn it around and and just be friends
(07:30):
and hold on to that. And after that, it depends
on who.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
He's with how we can be. That's a fair answer.
That is a very fair answer. And real quick, I know,
we have just a minute here. Was it so fun
working with Chevy and everybody on vacation. That seemed like
so much.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Fun, so fun. I had the best time doing that.
I loved it. Chevy's great. I'm doing a book signing
somewhere near him, So I'm going to be seeing him,
oh coming up. Yeah, I'm excited. And but he's he's
so great. He's he's so talented. I mean, that movie
(08:14):
has withstood the test of time. Every time I see
him kiss the Sandwich, it kind of cracks me up
to this day. When he's snoring in the car, the
camera pans around and there he is with his head sounds.
I mean, he's and in real life, you know, he's
always doing those little pratfalls and funny lines and.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Yeah, all of that. So and he instagrammed about your
book too.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
He's he's looking and he's looking to mid Oh of
course it's a classic chevy face. So but he's but
he's still promoting you. So that's pretty awesome. Yeah, well,
I know we got to go. Christy Brinkley, uptown girl. Everybody,
go out and get it.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Thank you. It was so nice to meet you.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Nice to meet you too. Nice.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Okay, good luck. Thank you,
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