Billy Joel was a proud dad on Wednesday as he celebrated the birthday of his middle child, Della, who turned 11 on August 12. The legendary performer took to Instagram to share a photo of Della sitting on a rock by the ocean, dressed in a white sundress and white sneakers, with her brunette locks flowing down past her shoulders.
“Happy 11th Birthday to our Della Rose!” he captioned the photo, as fans rushed to the comment section to share the birthday love and exclaim over his lookalike daughter. “She looks just like Billy!” one fan wrote, while another added: “Your mini-me!” A third chimed in: “Growing up so fast,” while another said: “The Billy look.”
Billy’s pride and joy
Billy shares Della and his eight-year-old daughter, Remy, with his wife of 11 years, Alexis Roderick. He is also a father to Alexa Ray Joel, 40, whom he shares with his ex-wife, supermodel Christie Brinkley. The “Vienna” singer is an incredibly present parent, and celebrated Della’s special graduation milestone in May.
“Congratulations to our elementary school graduate! We now have a middle schooler,” he wrote on Instagram. “Mommy and Daddy are beyond proud of all your hard work and determination. Your first day of school seemed like yesterday. Amazing things are in store for this girl.”
Second shot at fatherhood
© Kayla OaddamsThe star had a second chance at fatherhood when Della arrived in 2015 and Remy in 2017, and shared with People that he was still “really enjoying” being a dad.
“I love all of my girls. And poetic justice, I had all girls, of course, but I’m really enjoying this a lot. It’s something I was looking forward to all my life, and here I am,” he said.
© FilmMagicHe later shared in his documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes that it was the perfect time to dedicate himself to fatherhood.
“Having these little kids at this time in my life is such a joy,” Billy explained. “I have time to be with them… I wanted to make sure that they got everything they needed from me, so I kind of knuckled down and took fatherhood very, very seriously.”
Ongoing health battle
Billy is currently battling normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a brain condition caused by a buildup of spinal fluid.
The condition can lead to cognitive decline, balance issues and vision and hearing problems; however, symptoms can be managed with surgical treatment.
© Getty ImagesAlexa shared insight into her father’s recovery with The Hollywood Reporter in March, revealing that he was “doing great”.
“He’s doing physical therapy regularly… He’s lost weight as he’s on his diet,” she said.
© Getty Images“I’m so proud of him. He’s such a trooper, so resilient and committed to being healthy and proactive. He’s a fighter. He’s always been a fighter and talks in his documentary about how life’s like a fight.”
“I went with him to the doctors, and we’re on top of everything. I just tell him to stay healthy,” she added. “Health comes first. I said, ‘If you’re going to perform again, please stay seated at the piano. No throwing the microphone stand around!'”
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