Best Known As: Fashion Figure

Gist:  Christie Brinkley (born February 2, 1954) is an American model best known for her three appearances on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in the late 1970s and early '80s, for her long-running contract with Covergirl and for being the ex-wife of musician Billy Joel.

Brinkley has also worked as an actress, illustrator, photographer, writer and designer, and as an activist for human and animals rights and the environment.{{cite web|title=Christie Brinkley biography in William Morris agency)|url=

Her financial holdings are worth an estimated USD $80 million, primarily as the owner of real estate, much of it in the Hamptons.{{cite web|title=Catching up with Christie Brinkley's Hamptons properties|url=

Life Facts:  Born 'Christie Lee Hudson' in Monroe, Michigan, Brinkley is the daughter of Herbert and Marjorie Hudson. Her mother moved to California, where she later married Donald Brinkley, and Christie adopted her stepfather's surname. Brinkley attended Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades, California, graduating in 1972. During this time, the family lived in Brentwood, Los Angeles. Brinkley was educated at Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles and moved to Paris to study art in 1973.

at the 2005 Red Dress Collection fashion show in New York's Bryant Park.]]

* In 1982, Brinkley had a romantic relationship with Olivier Chandon de Brailles (born September 17, 1955 in France), heir to the Moët-Chandon Champagne fortune. The two met at Studio 54 in New York City at a party promoting a calendar in which Brinkley appeared,

Christie Brinkley married four times:


*French artist Jean-François Allaux (born in Rabat, Morocco), (1973?1981). She has also been involved in anti-nuclear activities and campaigned against the restarting of the High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR) located at the Brookhaven National Laboratory.

[ Physics World; Governing Science]
In February 2007, Brinkley had emergency back surgery to correct a herniated disc that occurred after a ski trip in Aspen in December 2006, Colorado.

* Supermodel

Career Facts:  Brinkley was discovered in 1973 by American photographer Errol Sawyer in a post office in Paris. He took her first modeling pictures and introduced her to John Casablancas of Elite Model Management agency in Paris.Gross, Michael (1995). Model:The ugly business of beautiful women. William

Morrow and Company, Inc., New York. pp. 317?319. ISBN 0-688-12659-6. Brinkley stated later: "I was basically a surfer girl from California. I never looked like a model." After being introduced to Elite, where Brinkley also met the French photographer Patrick Demarchelier, she returned to California, and by the end of a lunch meeting with Nina Blanchard, Eileen Ford affiliate in Los Angeles, she had been booked for three national ad campaigns.

Multiple appearances on the cover of Glamour soon followed, along with a record 20-year contract with cosmetics brand CoverGirl, the longest in the history of the modeling industry. In 2005, CoverGirl again signed Brinkley, using her in ads in magazines and TV commercials for mature skin products.

Brinkley appeared on three consecutive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Edition covers (1979, 1980 and 1981) - the first time that had happened - and appeared in the publication?s annual swimsuit issues and television specials for years to follow.

Brinkley was featured exclusively in the first Sports Illustrated Calendar and also released two of her own exclusive calendars to unparalleled success.

As an editorial model, Brinkley has appeared on over 500 magazine covers, including US, Vogue, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Glamour and the best-selling issue of LIFE ever [ (photo)]. She has held major contracts with Chanel No. 19, Prell, MasterCard, Breck, Diet Coke, Anheuser-Busch, Got Milk?, Healthy Choice, Max Factor, Nissan, Noxema, Revlon, Clairol, Borghese Cosmetics, Danskin, Nu Skin, Yardley of London, Halston, Vogue Patterns, Gottex and Black Velvet, among others.

Brinkley played her first role as an actress in the 1983 hit National Lampoon's Vacation as "The girl in the red Ferrari" opposite Chevy Chase; she reprised that role in the 1997 sequel Vegas Vacation. and later spoofed it in a 2008 DirecTV commercial interspliced with footage from Vacation.{{cite web|title=Christie Brinkley Takes It Off For DirecTV|url=

As for television, Brinkley hosted Celebrity Weddings InStyle, the highest rated special in Lifetime's history, and her appearance on NBC's Mad About You was the broadcaster's highest rated half-hour episode, since the finale of The Cosby Show.

In 1983, Brinkley appeared on the Today Show in a four part segment featuring beauty tips and, in 1992, began her own television series Living in the 90's - With Christie Brinkley, a daily half-hour show on CNN.

Brinkley made further television appearances, including Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Specials and music videos for Billy Joel (Uptown Girl, Keeping the Faith, All about Soul, River of Dreams, A Matter of Trust and Leningrad) and Mick Jones Just Wanna Hold.

In 1983, Brinkley wrote and illustrated a book on health and beauty titled Christie Brinkley's Outdoor Beauty and Fitness Book, which topped the New York Times best seller list.

Brinkley has designed clothing patterns for Simplicity Pattern and in March, 1994 helps design, for brand Nouveau Eyewear, her line of prescription glasses and sunglasses called Christie Brinkley Perspectives with worldwide sales.

Brinkley has promoted home fitness equipment sold on cable TV infomercials.

In Spring 1998, released her own signature fragrance, Believe. Her jewelry collection is manufactured by Swank.

Brinkley was one of three models featured as dolls produced by Matchbox Toys called The Real Model Collection.

Brinkley illustrated the cover art for Joel's 1993 triple platinum album River of Dreams. For this, Rolling Stone Magazine awarded her the honor of Best album cover of the year.

In 1998, Playboy refer's Brinkley one of 100 sexiest women of the 20th century.

In 2008, Brinkley and Dr. Carlon Colker promote National Family Fitness Day with Xbox 360 at the Boy's and Girl's Club

Brinkley is in the 3rd position of the AskMen.com Top 10 Supermodels Of All Time.

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*'Top Picks', in 1993 by Rolling Stone Magazine for the artistic work Brinkley done on Billy Joel?s cover album River of Dreams.

*'2001 Merit Award ', given by USO-The United Service Organizations Inc.. Brinkley traveled with the USO on goodwill missions to Sarajevo, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Italy entertaining the peacekeeping forces and visiting aircraft carriers and refugee camps. After participating in USA Secretary of Defense William Cohen?s Christmas tour to Kosovo, she was given the award in Washington DC for her efforts on behalf of american troops.

*'Spirit of Achievement Award', at 2003 by "The Women?s Division" of Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University presented Brinkley for her charity work.

*'Christie Brinkley Scholarship', at February, 2007 by The Ross School in Easthampton, Long Island, New York. This scholarship allow students interested in art or environment sciences get four free years at Ross High School.{{cite web|title=Christie Brinkley: A Model Mom!|url=

*'Heart Award', special honor from the American Heart Association in the "12th Annual Heart of the Hamptons Gala" for her commitment to helping children live healthier lives. Brinkley said she was very honored to receive the award from the AHA being convinced that the research from the organization made it possible for her mother to be alive after suffering five strokes.{{cite web|title=American Heart Association|url=

*'Smart Cookie Award', April 21, 2008, honored her and three other amazing charitable mothers in New York at the "Second Annual Smart Cookie Awards Gala", voted by Cookie Magazine readers. Daughter Alexa Ray was invited and proud to hold a speech.

*'Humanitarian Award', given by March of Dimes. This organization is dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality through research, community services, education and advocacy.

*' Merit Award', by the non-profit USA national organization Mothers Voices which mission is strengthens family communication about sex, sexual health and HIV/AIDS/STD prevention through education and awareness, mobilize parents and caregivers to become their child?s frontline sexual health educator.{{cite web|title=Mother's Voices web site|url=

*'Mother of the year', given by The National Mothers Day committee at a ceremony held in New York City.

*' Merit Award ', given by Make-A-Wish Foundation in New York. They work granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy.

*'Americas Mothers and Shakers', named by Redbook Magazine for her involvement in "STAR - Standing for Truth About Radiation".