How Billy Joel Cheated Death With the Help of Wife Alexis Roderick: She ‘Keeps Him in Check’

Billy Joel is madly in love with wife Alexis Roderick, and they’ll celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary next year – and he’s crediting the former equestrian pro with helping him off his radically dangerous lifestyle that plagued his life for years. The legendary performer will be the first one to admit that his reckless habits nearly finished him off.

“A few years ago, he was piling on the pounds and drinking heavily, but then this amazing woman entered his life,” an insider exclusively tells Closer. “He's looking good, and he’s shed some weight. He’s not super skinny, but this is an improvement. The excessive eating and booze binges that plagued him are in the past.”

Billy, 75, married Alexis, 41, in 2015. Together, they share daughters Della and Remy. The “Piano Man” singer is also a dad to daughter Alexa Ray Joel, whom he welcomed with ex-wife Christie Brinkley.

“Alexis is ultra-fit and a healthy influence, she’s always there to keep him in check and make sure he doesn’t slide off the rails,” the source adds. “He’s in a different headspace, at home and at work. He’s learned the meaning of moderation, and it’s down to her, plus he’s got lots more energy and isn’t breathless on stage like he was before. His family is so grateful. He’s 75, and they want him to stick around another few decades.”

In the past, Billy opened up about his struggles with alcohol addiction and how it derailed his career at times.

"I couldn’t be as good as I wanted to be. It drove me crazy. The drinking was part of it,” he told Parade. “If I couldn’t be as good as I wanted to be, I’d just drown it with booze. … I know I’ve got a reputation that I’m this depressed guy. I’m not — I’m a happy guy. … I was in rehab twice.”

“The first time in rehab, in ’02, I wouldn’t even stay,” he said of his first rehab stint. “I was only there for a couple of days. The press was all over the place. I said, 'I got to get out of here.' The second time was at [the] Betty Ford [Center in 2005], which was not a lot of fun. I was drinking too much. I said, 'This time I’m going to stick it through for a month.' It was one of the best things I ever did."

After getting his drinking under control, Billy was able to jump back into his successful music career with a smile on his face. Just recently, he performed "Uptown Girl" at his Madison Square Garden show on April 26 while Christie was in the crowd with Alexa.