A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK

Alexa Ray Joel carves out own career

The pros and cons were evident when Alexa Ray Joel decided to become a professional singer/songwriter last year.

Joel, 20, realized that she would automatically be compared to her famous father, Billy Joel, who has a gift for crafting narrative tunes.

"It's almost overwhelming for me to be mentioned in the same sentence as my father," Joel said while calling from her Brooklyn apartment. "My dad is a flawless performer and songwriter. He's so good that it's ridiculous. He's the whole package. I hope one day that I can live up to what he's accomplished. It's certainly a daunting task. He's had an incredible career."

The same can be said for Joel's mother, supermodel Christie Brinkley, currently in the news because of her cheating fourth husband, Peter Cook.

"My mom knows so much and she's super-supportive of me," Joel said. "She's my greatest cheerleader. She gushes to people about me. My dad is more subtle about his support."

Joel is finishing up tracks for her solo debut, which remains untitled. Her songs are catchy, clever, melodic — and somewhat reminiscent of her father's work.

"I grew up on my father's songs and I still listen to them," Joel said. "However, I am trying to carve out my own career. I'm excited. The feedback from those who have seen me perform has been good."

Joel, who will showcase her tracks today during Toms River Fest, doesn't have a label yet, but it wouldn't be surprising if she were signed within next few months.

"There's been quite a bit of interest," Joel said.

Love gone bad: What happened?

The amour has ended for Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook, but maybe not for the other bust-up-couple of the month, Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro.

People magazine, in searching for answers to love gone bad, reports on its Web site that Cook, who allegedly had an affair with a teen, has chafed at being known as "Mr. Brinkley."

Meanwhile, Brinkley has taken son Jack, 11, and daughter Sailor, 8, to L.A. to be with her parents, People reports. Daughter Alexa Ray, 20, a musician whose dad is Billy Joel, didn't go; she's playing gigs in New York.

Electra and Navarro, meanwhile, "still love each other," reports People, which quotes a source who said hectic schedules were to blame for that split.

In his blog this week, Navarro wrote: "What does `amicably separated' mean? It means that Carmen and I love each other, we are and always will be best friends. ... In fact, we are supporting each other through this time. What better way to get through a tough spot than with your best friend?"