"A very eligible Billy Joel showed up with five exotic women at Fuel on the Bowery the other night. "It was like the UN of babes," said a spywitness...."

A fender bender prevented Billy Joel from showing up at the "Songwriters Hall of Fame" dinner Thursday.

"He was driving in the rain down a slippery road in Sag Harbor and his car swerved and hit a pole," said Joel's spokeswoman. "Nobody else was hurt, but his face was bruised and swollen on one side, so he decided not to go. He was extremely disappointed to miss it."

Billy Joel has never seemed like one of those hard-living, untouchable rock stars. He's always been more like a cool neighbor - a regular guy who just happens to be one of the most successful singer-songwriters in music history.

Though he has sold more than 77 million albums since busting on the scene in 1971 with his debut "Cold Spring Harbor" album, the 53 year-old native of the Bronx who grew up in Levittown, has managed to stay grounded, maintaining - in public, at least - a healthy outlook about the world and his place in it.

That well-known, down-to-earth demeanor made yesterday's announcement of his entry into Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut for treatment a surprise to fans and those in the music industry.

"He just never seemed like the type to have this kind of problem," said one concert promoter who asked not to be identified. "There was never any talk like that about him."

"Talk like that" about Joel did begin to circulate after the cancellation of high-profile concerts with Elton John at Madison Square Garden and Nassau Coliseum in March. Joel's spokeswoman, Claire Mercuri, said the cancellations were due to a well-documented respiratory ailment that had been dogging Joel for weeks. However, the absences seemed to fuel growing rumors of a possible alcohol abuse problem stemming from sightings around Long Island.

Some said Joel had been gaining weight, while others said he uncharacteristically had lost his cool with some fans.

Mercuri declined to discuss the nature of Joel's problems, saying he was seeking treatment for a "specific and personal problem that had recently developed." The problem had developed in recent months, however, and Joel made the decision to enter Silver Hill in May, she said.

Few of Joel's friends and associates wanted to discuss his personal problems yesterday, though many were confident he would work out his issues.

After all, in recent years, especially since his decision to focus on writing classical music after 1993's "River of Dreams” album, Joel has lived pretty normally out in the Hamptons. He spends a lot of time on his boats and proudly watching Alexa Ray, his daughter with Christie Brinkley, grow into a teenager and a singer-songwriter herself.

Joel's relationship with his ex-wife Brinkley remains so cordial that she even set him up on a date with Trish Bergin, the former News 12 Long Island reporter who now works for "Inside Edition." Joel and Bergin dated for several months before breaking up.

His career continues to grow, even though he hasn't written a new rock song in more than nine years. He had a Grammy nomination this year for a duet with Tony Bennett. His "New York State of Mind" became a source of local comfort after the terrorist acts of September 11th, 2001. And he came in at #29 recently on Rolling Stone's list of top-grossing musicians, pulling in an estimated $17.1 million last year, mainly from his "Face 2 Face" concerts with John.

Those close to Joel said his spirits have been high since the release of his classical music debut "Fantasies & Delusions" last fall, a record that means as much to him as his string of working-man hits such as "Piano Man" and "Only the Good Die Young."

Joel's rock albums continue to sell well, with his "Greatest Hits, Volume I & Volume II," topping more than 21 million copies to become the fifth-biggest album of all-time. A collaboration with choreographer Twyla Tharp has yielded a musical, "Movin' Out," that is set to open in Chicago this month before coming to Broadway in October.

Despite his ongoing successes, Joel talked with Newsday in March about coming to a crossroads in his life, one he would have to confront after his successful "Face 2 Face" tour with John came to an end.

"I have no idea what I'm going to do," Joel said then. "It's an interesting place to be. It's not the most secure feeling in the world, but that's OK, too. Sometimes not being secure is a good motivator."

Singer Billy Joel is the latest celebrity to check into Silver Hill Hospital for substance abuse treatment, sources say.

Joel, 53, who recently postponed concert dates for his "Face 2 Face" Tour 2002 with Elton John, reportedly arrived at the 208 Valley Road facility last week.

The New Canaan Police Department increased patrols near Silver Hill over the weekend because of the celebrity's presence, a police source said.

Police officials would not comment on extra patrols yesterday.

One source said Joel is receiving counseling at the facility's chemical dependency treatment center.

During a reporter's visit yesterday to the sprawling 60-acre campus, a handful of patients standing outside said they had not seen Joel or heard anything about his stay.

"I did hear someone famous was coming," a patient said.

A Silver Hill spokeswoman would not comment on whether the "Piano Man" is at the facility.

"We cannot confirm or deny any patient's presence at Silver Hill Hospital," she said. "Everything is strictly confidential."

Joel - whose hits include "Just The Way You Are," "New York State of Mind" and "Only The Good Die Young" - recently rescheduled tour dates with John, saying he was ill.

According to the Sony Entertainment's Billy Joel web-site, BillyJoel.com, the singer-songwriter was placed under a doctor's supervision for acute laryngitis, inflamed vocal cords and an upper-respiratory infection.

Joel's publicist did not return a phone call seeking comment yesterday.

The Long Island, NY, resident joins a long list of celebrities who have spent time at the psychiatric and substance abuse treatment center.

Pop star Mariah Carey checked into Silver Hill last summer after suffering an "emotional and physical breakdown," according to her publicist.

At that time, police said they had to deal with media members parked outside and a low-flying aircraft.

Other notable patients include Michael Jackson, Liza Minnelli, Gregg Allman and Joan Kennedy.

The hospital, built in 1931, is near the Wilton border. It has a capacity of about 85 patients and is known for its individual care.

Billy Joel has checked into a hospital for substance abuse treatment, The Advocate of Stamford reported.

The 53 year-old singer-songwriter arrived at Silver Hill Hospital last week, The Advocate reported Wednesday, citing sources it did not identify.

Joel, a resident of Long Island, NY, is receiving counseling at the facility's chemical dependency treatment center, a source told The Advocate. The newspaper said a Silver Hill spokeswoman would not comment, citing patient confidentiality.

Telephone messages were left Wednesday morning for a hospital spokeswoman and a publicist for Joel.

Joel, whose hits include "Piano Man," "Just The Way You Are," "Only The Good Die Young" and "Uptown Girl," recently rescheduled concert tour dates with Elton John, saying he was ill.

According to Sony Entertainment's Billy Joel web-site, BillyJoel.com, the singer-songwriter was placed under a doctor's supervision for acute laryngitis, inflamed vocal cords and an upper-respiratory infection.

The resident joins a long list of celebrities who have spent time at the psychiatric and substance abuse treatment center.

Pop star Mariah Carey checked into Silver Hill last summer after suffering an "emotional and physical breakdown," according to her publicist. Other notable patients have included Michael Jackson, Liza Minnelli, Gregg Allman and Joan Kennedy.

Billy Joel has checked himself into a substance abuse and psychiatric hospital for a "personal problem," his record label said Wednesday.

The 53 year-old, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter is staying at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut. Joel's stay was first reported in Wednesday's The Advocate of Stamford.

A brief statement released by Columbia Records said: "Billy Joel recently checked himself into Silver Hill Hospital for a planned 10-day stay to deal with a specific and personal problem that had recently developed.

"Joel scheduled his stay in Silver Hill several weeks ago and expects to leave in a few days, as planned."

A publicist for Joel was unavailable for comment. The Advocate, citing unidentified sources, said the singer was receiving counseling at Silver Hill's chemical dependency treatment center.

Joel, whose hits include "Piano Man," "Just The Way You Are," "Only The Good Die Young" and "Uptown Girl," in March rescheduled a joint tour with Elton John, saying he was ill. The tour is to begin again in September.

A review in The New York Times of a show shortly before the postponement described him as rambling and bellowing, and said Joel "seemed to have ingested something quite a bit stronger than cough syrup."

He was placed under a doctor's supervision for acute laryngitis, inflamed vocal cords and an upper-respiratory infection, according to Sony Entertainment's Billy Joel web-site, BillyJoel.com.

A long list of celebrities have spent time at Silver Hill's psychiatric and substance abuse treatment center. Pop star Mariah Carey checked in last summer after an "emotional and physical breakdown," according to her publicist. Other patients have included Michael Jackson, Liza Minnelli, Gregg Allman and Joan Kennedy.

Billy Joel is apparently looking for a substance-free state of mind.

The "Piano Man" has checked into Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut for treatment in its chemical dependency program, according to a report in the local Advocate of Stamford.

The 53 year-old Joel shelved concert dates on his "Face 2 Face" Tour 2002 with fellow ivory-tickler Elton John and was admitted to the facility last week to seek counseling for an undisclosed substance abuse problem, the Advocate reported, citing unidentified sources.

A hospital spokesperson on Wednesday refused to confirm whether the entertainer was being treated there, citing patient confidentiality.

Joel's record label, Sony Entertainment, originally issued a statement on BillyJoel.com blaming the canceled shows on illness, saying the Hall of Fame singer-songwriter was suffering from acute laryngitis, inflamed vocal cords and an upper-respiratory infection.

However, reps for Joel finally came clean on Wednesday and issued a statement confirming he was in the clinic for an undisclosed "personal problem."

"Billy Joel recently checked himself into Silver Hill Hospital for a planned 10-day stay to deal with a specific and personal problem that had recently developed. Joel scheduled his stay in Silver Hill several weeks ago and expects to leave the facility in a few days, as planned."

Silver Hill hospital's drug and psychiatric center is notable for treating such celebrities as Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson, Gregg Allman and, most recently, Mariah Carey, who sought counseling there after suffering an "emotional and physical breakdown" last summer.

Joel, the Long Island native known for such classic hits as "Only The Good Die Young," "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me," "Uptown Girl," "She's Always A Woman" and "New York State of Mind," hasn't had an album of new material since 1993's "River of Dreams." (There have been several greatest-hits compilations, a live album and a classical album of piano compositions, "Fantasies & Delusions," for which he wrote the music but didn't perform.)

Still, he has been a workhorse on the road, touring constantly by himself and with John. Joel - who has won six Grammys including the Living Legend Award - has admitted in his "Behind The Music" to losing millions of dollars over the years to unscrupulous managers and needing to tour to recharge his bank account.

In 1998, he was forced to scrap several dates of a European tour after coming down with a bad case of laryngitis.

However, in a review of a "Face 2 Face" show in March, The New York Times hinted that Joel was facing more than just throat problems.

"When Mr. Joel emerged for his set, there was sympathy as well as adulation: The audience had been warned that he had a cold. But Mr. Joel seemed to have ingested something quite a bit stronger than cough syrup," wrote critic Kelefa Sanneh.

Sanneh added: "The concert ended with an unusual rendition of Mr. Joel's "Piano Man." As he got to the most famous line - "Son, can you play me a memory? I'm not really sure how it goes" - Mr. Joel looked as if he were about to nod off. And so, with Sir Elton's help, the audience took over the role of the "Piano Man," singing a sentimental song to a washed-out fellow who once knew the words."

In a recent "60 Minutes" interview, the twice-divorced Joel told Steve Kroft that, while he can't hit the high notes like he used to, he still looks forward to putting on a good show and is "happier now than I have been in a long time."

"You know, happiness is an extreme, just like sadness is an extreme. I think there's a great deal to be said for contentment. And I'm a very contented person," he said.

Billy Joel has checked himself into a Connecticut substance abuse and psychiatric hospital, according to his label, Columbia.

The 53 year-old artist entered New Canaan's Silver Hill Hospital for "a planned 10-day stay to deal with a specific and personal problem that had recently developed," according to a statement released Wednesday (June 19th, 2002). The statement offered no further explanation.

Wednesday's issue of The Advocate of Stamford was the first to report the singer's stay, explaining that Joel was undergoing treatment for an unnamed illness at the hospital's chemical dependency treatment center. Columbia's statement said he "scheduled his stay in Silver Hill several weeks ago and expects to leave in a few days, as planned."

This would be the second bout of ill health for Joel this year. In March the singer postponed and rescheduled a tour with Elton John due to illness.

Billy Joel has checked himself into rehab in a bid to overcome his addiction problems - while the woman who dumped him and broke his heart is off on her honeymoon with her new man.

Colleagues of the "Piano Man's" ex-love Trish Bergin think her newfound happiness with someone else very likely brought Joel's substance-abuse problems to a head.

The fresh-faced former Long Island News 12 anchor - who is 31 and pregnant - married Southampton lawyer Randi Weichbrodt on June 4th, 2002.

On Monday, 53 year-old Joel checked himself into Silver Hill Hospital, a prestigious psychiatric and substance-abuse facility in New Canaan, Connecticut.

Joel's Columbia Records publicist, Claire Mercuri, yesterday confirmed he was in the hospital "for a planned 10-day stay to deal with a specific and personal problem that had recently developed."

She said he had scheduled his treatment "several weeks ago and expects to leave the facility in a few days, as planned."

She would provide no details about the nature of his treatment. Silver Hill officials wouldn't even acknowledge he is there.

But the Stamford Advocate newspaper, which broke the story yesterday, cited sources as saying Joel was receiving counseling in Silver Hill's chemical-dependency treatment center.

Joel's drinking was partially responsible for Bergin's decision to dump him.

A colleague said Bergin - who was introduced to Joel by his ex-wife Christie Brinkley - was upset about his excessive drinking and was thinking of splitting from him. She finally did after she showed up at his home unexpectedly and found him in bed with another woman.

Joel, distraught and repentant, showered Bergin with Dom Perignon and flowers, begging for a second chance.

She finally broke down in March 2001, after he sent her a photo of a $50,000 boat and a set of keys for her birthday. But the reconciliation didn't stick.

A Bergin colleague, asked if the newscaster had broken up with the rocker because he had fallen off the wagon, replied bluntly: "He was never on the wagon."

Joel's problems had become more apparent in recent months.

In March, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter had to reschedule his sold-out "Face 2 Face" Tour 2002 with Elton John. The reason given: inflamed vocal cords, an acute upper respiratory infection and laryngitis.

But his last performance - on March 15th, 2002 at Madison Square Garden - raised reviewers' eyebrows.

"Joel croaked and wrung his hands as if they were so sweaty he was gonna slip off the piano," noted Dan Aquilante in his review in The Post.

"The audience had been warned that he had a cold. But Mr. Joel seemed to have ingested something quite a bit stronger than cough syrup," wrote New York Times reviewer Kelefa Sanneh.

Rehab is not new to Joel. At the age of 21 he spent three weeks in a psychiatric ward after making a halfhearted attempt at suicide. He later said he had been depressed over the breakup of a serious romance and his lack of success as a professional musician.

Billy Joel has never seemed like one of those hard-living, untouchable rock stars. He's always been more like a cool neighbor - a regular guy who just happens to be one of the most successful singer-songwriters in music history.

Though he has sold more than 77 million albums since busting on the scene in 1971 with his debut "Cold Spring Harbor" album, the 53 year-old native of the Bronx who grew up in Levittown, has managed to stay grounded, maintaining - in public, at least - a healthy outlook about the world and his place in it.

That well-known, down-to-earth demeanor made yesterday's announcement of his entry into Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Conn. for treatment a surprise to fans and those in the music industry.

"He just never seemed like the type to have this kind of problem," said one concert promoter who asked not to be identified. "There was never any talk like that about him."

"Talk like that" about Joel did begin to circulate after the cancellation of high-profile concerts with Elton John at Madison Square Garden and Nassau Coliseum in March. Joel's spokeswoman, Claire Mercuri, said the cancellations were due to a well-documented respiratory ailment that had been dogging Joel for weeks. However, the absences seemed to fuel growing rumors of a possible alcohol abuse problem stemming from sightings around Long Island.

Some said Joel had been gaining weight, while others said he uncharacteristically had lost his cool with some fans.

Mercuri declined to discuss the nature of Joel's problems, saying he was seeking treatment for a "specific and personal problem that had recently developed." The problem had developed in recent months, however, and Joel made the decision to enter Silver Hill in May, she said.

Few of Joel's friends and associates wanted to discuss his personal problems yesterday, though many were confident he would work out his issues.

After all, in recent years, especially since his decision to focus on writing classical music after 1993's "River of Dreams" album, Joel has lived pretty normally out in the Hamptons. He spends a lot of time on his boats and proudly watching Alexa Ray, his daughter with Christie Brinkley, grow into a teenager and a singer-songwriter herself.

Joel's relationship with his ex-wife Brinkley remains so cordial that she even set him up on a date with Trish Bergin, the former News 12 Long Island reporter who now works for "Inside Edition." Joel and Bergin dated for several months before breaking up.

His career continues to grow, even though he hasn't written a new rock song in more than nine years. He had a Grammy nomination this year for a duet with Tony Bennett. His "New York State of Mind" became a source of local comfort after the terrorist acts of September 11th, 2001. And he came in at #29 recently on Rolling Stone's list of top-grossing musicians, pulling in an estimated $17.1 million last year, mainly from his "Piano Men" concerts with John.

Those close to Joel said his spirits have been high since the release of his classical music debut "Fantasies & Delusions" last fall, a record that means as much to him as his string of working-man hits such as "Piano Man" and "Only The Good Die Young"

Joel's rock albums continue to sell well, with his "Greatest Hits: Volume I & Volume II," topping more than 21 million copies to become the fifth-biggest album of all time. A collaboration with choreographer Twyla Tharp has yielded a musical, "Movin' Out," that is set to open in Chicago this month before coming to Broadway in October.

Despite his ongoing successes, Joel talked with Newsday in March about coming to a crossroads in his life, one he would have to confront after his successful "Face 2 Face" Tour with John came to an end.

"I have no idea what I'm going to do," Joel said then. "It's an interesting place to be. It's not the most secure feeling in the world, but that's OK, too. Sometimes not being secure is a good motivator."

Billy Joel checked in to a Connecticut rehab center favored by pop stars to get control of an alcohol problem, friends and associates said yesterday.

The move elicited surprise and words of support from fans and acquaintances of the platinum-selling singer-songwriter, who grew up on Long Island and became a fixture on the East End for his work in environmental causes and a staple in gossip columns that have chronicled his social life.

Friends said the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, 53, had gotten to the point that he felt he needed help.

"Billy has felt his drinking has really been controlling him in ways he did not like, and he is hoping to get it behind him," one told Newsday.

A spokeswoman for Columbia Records, Joel's label, said the singer checked in to Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut, to deal with "a specific and personal problem that had recently developed." He is due to leave June 27th, 2002.

The Advocate newspaper in Stamford, Connecticut, quoted a hospital worker as saying Joel checked in for the sake of his daughter, Alexa, 16. The worker said Joel was there to treat an addiction to wine.

Yesterday, a state police car with two troopers guarded the entrance to the hospital, which has treated stars such as pop diva Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson and Liza Minnelli.

Joel made news in the spring when his publicists cited inflamed vocal cords in canceling several metro-area concert dates with Elton John. But Claire Mercuri, the Columbia spokeswoman, said the problem that led him to Silver Hill was not related to the cancellations.

Although Silver Hill would not reveal details, associates said Joel entered the facility Monday for the planned 10-day stay.

A friend said a car accident last week in Sag Harbor that prevented Joel from attending a Songwriters Hall of Fame dinner at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers left him shaken.

"The accident last week scared him," the friend told Newsday, even though alcohol was not cited as a factor in the one-car incident the night of June 12th, 2002.

An East Hampton Town police report indicates the accident occurred at 11:38pm Joel told police he was driving northeast on Hands Creek Road "when he realized he was going to miss his turn at the intersection with Springy Banks Road," Officer Nelson Vargas wrote. "He attempted to turn left, lost control of his vehicle and struck a fire well and post."

"There was no sign of alcohol," Chief Todd Sarris said.

Joel, who was alone in the 1999 Mercedes-Benz four-door sedan, refused medical attention for minor cuts and scrapes on his head. His car was towed.

Joel has owned property in Sag Harbor since selling his waterfront home in Amagansett to Jerry Seinfeld for $32 million, but a police report lists his home address on Hamilton Avenue in White Plains, which is in a business district.

Mercuri said the accident was "100 percent unrelated" to Joel's entering Silver Hill: "It was only a little fender-bender. He had made his decision to go several weeks ago."

"Inside Edition" newswoman Trish Bergin, who had an oft-documented on-again, off-again romance with Joel, said yesterday she didn't want to talk about their relationship.

"It's ancient history," Bergin said through a spokeswoman.

Bergin, who had worked at cable's News 12 Long Island, recently married and is expecting a child. She and Joel had been introduced by the singer's second wife, supermodel Christie Brinkley.

East End friends said they knew Joel to be a moderate drinker.

"I was at his 50th birthday party that went on for three days and there was champagne and there were toasts, but he drank no more than most people," said Arnold Leo, secretary of the East Hampton Town Baymen's Association, an organization that Joel has supported.

Other Joel fans said they were saddened and surprised.

"Billy Joel was my first concert ever," Mike Meseika said wistfully on a break from his job at the Sam Goody music store in Forest Hills. "I'm kind of surprised, not knowing he had a problem."

Said Michael Smith, salesman at the Tower Records on Broadway at 66th Street: "His stuff will always sell, rehab or not.

Billy Joel checked into Silver Hill Hospital to battle alcohol addiction for the sake of his teenage daughter, a source told The Advocate.

The 53 year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer arrived at the Valley Road facility Friday and has been staying in a 10-bedroom house with other patients, the source said.

Joel apparently decided not to stay in a celebrity cottage at the hospital, which is known for its famous patients and individual care.

The singer-songwriter is mainly addicted to alcohol, said the source, who works at Silver Hill. Joel decided to fight the addiction for his 16 year-old daughter, Alexa, whom he had with his former wife, model Christie Brinkley, the hospital worker said.

After news spread yesterday about Joel's stay, his record label, Columbia Records, released a statement saying he checked himself into the substance abuse and psychiatric facility.

"Billy Joel recently checked himself into Silver Hill Hospital for a planned 10-day stay to deal with a specific and personal problem that had recently developed," the statement said.

Police have been patrolling the secluded hospital, which is on a 60-acre campus near the Wilton border.

New Canaan police officers patrolled Valley Road yesterday afternoon and security guards were posted at hospital entrances. At least one television news crew took a live shot by the roadside.

Sources said Joel was unable to eat lunch in the hospital's main dining room yesterday because of camera crews camped outside.

Joel, whose first Top 20 single was "Piano Man" in 1974, recently postponed concert dates for his "Face 2 Face" Tour 2002 with Elton John. The shows have been rescheduled for September.

A New York Times review of the show shortly before the postponement announcement described Joel as rambling and bellowing and reported that he "seemed to have ingested something quite a bit stronger than cough syrup."

According to a Sony Entertainment web-site, Joel left the tour because he was ill and is under a doctor's care for acute laryngitis, inflamed vocal cords and an upper-respiratory infection.

A Silver Hill spokeswoman declined to comment on Joel's stay, saying everything at the hospital is confidential.

Joel's publicist did not return phone calls seeking comment.

A native of the Bronx, NY, Joel has spent most of his life in Long Island, NY. He recently was featured on a television documentary about the Hamptons, with Brinkley and their daughter.

Known for such hits as "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," "Uptown Girl" and "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me," Joel has maintained his popularity for almost 30 years. He has been awarded four honorary college degrees and won numerous Grammy awards.

Silver Hill has played host to numerous celebrities, including Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Liza Minnelli and Tatum O'Neal.

Many of the loves in Billy Joel’s life come and go, but over the years, one has remained constant - his 16 year-old daughter, Alexa Ray.

Word of the pop star’s battle with the bottle - a fight sources say he has taken on in rehab in Connecticut "for the sake of his teenage daughter" - prompted friends' recollections of a dad who attends his daughter's school recitals and walks hand-in-hand with her on the streets of East Hampton.

Joel's former wife, model Christie Brinkley, has custody of Alexa Ray with her husband, architect Peter Cook.

But the teen regularly sees Joel, and Billy’s relationship with Christie is amicable, friends say.

(Brinkley did not return calls Thursday.)

"Billy's relationship with Alexa is one of those fully unconditional loves," says Arnold Leo, secretary of the East Hampton Town Baymen’s Association and an occasional Sag Harbor dining companion of Joel. "He dotes on her."

Peter Needham, a partner of Joel’s at C.H. Marine in Shelter Island, tells a story about a business meeting he tried to have with the singer.

"We were sitting there talking business, and she was across the room. She sat down and started playing piano. He just stopped talking to me, walked over, sat down next to her and the two of them started playing," says Needham.

Parents of Alexa Ray's classmates at the exclusive Ross School in East Hampton, say Joel has been a regular presence.

"About a year ago, he came to the spring recital. Alexa had a little solo singing part in it," recalls Tina Rodriguez, whose stepdaughter, Tabitha, is a Ross ninth-grader. "He came with (ex-girlfriend Trish Bergin) and of course Christie was there with her husband, and they all sat together."

East Hampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, a former teacher who taught Alexa Ray at Ross, recalls that after Joel sold his Amagansett house to Jerry Seinfeld, "I said, 'Billy, I hope you stay in this area.' And he said 'I wouldn’t leave. This is where my daughter is.'"

Schneiderman said the last time he saw Billy and Alexa Ray, about six months ago, "they were walking around East Hampton together, just holding hands."

Joel would the first to admit his attachment to Alexa Ray has made him a protective dad.

"If there are any guys out there that break her heart," he wrote in an Internet chat session, "I’m going to break their necks."

In the days before he checked into a chic rehab clinic, Billy Joel confided to friends he had a bad case of the bachelor blues.

"He was down in the dumps," a close pal told the Daily News yesterday. "I think that he may be feeling a little lonely."

Joel, 53, has been dwelling on his failed marriages to Elizabeth Weber and supermodel Christie Brinkley, as well as his breakup with newscaster Trish Bergin.

In an appearance on NBC's "Today" show two weeks ago, a reporter asked the platinum-selling "Piano Man" if there was anything he'd "love to do...that you haven't done?"

"I'd like to have a long-term successful relationship with a woman," Joel said. "How about that?"

Joel and Bergin ended their tempestuous romance last year, as the story goes, after she caught him with another woman. She married a Southampton, LI, lawyer this month and is pregnant.

Friends said Joel has mentioned Bergin's wedding as one reason for his lingering depression, although one said, "I don't think he's lacking for company."

In fact, the twice-divorced dad showed up at the Bowery club Fuel a couple of weeks ago with three attractive women. And at last month's Tribeca premiere for the movie "About a Boy," Joel brought Russian fashion designer Vassa as his date.

But a longtime buddy said forays like that are rare for Joel, who doesn't hit Manhattan hot spots hunting for models like a rock star.

"He's looking for a real relationship," he said.

Last week, Joel entered Connecticut's Silver Hill Hospital - where Mariah Carey and Liza Minnelli have been treated - for a 10-day stay to deal with a "personal problem."

While it's believed he's getting alcohol-abuse counseling, his friends insisted he's not an out-of-control carouser.

"He may have felt he was drinking too much, but I don't think it was evident to anyone else," one said. "It's not like there was an intervention where people said, 'Hey, Billy, you need help.'"

Joel, who has Long Island houses in East Hampton, Shelter Island, and North Haven, is a regular at East End hangouts such as Nick & Toni's and the American Hotel.

But friends said they never or rarely saw him publicly drunk.

Joel's Columbia Records spokeswoman, Claire Mercuri, declined to say when he's leaving Silver Hill.

A revue of his music, "Movin' Out," starts previews in Chicago next week, and he's scheduled to finish a postponed tour with Elton John in September.

Tour manager Max Loubiere said Joel, who pulled out of the concerts because of throat problems this spring, is looking forward to getting back on the road.

"He's fine," Loubiere said. "He's in good shape."