Joey Buchanan and his brother, Kevin Buchanan, parents were Vicki Lord Riley Buchanan Carpenter and Joe Riley, but they were adopted by Clint Buchanan after their dad, Joe died. While Joey was a teen ager he traveled to Italy to study, but he came back to Llanview in 1994. During that summer Joey was seduced by Dorian Cramer Lord. Dorian was using Joey to get back at Joey's mom Viki. They were both surprised when they started to really love each other. Then in 1995, one of Vicki's multi-personalties stopped the relationship from going any further by holding Dorian hostage. Later, while living with Kevin at the Llanfair carriage house, Joey began a relationship with Kelly Cramer, Dorian's niece. After Joey saved Kelly's life when she had been held hostage on a yacht by David Vickers and she accidently set the room on fire, they started to be more then friends and had a romance going. Later that year, Joey is out jogging and he spots this women swimming in a pond, but she runs away before he can find out who she is. The next day he spots her again her name is Cameron Wallace. They begin to have a bit of a romance going. It didn't last long though, it is found out she is a con-artist and she soon leaves town.
Joey and Kelly were much in love and they had planned to go to Paris and study together. Kelly kept finding excuses to not go, though. Most of the excuses were because of her Aunt Dorian. Joey ended up going to Paris alone and Kelly stayed in Llanview. Joey and Kelly tried to write and keep the relationship going, but it didn't work out, especially since Drew was doing his best to keep them apart. Soon Kelly got a letter saying it was over between them and was so upset that she accidently caused a car accident which caused the death of her cousin Blair's unborn child.
Joey came back to Llanview in 1997. Soon after his arrival Joey tryed to get Kelly back, but she refused. They ended up just as friends. Kelly started dating Drew, but he was shot and killed. She started dating Max Holden to get back at Blair. They planned to get married, but during the wedding she ran out because she relized that she loved Joey and not Max. While that was happening Joey was sleeping with Sophia. Joey stopped that and he and Kelly got back together. They were doing fine until Kelly found out that Joey and Sophia had slept together and then she got mad and ran out on him. She relized she was over reacting, because they weren't even together when it was happening. They soon got back together.
After Grace Davidson, Kelly's best friend and Kevin's fiance died Kelly and Kevin were both in grief. On New Year's the two shared a kiss. Joey soon after asked Kelly to marry him, and she said yes. The two eloped, but when they returned to tell everyone the good news Kevin was heartbroken. Kelly and Kevin both tried to deny their feelings towards each other, but they couldn't and kissed again. Sophia saw this kiss and told Joey about to try to break Joey and Kelly up. Joey didn't believe it at first, but after Kelly and Kevin finally admited to Joey their feelings for each other Joey was heart broken. At first Joey wanted a divorce, but then Joey decided he was going to fight for Kelly. He stalled the divorce for a while, but Kelly found out and stopped that. When their divorce was finalized Joey left for London, to go live with his father, Clint.