The Piano Man
In an new interview, Joel reveals that he initially refused surgical intervention after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, and isn't sure when he'll tour again
Well over a year after announcing he had the brain disorder normal pressure hydrocephalus and was taking an indefinite leave of absence from the road, Billy Joel has given a detailed update on his recovery and explained why he has yet to book any concerts.
“The doctors told me because of my job, which is playing rock and roll music very loud, that it was giving me something like a concussion every time I did a show,” he said in a new interview with SiriusXM’s Billy Joel Channel. “It was causing damage to my brain nerves and I could be losing more brain cells the more shows I did and I realized that means I shouldn’t be doing this right now. I got to improve. They don’t want me to stress too much.”
Joel last played a full show February 22, 2025, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Near the very end of the set, he fell down while performing “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me.” He played it off as a joke, but it was actually a result of NPH. Three months later, he went public with the diagnosis, and canceled all of his shows.
