Billy Joel is ‘not dying' with brain disorder, says Howard Stern
Billy Joel doesn't want fans to worry about his well-being after he canceled all upcoming concerts, including a Bay Area show with Stevie Nicks, due to ongoing health difficulties.
Media personality Howard Stern revealed that he had dinner with the musician a few weeks ago during an episode of SiriusXM's 'The Howard Stern Show' and shared an important update from the 'Piano Man' himself.
'He said to me — so I'm not saying anything crazy — 'Yeah, you can tell people: I'm not dying,'' Stern said in the episode, which aired on Tuesday, June 3. 'He wants people to know that. He's got to deal with some medical stuff. But he was delightful. We had a great time with the wives.' Joel has been married to Alexis Roderick since 2015.
The Grammy winner, 76, shared with fans last month that he has been living with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a brain disorder caused by excess cerebrospinal fluid. Joel's team said in a statement that he had been faced with 'hearing, vision and balance' issues due to the disorder, and that live performances had been worsening the condition.
Following his doctor's orders, Joel's team said the musician is undergoing physical therapy and has been advised to hold off performing as he recovers. He subsequently canceled all of his scheduled shows, a total of 17, including his Santa Clara concert with Nicks on Oct. 4, which was to be part of their co-headlining One Night One Stage tour. Now, neither musician is set to perform in the South Bay in the fall.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer's last live performance was in Connecticut on Feb. 22, where he fell on his back mid-performance after throwing his microphone stand to a crew member. He got up and finished the set but announced a month later that he'd be taking a four-month break from touring due to an undisclosed medical condition for which he had just undergone surgery.
Following his announcement last month, Joel's ex-wife Christie Brinkley spoke out in support of him.
'The whole Brinkley gang is sending you lots of love and good wishes for a full and speedy recovery,' she wrote on Instagram on May 24. '(Y)ou turn an arena of strangers into a living room full of friends as we all sway in unison. … (P)lease take good care of yourself, we all want you back in that white hot spotlight. You're OUR piano man.'
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