Billy Joel is 'not dying' despite rare brain disorder diagnosis
Howard Stern is sharing an update on Billy Joel's health – and the iconic musician is "not dying."
On Tuesday's episode of SiriusXM's "The Howard Stern Show," the host said he saw Joel two weeks ago, around the time the musician announced his rare brain disorder diagnosis.
Stern's co-host, Robin Quivers, noted Joel's recent health concerns and Stern said, "Yeah, he does have issues, but he said, 'Yeah, you can tell people, you know, I'm not dying.'"
"You know, he wants people to know that. He just, he's gotta deal with some medical stuff, but he was delightful. We had a great time with the wives. We had a great conversation. I was telling him, I'm enjoying playing classical music on the guitar," Stern said.
Stern told Quivers that they were celebrating Joel's 76th birthday and Howard pulled out a guitar and sang him "Happy Birthday."
Stern joked that Joel "threw up" and wasn't impressed with his performance.
Joel announced that he had to cancel all of his shows after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), which affects his vision, hearing and balance. According to Yale Medicine, it is a rare condition.
The singer-songwriter took to his social media to share a statement with his fans in May.
"This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance," it read.
"Under his doctor's instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health.
"He is grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage."
The statement concluded with a quote from Joel himself, which read, "I'm sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding."
Joel's wife, Alexis Roderick Joel, shared a statement with Fox News Digital at the time.
"Thank you for the outpouring of love and support. We are so grateful for the wonderful care and swift diagnosis we received. Bill is beloved by many, and to us, he is a father and husband who is at the center of our world. We are hopeful for his recovery. We look forward to seeing you all in the future," she said.
NPH is a condition that happens when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain. This condition is most likely to occur in people over 65. Treating this condition involves surgery to implant a shunt to drain excess fluid from the inside of the skull, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The "Uptown Girl" singer-songwriter's wife previously spoke to Fox News Digital about her husband's health challenges.
"He's doing well," she said in March. "It's funny, I was just having this conversation the other day. He's going to be 76. And I don't think of him that way. People don't think of him in that way, but he is. And he's been doing this job nonstop for 15 years – just this recent run."
She continued, "Sometimes your health has to take priority, and things have to get postponed. But really, in the grand scheme of things, he's a healthy person, and he's well and working on himself, trying to get better and do what he has to do medically. So it's important, you know, we need him around so he has to do what he has to do."
Alexis and the "Piano Man" singer-songwriter share daughters, Della and Remy. Joel is also father to daughter Alexa Ray, whom he shares with his ex-wife Christie Brinkley.
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