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New York Post
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Billy Joel opens up about ‘scary' brain disorder diagnosis
He's in an alright state of mind. Billy Joel, 76, has opened up about his battle with normal pressure hydrocephalus after the brain disorder forced the iconic musician to cancel all his concerts through next year. 'I know a lot of people are worried about me and my health, but I'm okay,' the 'Piano Man' singer told People in an interview published on Monday, July 21. 'What I have is something very few people know about, including me, no matter how much you try to research it.' Advertisement 9 Billy Joel attends MSG Entertainment and Billy Joel special franchise announcement at Chase Square at Madison Square Garden on June 1, 2023, in New York City. Getty Images 9 The 'Movin' Out' singer during a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden on November 5, 2021. Robert Mecea 'I'm doing my best to work with it and to recover from it,' he added. Advertisement The treatable brain disorder can affect one's hearing, vision and balance, and Joel first realized that something was wrong earlier this year when his balance was off. 'It was like being on a boat all the time,' he shared. 9 Billy Joel at SiriusXM Studios on October 11, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images for SiriusXM 9 Billy Joel performing at Allegiant Stadium on November 9, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Getty Images Advertisement Despite the 'disturbing' diagnosis, Joel reassured his fans that he is doing just fine and staying positive about the future. 'It was scary, but I'm okay,' the 'New York State of Mind' singer said. 'I just wanted to let people know, don't worry about me being deathly ill or anything.' Joel announced that he was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus in May. 9 The 'Stranger' artist performing onstage during the 66th Grammy Awards at Arena on February 4, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images for The Recording Academy Advertisement He also revealed that he had to cancel all his 2025 tour because his condition was 'exacerbated by recent concert performances.' 'Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period,' the statement read. 'Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage.' 'I'm sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding,' Joel added. 9 Billy Joel wipes away tears while announcing the end of his performance residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 1, 2023. REUTERS The 'Uptown Girl' crooner's wife, Alexis Roderick, and daughter, Alexa Ray, later took to social media to break their silence on Joel's diagnosis. 'Thank you for the outpouring of love and support,' Alexis, 43, wrote on Instagram alongside a sweet photo of herself, Joel and their two young daughters. 'We are so grateful for the wonderful care and swift diagnosis we received.' 'Bill is beloved by so many, and to us, he is a father and husband who is at the center of our world,' she added. 'We are hopeful for his recovery. We look forward to seeing you all in the future.' 9 Billy Joel performs at Allegiant Stadium on November 9, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Getty Images Advertisement 9 The 'Uptown Girl' singer performing at the MCG on December 10, 2022, in Melbourne, Australia. WireImage Alexa Ray, who the 'Stranger' artist shares with ex-wife Christie Brinkley, also took to Instagram to show her famous father some love and support. 'We love you and we got you, Pop!' Alexa, 39, began. 'My Dad is the strongest and most resilient man I've ever known… and he's entirely committed to making a full recovery with ongoing physical-therapy treatments as he continues to regain his strength.' Shock jock Howard Stern later insisted that Joel was 'not dying,' but the 'Movin' Out' songwriter still missed the world premiere of his new documentary, 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes,' at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival. Advertisement The two-part documentary kicked off on HBO last week and is set to finish on Friday, July 25. It covers the life and career of the legendary musician across six decades of making music. 9 The poster for the new 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' documentary. HBO 'I think he's working on recovering, and he's resilient,' co-director Jessica Levin told The Post earlier this month regarding Joel and his health battle. 'He's a fighter.' 'It's important to him to stay around as long as he can for his children and his family,' she added. 'He cares deeply about that. He is the ultimate romantic.'
New York Post
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Billy Joel is a 'fighter' in wake of brain disorder health battle
Sing us a song, piano man. The new documentary 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' covers the life and career of the legendary musician, 76, featuring interviews with Joel, family members, his ex-wife Christie Brinkley, and fellow industry heavyweights such as Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney. 'I asked [Joel] … at the very beginning – if there were any sensitive areas. Not that I would have necessarily stayed away from them, but I wanted to know what they were,' co-director Susan Lacy exclusively told The Post. 'And his answer to that was, 'tell the truth. That's the only way to go.' She explained that while probing into the 'Vienna' singer's life, 'nothing was off limits.' 10 The Billy Joel documentary 'And So It Goes.' HBO 10 Billy Joel in 1981. HBO 10 Billy Joel performs in 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. WireImage 'He didn't see the film until it was finished, so he stuck by that,' Lacy explained. 'And we took that as permission to tell the real story about Billy Joel.' In fact, the 'Uptown Girl' crooner had no editorial control over the film. 'I think it was courageous of him to give us that carte blanche and trust in us to tell that story – because not everybody would do that,' co-director Jessica Levin told The Post. 'I think he realized, 'I need to do my part, and try to go places where it might not be 100 comfortable for me.'' 10 Billy Joel performs during the 66th Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images for The Recording Academy 10 Billy Joel in 1981. HBO The film covers topics such as Joel's suicide attempt in his twenties, after he had an affair with his friend's wife – Elizabeth Weber, who would become Joel's first wife from 1973 to 1982. Joel then went on to marry Brinkley, 71, from 1985 to 1994, with whom he shares daughter Alexa Ray Joel, 39; Katie Lee from 2004 to 2009, and he tied the knot with his current wife, Alexis Roderick, in 2015. The two share daughters Della Rose, 9, and Remy Anne, 7. 10 Co-directors and producers Susan Lacy (left) and Jessica Levin attend the world premiere of 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' at the Tribeca Festival on June 4, 2025. AFP via Getty Images In the documentary, Joel sounds matter of fact about his attempt to take his own life. 'It was a long time ago. He was young, and he was heartbroken. He felt quite lost at that point,' Lacy said. 'There were a lot of emotional elements going on. He just didn't know which way to turn.' Levin chimed in: 'I think it's important that it's not that he doesn't take suicide and depression seriously. He certainly takes those topics seriously. But for him, it was a very early moment in his career….Honestly, Billy is kind of a matter of fact guy and he's a guy that does try to build and move on.' 10 Alexis Roderick, Della Rose Joel, Billy Joel, and Remy Anne Joel attend the 66th Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. FilmMagic 10 Billy Joel in 1973. HBO After he saw the finished documentary, Joel wrote Lacy a note. 'He thanked me for so masterfully connecting the dots of his life and said that he now knew why he did what he did.' 'There's a real dichotomy with Billy – a man who put his life out there in his lyrics, but he doesn't believe in self-examination particularly….He put it in his music. And that saved his life,' she went on. 'He used music to cope with his life and to express his life and to what was going on. But I don't think he ever stood back and went, 'let's see how these dots connect with each other.' And that's what we did in this film.' 10 Billy Joel in 1978. Getty Images In May, Joel revealed that he's been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a disorder that happens when cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain, disrupting cognitive functioning. Amid his health battle, he skipped the June premiere of 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' at Tribeca Film Festival. Lacy said his health issues didn't impact the project because it happened after they finished filming. 10 Billy Joel attends MSG Entertainment and Billy Joel special franchise announcement at Chase Square at Madison Square Garden on June 1, 2023. Getty Images 'I think he's working on recovering, and he's resilient. He's a fighter.' Aside from being a nod to one of his songs, the doc title 'And So It Goes' encapsulates Joel's approach to life. 'Which is, and, so it goes. 'I'm going to move on [from setbacks] and I'm not finished yet.' And here he is today, with this incredibly strong woman as his wife and these beautiful daughters,' Levin told The Post. 'It's important to him to stay around as long as he can for his children and his family. He cares deeply about that. He is the ultimate romantic.' 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' Part One premieres on HBO Max on Friday, July 18 at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Part Two on Friday, July 25.
