Billy Joel, 77, Shares a Health Update: Why the ‘Piano Man’ Singer Can’t Drive or Perform Right Now
The singer says his doctor compared performing to getting a concussion
Key Takeaways
- Billy Joel, 77, was previously diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).
- The ‘Piano Man’ singer says he can't drive or perform while undergoing further testing for NPH.
- Joel says a shunt improved his memory and balance: 'My health is good,' he added.
Billy Joel is giving fans a health update by opening up about how a brain disorder is reshaping his daily life—and the beloved 77-year-old musician admits he isn’t sure when, or if, he’ll be able to return to the stage he’s called home for more than five decades.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published October 15, Joel revealed that his doctors have hit pause on both performing and driving while he continues to be evaluated for normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).
“I have to take a series of tests before I know,” Joel told the outlet about whether he’ll ever return to the stage, “but I can’t drive right now. I’m not allowed to drive.” Here’s everything we know about Billy Joel’s brain disorder and how it’s affecting his life.
Billy Joel health update: Why he can’t tour right now
Joel, who is auctioning off 70 motorcycles since his diagnosis, said his neurologist explained that the physical toll of a concert is far greater than fans might realize. For a performer who has filled arenas for generations, hearing that news had to be hard.
“I can’t do performances because what the neurologist told me, every time you do a show, it’s like you’re getting a concussion,” he explained. The sensory load of a rock show, Joel said, is simply too much for his brain to handle right now.
“Rock ‘n’ roll is loud, man. Rock ‘n’ roll made me deaf already. So it’s the lighting, the sound, the stress of the show, the audience, the energy of the performance,” he said. “There’s a lot going on when you’re on stage. And they said, ‘Well, you really shouldn’t be doing that right now.’ So they have to test me further to see if I can go back and do performing again, which I would like to be able to do.”
Even with the restrictions, Joel wants fans to know he’s doing better than the headlines suggest. “My health is good,” he said, describing hydrocephalus as a condition that mostly affects balance. “They call it a brain disorder, but it’s not that serious.”
A look back at Billy Joel’s health journey
Joel first went public with his diagnosis in a Facebook post in May 2025, and he’s shared more about his journey since. On SiriusXM’s The Billy Joel Channel on September 9, he described the symptoms that first sent him to a specialist.
“I noticed that my balance was not good. I had this sense of being on a boat, like this rocking motion,” Joel said. “I wasn’t steady on my feet. I didn’t know why that was and I went to meet with the neurologist, and I was diagnosed with having something called normal pressure hydrocephalus, which they used to call water on the brain.”
NPH happens when cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the skull and puts pressure on the brain, affecting balance, memory, vision and hearing. Doctors recommended Joel undergo surgery to implant a shunt—a small tube that reroutes excess fluid away from the brain—and after some hesitation, he agreed.
“You know, I don’t want to lose my marbles,” he said. “It’s hard to tell what’s age and what’s a condition, so I agreed to do the shunt and I had a surgery, and they implanted a shunt in my brain and it actually improved things. My memory got better, my balance got a little better, my ability to function was better.”
That seems to be an improvement from Joel’s health update last year during a 2025 appearance on Bill Maher’s podcast Club Random with Bill Maher: “It’s not fixed, it’s still being worked on,” he said at the time. “My balance sucks. It’s like being on a boat.” Still, he added, “I feel good.”
How the diagnosis changed Joel’s touring plans
While Joel focuses on his health, performing has taken a back seat. He initially rescheduled eight tour dates last year, moving them later into 2025, before canceling all of his upcoming shows.
A statement posted to his Instagram on March 11, 2025, said his symptoms had been “exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance.” His team confirmed he was undergoing specific physical therapy and had been “advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.”
Joel echoed that in his own message to fans: “While I regret postponing any shows, my health must come first. I look forward to getting back on stage and sharing the joy of live music with our amazing fans. Thank you for your understanding.”
What’s next for the ‘Piano Man’ singer
For now, Joel is focused on his recovery, more testing and the hope that one day his doctors will clear him to perform again. That’s something, as he put it, he “would like to be able to do”—and millions of fans are rooting for him every step of the way.
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