The 77-year-old singer told The Hollywood Reporter, in an interview reported Friday by USA TODAY, that normal pressure hydrocephalus has put both driving and live shows on hold for now.
By The Wellness Desk — CelebnMusic247
Photo: @billyjoel on Instagram
Billy Joel does not know yet whether he will perform live again.
The singer, 77, discussed his health in an Oct. 15 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, according to USA TODAY’s Oct. 16 report. Joel said his doctors have advised him not to perform and not to drive while he has normal pressure hydrocephalus, and that further testing will help decide whether a return to the stage is possible.
He described the condition in plain terms, saying it affects his balance most, along with his memory, vision and hearing. At the same time, he tried to lower the temperature for fans, characterising his overall health as good and the diagnosis as not that serious.
The clearest limit, in his telling, is the concert itself. Joel said his neurologist compared the effect of a show to a concussion, pointing to the volume, lighting, stress, audience and energy involved in a live performance. Rock concerts are loud by nature, and that environment is what his doctors want him to avoid at present. He said he would still like to perform again if the tests allow it.
Driving is off the table as well. Joel told the magazine he is not allowed to drive, and that the diagnosis makes driving uncertain. That change reaches into a part of his life fans have long associated with him away from the piano: his motorcycles.
Joel is preparing to auction more than 70 motorcycles from his collection through Gooding Christie’s on Nov. 20 and 21 at New York’s Javits Center, per USA TODAY. He cited his age and his condition among the reasons for the sale, and USA TODAY reported he intends the proceeds to support the Joel Foundation. In the interview, he presented himself as a rider rather than a collector, someone who rode the bikes and worked on them, and who has concluded he cannot ride as much as he once did.
None of this is entirely new. Joel first announced the diagnosis on May 23, 2025, and cancelled scheduled concerts at that time. A statement then said recent performances had worsened the condition, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance.
In September, per USA TODAY, he said on SiriusXM’s Billy Joel Channel that he had undergone surgery to implant a shunt, a procedure he said he had initially resisted. He reported improvement afterwards, said he was doing physical therapy, and told listeners not to worry about him.
Friday’s update is narrower and more cautious than that September message. Surgery and therapy are part of his history. Tests, his neurologist’s warning about live shows, and a ban on driving are where things stand now, based on what Joel himself has said publicly. Whether he performs again remains, by his own account, an open question.
Photo Courtesy of Instagram Billy Joel
Sources: USA Today
