Billy Joel's decades-long relationship with live performances may be the very thing keeping him from the stage but he is "still here." The Billy Joel’s Biggest Health Threat May Be What He’s Done For 60 Years first appeared on The Blast

Billy Joel‘s decades-long relationship with live performances may be the very thing keeping him from the stage.

The 77-year-old music legend recently revealed that he underwent brain surgery after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus. The condition has already forced him to cancel performances and also quit his passion.

Billy Joel’s team canceled 17 scheduled concerts across North America and England. The rock star also owned collections including Harley-Davidson, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Indian, BMW, and Triumph motorcycles, which were said to be auctioned in 2025.

Billy Joel Is ‘Not Going Anywhere’ Despite Doctor’s Warning

Joel’s health battle began publicly in 2025 after he was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, or NPH. The rare neurological condition involves cerebrospinal fluid building up inside the skull and pressing against the brain. One of Joel’s most difficult symptoms has been a constant problem with balance.

He described the sensation as feeling like he was walking on a boat. “I had this sense of being on a boat, like this rocking motion. I wasn’t steady on my feet,” the 77-year-old rocker said. Doctors eventually recommended surgery after his symptoms continued affecting his daily functioning.

Joel initially rejected the idea but later researched the condition before agreeing to the procedure. The surgery involved placing a shunt to drain the excess fluid and relieve pressure on his brain. He has since said the procedure improved his memory, balance, and overall ability to function.

Doctors warned that continuing his loud rock performances could create damage similar to repeated concussions and potentially harm brain nerves. On the Wednesday episode of SiriusXM’s The Billy Joel Channel, Joel opened up about his recovery and made one thing clear: “I’m not going anywhere. I’m here. I’m still here.”

The ‘Piano Man’ Hitmaker Had To Give Up A 15-Year Passion

Joel’s health crisis has also affected a passion he spent years building away from music. His motorcycle shop, 20th Century Cycles, opened in Oyster Bay in 2010 and became a destination for motorcycle enthusiasts and tourists. The space reflected Joel’s fascination with motorcycles from the 1930s through the 1960s.

“I wanted to collect a whole bunch of those kinds of bikes, put ’em in one place,” Joel explained in a 2013 interview. He wanted visitors to see an era of motorcycles that was becoming “a lost aesthetic.” The shop also allowed motorcycle owners to repair, restore, and customize their bikes.

Its collection included Harley-Davidson, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Indian, BMW, and Triumph motorcycles. One of the standout pieces was a rare 1952 Vincent Rapide, which could potentially sell for tens of thousands at auction.

The shop’s importance to the community was further recognized when part of its Oyster Bay street was renamed after 20th Century Cycles in 2023.

Joel also used his motorcycle passion for charitable causes before his health deteriorated. He supported 9/11 first responders and breast cancer research through his connection to the motorcycle community.

As reported by The Blast, the Oyster Bay shop was set to close toward the end of September 2025, with Joel’s collection expected to be auctioned later that year.

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Billy Joel’s Career Has Become A Health Risk

The decision to step away from performing came after Joel’s condition began affecting his hearing, vision, and balance. His final performance was on February 22 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. His team subsequently canceled 17 scheduled concerts across North America and England.

The announcement came on May 23, after his doctors advised him to avoid rigorous performances during his recovery. He was prescribed specific physical therapy to help him regain his strength and stability. Performing had become increasingly difficult as his symptoms worsened.

The “Vienna” singer’s motorcycle accident history also shows how long physical risks have followed him. In 1982, a car ran a red light and struck his motorcycle, leaving him with a dislocated wrist and a badly injured thumb. Years later, his doctors would identify an entirely different danger connected to another longtime passion: performing live.

The rock star was closing his motorcycle shop while focusing on his health and stepping away from performing. The outlet also detailed how his disorder had affected his hearing, vision, and balance. After 15 years, another major part of Joel’s life was therefore coming to an end alongside his touring career, as shared by The Blast.

The Legendary Singer Is Facing The Cost Of Decades Onstage

Joel has previously been candid about just how badly the balance problems affected him. During an appearance on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, he bluntly described his balance as his biggest challenge. “My balance sucks,” he said while explaining the strange sensation of feeling as though he was walking on a boat.

Doctors have not determined what caused his NPH. Joel even wondered whether his past drinking could have played a role, joking that he “used to drink like a fish.” He has since said he is sober while concentrating on his recovery.

His health struggles have also reopened conversations about a difficult period in his past. In the HBO documentary “Billy Joel: And So It Goes,” Joel pushed back against long-running rumors that alcohol caused his early-2000s car crashes. “I never had a DUI,” he said, while angrily rejecting the repeated claims.

The documentary explored Joel’s depression, substance use, and complicated relationship with fame. It also examined his past suicide attempts, family history, and the emotional struggles behind his public life. Interviews with daughter Alexa Ray, sister Judy, and longtime stage designer Steve Cohen added further perspective to that story.

Billy Joel Has Strong Family Support 

Joel’s first wife, Weber, has remained supportive while maintaining a respectful distance from Joel and his current family. The former couple married in 1973 before divorcing in 1982 after nearly a decade together. Weber and Joel’s relationship began while she was married to his best friend and bandmate, Jon Small.

Their affair contributed to the breakup of the band and a devastating period that included Joel threatening suicide twice. Weber later became associated with songs including “The Stranger,” “She’s Always a Woman,” and “Piano Man.” Despite their complicated history, Weber said she can contact Joel whenever necessary.

Their son Sean remains important to Joel, while their grandchildren have also kept him company during his recovery. Weber even recalled that her granddaughter Ella taught Joel what TikTok was.

Joel’s family has continued publicly supporting him throughout the health crisis. Christie Brinkley sent him love and wished him a full and speedy recovery, while wife Alexis Roderick described him as the center of their world.

The Blast reported that Roderick and Joel married in a surprise ceremony at his Long Island estate in July 2015, with their daughter Della Rose born the following month.

Billy Joel’s biggest challenge may now be accepting that the stage he spent decades conquering can no longer come before his health.

The Billy Joel’s Biggest Health Threat May Be What He’s Done For 60 Years first appeared on The Blast