Billy Joel has been slow to retake the stage after canceling all his shows and revealing his diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, a brain disorder caused by a build up of cerebrospinal fluid. In a new interview, the 77-year-old explained that his doctors worried loud concerts were damaging his brain.
“The doctors told me because of my job, which is playing rock and roll music very loud, that it was giving me something like a concussion every time I did a show,” he told SiriusXM’s Billy Joel Channel. “It was causing damage to my brain nerves and I could be losing more brain cells the more shows I did and I realized that means I shouldn’t be doing this right now. I got to improve. They don’t want me to stress too much.”
Joel also explained that he was initially hesitant to receive a brain shunt to relieve the pressure. “But then I read up on it and I realized it can help improve your balance and can help your memory,” he said. “You know, I don’t want to lose my marbles. 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.”
There is currently no timetable for Joel’s return to regular live performance, but he continues to improve. His most recent full concert took place on February 22nd, 2025, which saw him fall during the show. He got back on the stage for the first time in January of this year, joining a Billy Joel cover band for two songs.
“I just want people to know, don’t worry about me,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m here. I’m still here.”
