Billy Joel says he isn’t allowed to drive or perform right now, and he doesn’t know yet whether he’ll ever play a show again. “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,” the 77-year-old told The Hollywood Reporter, E! News reported.
Joel has normal pressure hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid around the brain that can affect balance, memory, vision and hearing. He announced the diagnosis in May 2025 and canceled his upcoming shows.
Will Billy Joel ever perform again?
He hopes so, but it’s up to more tests. “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,” he said. The noise, “the stress of the show, the audience, the energy of the performance” can all make the condition worse, his doctors told him. “They said, ‘Well, you really shouldn’t be doing that right now.'”
He also downplayed it: “They call it a brain disorder, but it’s not that serious. It’s just something that affects your balance mostly,” ABC News reported. Last month he said he’d had a shunt placed in his brain to drain the extra fluid, and that his memory and balance improved afterward.
Why is Billy Joel selling his motorcycles?
Because he can’t ride them. The interview came ahead of a Gooding Christie’s auction in November of more than 70 motorcycles from his collection. “I’m into my 70s now, and I realized I can’t ride as much as I used to. I don’t want to die like a bug on a windshield,” he said. “I was not a collector. I was actually a rider. So I figured it was just time to let it go.”
What is normal pressure hydrocephalus?
It’s a condition where cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the brain’s cavities, putting pressure on brain tissue. It most often affects older adults and can cause trouble walking, memory problems and bladder issues, symptoms that are sometimes mistaken for aging or dementia. Unlike many brain disorders, it can often be treated with a shunt, which is what Joel had.
The BeezLoop Take
For fans in New York especially, Billy Joel isn’t just a singer. He’s 100-plus nights at Madison Square Garden and the soundtrack of a lot of lives. Hearing him say he can’t drive or play right now lands hard.
But the most useful part of his update is how plainly he’s talking about it. A brain condition that looks like getting old, and can often be treated, is worth knowing about. If a parent or grandparent is suddenly shuffling or forgetting, it’s worth asking a doctor about hydrocephalus.
The open question: will Joel’s next round of tests clear him to play even one more show?
Sources: ABC News · E! News · 6abc Philadelphia (video)
