Shock diagnosis forces Billy Joel to cancel tour
Billy Joel has been forced to cancel all upcoming tour dates after a heartbreaking health diagnosis with the music legend telling fans, “I’m sorry to disappoint”.
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Music legend Billy Joel has cancelled all tour dates amid a new health diagnosis.
Joel revealed the shocking news via social media early Saturday morning AEST saying he has been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus.
“I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience,” Joel said in a statement, “And thank you for understanding.”
Joel’s team added that the star was “thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritising his health. He is grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage”.
The cancelled dates included shows in New York, New Orleans, Toronto, Santa Clara, California, Salt Lake City, Washington, DC, and Liverpool.
The disorder happens when cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain, disrupting cognitive functioning.
Joel’s condition has become worse due to his recent concert performances, “leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance,” his lengthy Instagram announcement read.
The doctor has ordered the star to “refrain from performing during this recovery period” as Joel is undergoing specific physical therapy under his medical team’s instructions.
NPH is a rare condition that affects about 0.2 per cent of people between the ages of 70 and 80 and around six per cent of those over 80.
When the body can’t circulate or reabsorb CSF properly, it accumulates and can cause pressure inside the skull. Permanent damage can happen if CSF keeps accumulating, forcing the brain to compress.
Symptoms are similar to dementia patients and include difficulty walking, cognitive issues like memory difficulties or emotional changes, and urinary incontinence. In some cases, NPH is reversible.
Joel had already postponed several tour dates in March due to a “medical condition.”
“The current tour will be postponed for four months to allow him to recover from recent surgery and to undergo physical therapy under the supervision of his doctors,” a statement from his team on March 11 read.
At the time, Joel said that “while I regret postponing any shows, my health must come first.”
He added, “I look forward to getting back on stage and sharing the joy of live music with our amazing fans. Thank you for your understanding.”
Joel has had a rough year.
In February, he collapsed on stage during his concert in Connecticut, which was caught on video by a fan.
Joel appeared to stumble while on the stage before falling backward and landing on his side.
Despite the blunder, he recovered and continued on with the show.
Joel’s wife, Alexis Roderick, has also struggled with her health in recent months and spoke out about suffering from endometriosis earlier this month.
The condition, in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, causes Roderick chronic pain, which she was forced to deal with while taking care of her and Joel’s two young children while Joel was on tour.
The pair, who married in 2015, have two daughters: Della, 9, and Remy, 7.
Roderick opened up to Fox News about how Joel supported her as she struggled to get a diagnosis.
“He’s extremely supportive,” she said. “So picking up where I leave off and covering my deficits during that time was huge. We’re just always researching — he’ll email me articles like, ‘Did you know that this happens with endometriosis?’
“Never in a million years would I think that he would be sending me that kind of stuff, but when you’re watching someone suffer, you pick up. You have to. It’s what we do. We’re a family.”
Besides Roderick, Joel has been married to Elizabeth Weber, Katie Lee and Christie Brinkley.
Joel and the supermodel were married from 1985 to 1994, and they have one daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, 39.
Brinkley discussed their marriage in her memoir Uptown Girl, including those affair rumours. She also blamed Joel’s drinking for the end of their relationship.
In 2024, Joel ended his record-breaking 10-year residency at Madison Square Garden in New York. He played his last show in July, marking his 150th concert at the legendary venue.
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Originally published as Shock diagnosis forces Billy Joel to cancel tour
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