Billy Joel reveals shock diagnosis, cancels all tour dates

Musician Billy Joel has cancelled all his tour dates, revealing to fans that he’s been diagnosed with a rare condition.

Musician Billy Joel has cancelled all his tour dates, revealing to fans that he’s been diagnosed with a condition called Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.

The disorder happens when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside a person’s skull and presses on the brain, disrupting their cognitive functions.

Joel, 76, revealed the diagnosis on social media.

“I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding,” he said.

Billy Joel performing at Madison Square Gardeen in New York. Picture: Evan Agostini

The statement said Joel’s condition had been “exacerbated by recent concert performances”, causing problems with his hearing, vision and balance.

“Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period,” it explained.

“Billy is 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.”

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus is a rare condition that affects about 0.2 per cent of people between the ages of 70 and 80, The New York Post reports.

When the body can’t circulate or reabsorb cerebrospinal fluid properly, it accumulates, and can then cause pressure inside the skull.

If it keeps accumulating, forcing the brain to compress, it can result in permanent damage.

The symptoms tend to be similar to those suffered by dementia patients and include difficulty walking, cognitive issues like memory difficulties or emotional changes, and urinary issues.

Thankfully, in some cases, the condition is reversible.

Joel performing in Los Angeles. Picture: John Shearer/Getty Images

Joel’s diagnosis doesn’t mean he’s done performing permanently. However the five-time Grammy winner’s announcement included reassurance, for fans with tickets to the cancelled shows, that their purchases would be automatically refunded.

Those fans do not need to take any action to receive the refunds.

The cancelled dates include scheduled concerts in New York, New Orleans, Toronto, Santa Clara, Salt Lake City, Washington D.C. and Liverpool.

Joel had already postponed some concerts back in March due to what was, at the time, described as an unspecified “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: “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, the star fell during his concert in Connecticut, and the accident was caught on video by a fan.

Joel appeared to stumble while on the stage before falling backward and landing on his side.

After the scary moment, he recovered and continued on with the show.

Joel and his wife, Alexis Roderick. Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Joel’s wife, Alexis Roderick, has also struggled with her health recently, and spoke out about suffering from endometriosis earlier this month.

The condition, which involves 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 he 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 shared.

“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.”

This story first appeared on The New York Post and has been republished with permission.

Originally published as Billy Joel reveals shock diagnosis, cancels all tour dates