Billy Joel has shared an update on his health, insisting that he is “not dying”.
The singer-songwriter and pianist, 76, cancelled his entire touring plans last month, after being diagnosed with a brain disorder called Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH).
In an accompanying statement, Joel shared that his condition had been “exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance”.
Now, Joel’s friend Howard Stern has relayed a brief message from the artist on his SiriusXM radio programme, The Howard Stern Radio Show.
“I saw Billy Joel two weeks ago, we had dinner together,” host Stern told his listeners. “He’s doing fine. He does have issues, but he said, ‘Yeah, you can tell people: I’m not dying’. You know, he wants people to know that.
“He just… he’s gotta deal with some medical stuff, but it was delightful. We had a great time with the wives, we had a great conversation. I was telling him I’m enjoying playing classical music on the guitar. He lit up, because that’s what he’s into.”
Stern added: “Then it was his birthday [on May 9], I even brought out the guitar and sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to him.” You can watch the video clip in the post below.
The update comes after Joel’s daughter, Alexa Ray, said her father was “entirely committed to making a full recovery with ongoing physical-therapy treatments as he continues to regain his strength”.
She also called the musician “the strongest and most resilient man I’ve ever known”, and thanked his fans for “the genuine care, empathy, and concern” they’d shown since he shared his diagnosis.
Joel’s wife, Alexis Roderick, said the couple were “hopeful for his recovery” and “look forward to seeing you all in the future”.
“We are so grateful for the wonderful care and swift diagnosis we received,” she wrote. “Bill is beloved by so many, and to us, he is a father and husband who is at the center of our world.”
Meanwhile, the premiere of the new Billy Joel documentary And So It Goes will open the Tribeca Festival 2025 in New York today (June 4). Directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, the two-part film examines the artist’s life and music, “exploring the love, loss and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting”.
