{"id":171,"date":"2026-09-18T13:35:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T13:35:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/?p=171"},"modified":"2026-09-18T13:35:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T13:35:22","slug":"billy-joel-opens-up-about-the-surprising-condition-that-led-him-to-cancel-all-his-concerts-and-the-surgery-that-followed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/?p=171","title":{"rendered":"Billy Joel Opens Up About the Surprising Condition That Led Him to Cancel All His Concerts \u2014 and the Surgery That Followed"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A false Google result claimed Billy Joel had died, prompting his publicist to quickly set the record straight. The error comes as the singer has been opening up about a major health setback.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Joel recently revealed what sent him to a neurologist, what doctors discovered, and why he initially resisted the treatment they recommended.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Billy Joel performs during the final show of his Madison Square Garden residency on July 25, 2024, in New York City. The singer later described balance problems that eventually led him to seek help from a neurologist. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A Google search for Billy Joel incorrectly displayed an informational box stating that he had “Died Sept. 17, 2026,” according to Newsday<\/a>. His publicist, Claire Mercuri, confirmed that the information was false.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Billy’s not dead,” Mercuri said Thursday afternoon. “I was just emailing with him.” The false report surfaced as Joel recently shared new details about the health problems that forced him to step away from performing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Billy Joel performs at Fenway Park in Boston on Sept. 14, 2019. Years later, the singer described the unexplained balance problems that eventually prompted him to seek medical attention. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In an interview on SiriusXM<\/a>, Joel recalled the physical changes that first made him realize something was wrong. “I noticed that my balance was not good. I have this sense of like, being on a boat, like this rocking motion. I wasn’t steady on my feet. I didn’t know why that was,” Joel said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Because he did not know what was causing the problem, he went to a neurologist.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Diagnosis Behind Billy Joel’s Health Problems<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Joel revealed that he was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, or NPH<\/strong>, a condition he said was previously called “water on the brain.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Nobody’s really sure what causes it, but they’re able to diagnose it,” Joel said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Billy Joel attends an MSG Entertainment event at Madison Square Garden on June 1, 2023, in New York City. He has since revealed that a neurologist diagnosed him with normal pressure hydrocephalus, or NPH. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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According to Johns Hopkins Medicine<\/a>, NPH occurs when excess cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, builds up in cavities in the brain called ventricles. The buildup can enlarge the ventricles and put pressure on nearby brain tissue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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NPH most often affects older adults. Possible symptoms include trouble walking, poor balance, falls, forgetfulness, confusion, and loss of bladder control.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Billy Joel performs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 26, 2022. He later canceled his upcoming concerts because of his health, and has since spoken publicly about the condition and treatment that followed. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Because some NPH symptoms can resemble those associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, doctors may use brain scans, walking evaluations, spinal taps, and other tests to help confirm the condition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For Joel, receiving the diagnosis also meant considering the treatment his doctors recommended.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Joel Initially Resisted the Recommended Treatment<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Joel said doctors warned that his condition could progress and recommended implanting a shunt in his brain. After hearing that the procedure would involve drilling through his skull to place the device, he initially did not want to go through with it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He later researched the treatment and reconsidered. Joel also found it difficult to determine which changes he was experiencing were related to aging and which were connected to his condition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Billy Joel appears on SiriusXM’s “How’s Life” with John Mayer in Los Angeles on Oct. 11, 2024. Joel recently used his SiriusXM channel to discuss the treatment doctors recommended after his health problems emerged. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“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<\/strong>, and they implanted a shunt in my brain, and it actually improved things,” Joel said. “My memory got better, my balance got a little better, my ability to function was better.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Billy Joel arrives at the 66th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 4, 2024. He recently reassured fans about his health after revealing that he underwent surgery to have a shunt implanted. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Johns Hopkins explains that a shunt used to treat NPH drains excess cerebrospinal fluid from the brain. The tube is typically placed in a brain ventricle and routed under the skin to the abdomen, where the excess fluid is absorbed by the body. The treatment does not work for everyone, though some patients benefit from it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Why Joel Stepped Away From Performing<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Joel’s concert schedule had already been affected by his health. In March 2025, he announced that several shows would be rescheduled<\/a>, and in May, he canceled<\/a> his remaining scheduled concerts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In his recent SiriusXM interview, Joel offered more context about why performing had become a concern.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“I realized, and the doctors told me this, 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,” Joel said. “It was causing damage to my brain nerves and I could be losing more brain cells the more I played the more shows I did.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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That information affected how Joel approached performing while he worked on his health.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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