Billy Joel has provided a reassuring health update to fans, confirming he is ‘okay’ after undergoing brain surgery in September to address normal pressure hydrocephalus, a condition he was diagnosed with in 2025.
IMAGE: Billy Joel. Photograph: Kind courtesy SiriusXM/Instagram
Key Points
- Billy Joel confirmed he is ‘okay’ after undergoing brain surgery in September for normal pressure hydrocephalus, a condition diagnosed in 2025.
- The surgery aimed to manage symptoms of the disorder, which involves cerebrospinal fluid buildup in the skull.
- He previously cancelled several concerts in May 2025 following his diagnosis and was advised not to perform until recovery.
Singer-songwriter Billy Joel has shared an update on his health during a fan call on the SiriusXM channel, saying he is doing well after undergoing brain surgery last month.
Joel, who revealed in September that he had undergone the procedure to help ease symptoms of normal pressure hydrocephalus, was diagnosed with the condition in 2025. The surgery was aimed at managing the symptoms associated with the disorder, as per Variety.
Billy Joel’s Health Status
‘I know people are worried about me because they read that I have a brain disorder, which sounds a lot worse than it actually is,’ he told callers.
‘I’m okay. My balance isn’t that good. Lost a little bit of my hearing, but that may have to do with my age, too, and the rock and roll life and the loud volume probably didn’t help. But I’m fine. I want people to not have to worry about me. I’m okay, and I appreciate your call.’
Inspiration Behind Captain Jack
The caller had originally asked about the inspiration for Joel’s 1973 song Captain Jack.
‘I was living in Oyster Bay, Long Island, across from a public housing area,’ Joel recalled. ‘And I was watching kids from the suburbs scoring drugs from this place. And it seemed odd to me that kids from the suburbs were doing that. It was just kind of a foreign thing to me. I call it a look out the window song. I was just basically in my own apartment looking out the window seeing people coming and going from this drug dealer. It was across the street.
‘I had his idea for a bassline, it’s a little bit symphonic of a theme and I always wanted to do something with that and the subject of the song seemed to fit with that particular team and that’s how it got written.’
Diagnosis and Previous Cancellations
The 77-year-old musician revealed in May 2025 that he had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, in which cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain.
He canceled several concerts and said he had been told not to perform until he recovered.
Photograph curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
