Billy Joel can't drive or perform following brain disorder diagnosis - BERITAJA
It is unclear erstwhile Billy Joel will execute again.
The 77-year-old vocalist has to return “a bid of tests” earlier being capable to circuit again, he told the Hollywood Reporter successful a wellness update pursuing his 2025 encephalon upset diagnosis.
“I’m not allowed to drive,” Joel said successful the question and reply published Thursday. “And I can’t do performances because what the neurologist told me, each clip you do a show, it’s for illustration you’re getting a concussion.”
Joel canceled concerts successful May 2025 aft revealing 2 months earlier that he had a encephalon upset known arsenic normal unit hydrocephalus, aliases NPH, which causes beingness and intelligence issues.
“This information has been exacerbated by caller performance performances, starring to problems pinch hearing, imagination and balance,” Joel said successful a connection connected his Instagram successful May 2025. “Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing circumstantial beingness therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this betterment period.”
NPH is simply a encephalon upset successful which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates successful the brain’s ventricles, according to the Alzheimer’s Assn. It could origin cognitive issues, trouble stepping and the nonaccomplishment of bladder control. Those suffering pinch NPH often locomotion pinch a wide stance and their bodies bent guardant arsenic if they were trying to support equilibrium connected a vessel — a emotion that Joel described while connected Bill Maher’s podcast “Club Random” connected July 21, 2025.
Other symptoms see mild dementia that involves short-term representation loss, a deficiency of liking successful regular activities and trouble completing regular tasks.
NPH is 1 of the fewer causes of dementia that could beryllium controlled aliases reversed pinch surgical treatment, usually involving the placement of a shunt.
It is unclear whether Joel underwent the procedure, though the “Uptown Girl” vocalist initially postponed his concerts successful March 2025 aft undergoing unspecified room and beingness therapy.
The room took spot conscionable weeks aft the crooner mislaid his balance connected Feb. 22, 2025, while performing “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” astatine the Mohegan Sun Arena successful Uncasville, Conn.; however, it is unclear if the tumble and consequent room were astatine each related to the NPH test he revealed to the nationalist that May.
For now, Joel reports that he is “OK” and the test is “not that serious,” per his THR interview. Neurologists person warned the singer, however, about the risks progressive successful performing, including that the lighting and sound could origin accent successful the body.
“And [neurologists] said, ‘Well, you really shouldn’t beryllium doing that correct now.’ So they person to trial maine further to spot if I could spell backmost and do performing again, which I would for illustration to beryllium capable to do,” he said.
Times unit writer Alexandra Del Rosario and erstwhile adjunct editor Christie D’Zurilla contributed to this report.
