Billy Joel reassures fans over brain disorder and shares details of shunt surgery

SiriusXM broadcast and health reassurance

The 77-year-old musician spoke directly with listeners during a live call-in broadcast on The Billy Joel Channel on SiriusXM on 24 September 2026. Responding to callers asking about his condition, Joel sought to alleviate public concern regarding his diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus, a neurological disorder characterized by an accumulation of excess cerebrospinal fluid within the ventricles of the brain. Joel explained that reading about a brain condition often causes undue worry, adding that his condition is far less severe in practice than the description suggests. He noted that while he continues to manage balance difficulties and partial hearing loss, he links the hearing decline to both normal aging and a decades-long career performing loud rock concerts.

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. 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.

Surgical treatment and symptom relief

Medical specialists diagnosed Joel with the condition in May 2025 after he sought care for balance problems that left him feeling as though he was on a boat. Doctors initially advised placing a shunt in his brain to relieve intracranial pressure, but Joel refused after learning the surgical team would need to drill a hole through his skull to insert the drainage tube. After researching the medical procedure and evaluating the risks, he agreed to undergo the operation. Joel shared that the implanted shunt improved his balance, cognition, and memory, recommending that listeners facing the same diagnosis consider the intervention if caught early.

When I was diagnosed with NPH they recommended a shunt be implanted. I said, what does that entail? Well, 'we drill a hole through your skull, then put a drain into your brain to drain off excess fluid.' I said, 'Nnnah, I think I'll pass on that.'

Performance hiatus and recovery timeline

Following his initial diagnosis in May 2025, Joel cancelled scheduled tour dates and stepped away from live performance. Statements from his management team explained that live concerts had aggravated his balance, hearing, and vision, leading physicians to order targeted physical therapy and strict rest from stage work. Joel made a single brief stage appearance in January 2026, performing two songs as a guest with a tribute band. His representatives continue to characterize his break as a recovery period rather than a permanent retirement, while Joel stated that medical staff have instructed him to avoid excessive stress.

Fan interactions and songwriting background

Beyond his medical status, Joel discussed his catalog and family life during the SiriusXM program, explaining the origins of his youngest daughter Remy's name and detailing his standard bagel order. Addressing a caller's question about his 1973 song Captain Jack, Joel described composing the track while observing suburban youths purchase drugs from a public housing building across from his apartment in Oyster Bay, Long Island. Joel paired that observation with a symphonic bassline concept he had developed. His recent career retrospective, the documentary And So It Goes, received an Emmy Award for sound mixing in September 2026.