Billy Joel's Shocking Brain Surgery Revelation Has Fans Talking
Billy Joel revealed he was on the mend after undergoing brain surgery following his diagnosis with a rare condition last year.“I’m not going anywhere. I’m here. I’m still here,” the 77-year-old rocker shared on Wednesday’s segment of SiriusXM’s The Billy Joel Channel.The “Piano Man” crooner recalled his 2025 diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus — a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain, per the Cleveland Clinic.Billy Joel (seen here in 2024) revealed he was in recovery after undergoing brain surgery. Getty Images“I’m not going anywhere. I’m here. I’m still here,” the Grammy winner (seen above in 2024) shared on Wednesday’s segment of SiriusXM’s The Billy Joel Channel. Getty ImagesNPH is often treatable, involving surgery to implant a shunt to drain excess fluid from the inside of the skull, per the medical clinic. “I noticed that my balance was not good,” Joel recalled. “I had this sense of being on a boat, like this rocking motion. I wasn’t steady on my feet.”The “Vienna” singer shared that he went to a neurologist, who recommended that he go under the knife.In 2025, the “Piano Man” crooner (seen here in September 2024) revealed his diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus. Getty Images for SiriusXMRecalling his first symptoms, he said, “I noticed that my balance was not good.” (Seen here: Joel performing in July 2024.) Getty Images“I said, ‘Well, what does that entail?'” he recalled, admitting that he initially shut down the recommendation for surgery.“I didn’t want to do that,” Joel stated. “But then I read up on it, and I realized it can help improve your balance and can help your memory.” “You know, I don’t want to lose my marbles. It’s hard to tell what’s age and what’s a condition, so I agreed to do the shunt, and I had surgery, and they implanted a shunt in my brain, and it actually improved things.”“I had this sense of being on a boat, like this rocking motion. I wasn’t steady on my feet,” the rocker (seen here in January 2024) added. Getty ImagesJoel (seen above in February 2025) shared he initially didn’t want to have surgery. Getty ImagesThe Grammy winner noticed an improvement in his memory, balance and overall “ability to function.” Additionally, doctors urged Joel to stop performing after discovering he was suffering a “concussion” every time he did a show following his brain surgery“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,” the “Uptown Girl” singer said.“But then I read up on it, and I realized it can help improve your balance and can help your memory,” the “Uptown Girl” singer (seen here in November 2024) said. Getty ImagesAfter surgery, Joel (seen here in 1986) noticed an improvement in his ability to function. Getty Images“It was causing damage to my brain nerves, and I could be losing more brain cells the more shows I did,” he continued. “I realized that means I shouldn’t be doing this right now. I got to improve.” Joel explained he was going to physical therapy and closely following his doctors’ advice.“I’m doing whatever it is they tell me to do because I don’t want to lose it, you know?” he said.Doctors also recommended Joel (seen here in January 2024) take a step back from performing. Getty Images“I’m doing whatever it is they tell me to do because I don’t want to lose it, you know?” Joel (seen here in 1982) said. Getty ImagesJoel announced his diagnosis in May 2025 when he canceled his tour performances. At the time, he officially pulled the plug on the remainder of the concerts after postponing several shows when he suffered a fall at his Mohegan Sun Casino performance in Montville, Connecticut, in March.The “New York State of Mind” singer told fans he needed to prioritize his health and was “expected to make a full recovery.”
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