Billy Joel cancels concerts due to health concerns - Newsday
Billy Joel has canceled all upcoming concerts through July 2026, the singer announced Friday.
Joel, 76, has been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, or NPH, according to a statement posted to his social media accounts. "This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance," the statement said.
Joel's representative, Claire Mercuri, said the singer would not be talking further to the media right now.
Billy Joel cancels all scheduled shows through 2026 due to health concerns. Credit: Myrna Suarez/Myrna Suarez
Fans had grown concerned about the Hicksville-raised rock icon since February, when he appeared to lose his balance and fell to the floor during a concert at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. In March, Joel, whose birthday was May 9, canceled eight concerts to recover from surgery, but hoped to be back to performing in four months. His next live date was to be July 5 with Rod Stewart at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium. Joel also had planned three New York City-area concerts in July at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, and in August at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and Citi Field in Queens. Joel was sharing those bills with Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks and Sting, respectively. That trifecta would have made Joel the first entertainer to play all three stadiums in one season.
NPH is caused by excessive fluid in the ventricles of the brain, according to the websites of the Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins Medicine. It tends to affect older adults. Other celebrities who have been diagnosed with NPH include former "Partridge Family" star Danny Bonaduce, Aiice Cooper band member Dick Wagner and longtime "General Hospital" actor Leslie Charleson.
"Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing," according to the announcement. "He is grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage."
Ticket holders are being advised that no action is necessary to obtain refunds, which will be automatically processed and returned to the original form of payment.
"I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience," Joel said in a statement, "and thank you for understanding."
Billy Joel performs before a sellout crowd at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Aug. 4, 2015, the last show at the Coliseum before it closed. Credit: Howard Schnapp
The singer won’t be entirely out of the spotlight over the coming months. He’s the subject of "And So It Goes," a documentary from the acclaimed filmmaker Susan Lacy, best known as the creator of PBS’ "American Masters" series. The documentary will open the Tribeca Film Festival on June 4, then air on HBO sometime this summer.
Joel maintains homes in Sag Harbor, East Hampton and Centre Island, but now spends much of his time at his estate in Boca Raton, Florida.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
