“I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding.”
That’s what Billy Joel said upon announcing that he would have to cancel all of his scheduled concerts for the foreseeable future due to some heartbreaking health issues.
The news comes after the “Piano Man” fell during a show at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut earlier this year. According to People magazine, he was singing “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” when he spun the microphone stand into the audience and fell on his side. He rolled over onto his back and was able to get up and finish the show.
In March, he announced that he was suffering from some health issues and would need to postpone any shows he had scheduled through June. His plan was to resume his tour on July 5 at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium. “While I regret postponing any shows, my health must come first. I look forward to getting back on stage and sharing the joy of live music with our amazing fans. Thank you for your understanding,” he said on in a social media post at the time.
However, it looks like his health is in worse shape than he and his team originally realized. In Friday’s announcement, he said that he was recently diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus and that performing was exacerbating the condition, causing problems with his hearing, vision, and balance. He is currently undergoing physical therapy for the condition, but his doctors told him that performing was out of the question. At least for now. Joel’s statement says that he “looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage.”
You can read the entire statement here.
Joel, who is 76, was set to “make history” this summer as the first musical artist to play shows at all three major sports stadiums in New York City: Yankee Stadium, MetLife Stadium, and Citi Field. He seemed excited about it, stating that “I’m looking forward to playing these iconic stadiums this summer — each holds personal significance to me.” It would also make him the first artist to perform in both the old and new Yankee Stadiums.
Joel also planned to do shows in New Orleans, Toronto, Santa Clara, Salt Lake City, and Liverpool, as well as Washington, D.C.
Last year, he ended a decade-old residency at the iconic Madison Square Garden. “It’s been a dream come true. I first came to Madison Square Garden when I was a 4-year-old to see the Circus and watch Gene Autry sing ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.’ And now, here I am doing this. Thanks, Mom!” he said during that last show, according to People.
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The Alzheimer’s Association describes normal pressure hydrocephalus as “a brain disorder in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain’s ventricles, which are fluid-filled chambers,” adding, “As brain ventricles enlarge with the excess CSF, they can disrupt and damage nearby brain tissue, leading to difficulty walking, problems with thinking and reasoning, and loss of bladder control.”
It’s most common in adults in their sixties and seventies, and it’s often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. It’s often treated with surgery, which places a shunt in the brain to drain the excess fluid into the abdomen. “Normal pressure hydrocephalus is one of the few causes of dementia that can be controlled or reversed with treatment,” according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
While head injuries and other brain issues, like tumors, infections, and inflammation, can cause it, the medical community can’t connect the disorder to any specific risk factors.
Of course, we wish Billy Joel the best with his treatment.
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