Billy Joel gives health update, reveals he had brain surgery

Billy Joel spoke about his health on his SiriusXM channel and revealed publicly for the first time that he had received a shunt in his brain to help cope with a disorder called normal pressure hydrocephalus.

The shunt "actually improved things," Joel said. "My memory got better, my balance got a little better, my ability to function was better."

Joel, 77, canceled all touring activity in May 2025 following his diagnosis with NPH, a brain disorder that can cause problems with hearing, vision and balance. Since then, he has kept himself in the public eye with occasional appearances on shows such as "Club Random With Bill Maher" and Rick Beato’s YouTube podcast. His comments on SiriusXM’s The Billy Joel Channel, which can be heard through Oct. 1, offer new details about his diagnosis and treatment.

"I noticed that my balance was not good. I had this sense of, like, being on a boat, like this rocking motion," Joel said. A neurologist diagnosed him with NPH, warned him that the disorder could worsen and recommended a shunt. Joel said he asked the doctor to explain the procedure and was told it involves drilling a hole in the skull and inserting a shunt into the brain.

"I said, ‘Nah, I think I'll pass on that,’ " Joel recalled, although he eventually changed his mind and got the procedure. " ... But then I read up on it and I realized it can help improve your balance and can help your memory," Joel said. "You know, I don't want to lose my marbles."

Doctors warned that playing rock music "was giving me something like a concussion every time I did a show," according to Joel. " ... And I could be losing more brain cells the more I played, the more shows I did, and I realized that means I shouldn't be doing this right now."

The Hicksville-raised singer, whose 30-year recording career produced such hit singles as "Piano Man," "Just the Way You Are" and "Tell Her About It," has one of the most impressive concert histories in the business, including a record-breaking 150 shows at Madison Square Garden. But Joel did not say whether he would return to performing in the future.

"I just want people to know, don't worry about me," he said. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm here. I'm still here."

By Rafer Guzmán

rafer.guzman@newsday.com