Billy Joel’s daughter speaks out after his brain disorder diagnosis
After Billy Joel was forced to cancel all scheduled concerts due to a recent diagnosis of a rare brain disorder, his daughter has shared a touching message.
The news was revealed via a statement posted by Billy Joel’s team on social media: “Billy Joel has announced that he will be cancelling all scheduled concerts following a recent diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH). This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance.”
In a personal statement, Joel apologised to fans, writing, “I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding”.
His daughter, Alex Ray Joel, paid tribute to her father on Instagram, captioning her post: “We love you and we got you, Pop!” She continued, “I just wanted to thank you all for the beautiful outpouring of love and support amid the recent news of my father’s health diagnosis.”
“My dad is the strongest and most resilient man I’ve ever known,” she added, “And he’s entirely committed to making a full recovery with ongoing physical-therapy treatments as he continues to regain his strength. The genuine care, empathy, and concern from everyone means so much to him… it means a lot to me, too.”
According to the NHS, NPH “is an uncommon and poorly understood condition that most often affects people over the age of 60.”
In March, Joel rearranged several of his upcoming concerts after surgery, but he was set to make his live return on July 5th at the Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. Fans eagerly awaited the show, as he was to be joined by Stevie Nicks, Sting, and Rod Stewart.
The previous postponement was to allow Joel to recover from recent surgery. He shared: “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.”
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