Billy Joel Announces Brain Disorder and Cancels All Concerts
Joel said he had normal pressure hydrocephalus, which has led to “problems with hearing, vision and balance.”
May 23, 2025
Updated 1:33 p.m. ET
Billy Joel, the arena-filling Everyman singer-songwriter, has canceled all of his upcoming concerts, including a large-scale tour scheduled for this year and next, because of a brain disorder known as normal pressure hydrocephalus, he announced on Friday.
“This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance,” said a statement that was posted to the singer’s social media accounts. “Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.”
Normal pressure hydrocephalus, or N.P.H., is a rare condition that occurs when excess cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the brain, causing symptoms that include trouble walking and controlling one’s bladder. It can also lead to cognitive impairment, including memory problems.
If N.P.H. is diagnosed early enough, it can be treated successfully through surgery that creates a path for the fluid to flow out of the brain, alleviating symptoms. But in later stages of the disease, some of its effects can become irreversible.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/23/arts/music/billy-joel-brain-disorder-nph.html
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In chronic alcoholism they use to call it "wet brain". To relieve the pressure they stick a tube in ventricle and drain it out to into the chest or abdominal cavity
