Billy Joel Says Loud Concerts Were ‘Causing Damage to My Brain Nerves’

Billy Joel says the loud rock shows he played for decades were hurting his brain, and that’s a big reason he has not returned to the road. In a new interview with SiriusXM’s Billy Joel Channel, the singer offered his most detailed update yet on his recovery from normal pressure hydrocephalus, the brain disorder he disclosed in 2025.

“The doctors told me because of my job, which is playing rock and roll music very loud, that it was giving me something like a concussion every time I did a show,” Joel said. “It was causing damage to my brain nerves and I could be losing more brain cells the more shows I did and I realized that means I shouldn’t be doing this right now. I got to improve. They don’t want me to stress too much.”

Joel has not played a full concert since February 22, 2025, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Near the end of that set, he fell down while performing “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me.” He played it off as a joke at the time, but the fall was actually a symptom of NPH. Three months later, he went public with the diagnosis and canceled all of his shows.

The Diagnosis and the Shunt

The condition affects the brain’s fluid balance, and Joel’s team issued a statement at the time of his announcement. “This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance,” the statement read. “Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.”

Joel initially resisted the recommended treatment. He said he declined to have a shunt surgically implanted into his skull to drain excess fluid, feeling the procedure was too extreme. But he changed his mind after doing his own research.

“But then I read up on it and I realized it can help improve your balance and can help your memory,” he said. “You know, I don’t want to lose my marbles. It’s hard to tell what’s age and what’s a condition, so I agreed to do the shunt and I had a surgery, and they implanted a shunt in my brain and it actually improved things. My memory got better, my balance got a little better, my ability to function was better.”

“I just want people to know, don’t worry about me. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here. I’m still here.”

One Surprise Appearance

Since going public with his diagnosis, Joel has performed live exactly once. On January 2, he made an impromptu decision to join the Billy Joel tribute band Turnstiles onstage at a show in Wellington, Florida. He joined them on “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and “Big Shot.”

Two months later, he stayed off the stage entirely at a Carnegie Hall tribute concert in his honor. Artists like Rob Thomas, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Rufus Wainwright performed his music, backed by his longtime touring band. Joel sat in the audience and watched.

He did not venture onto the stage himself.

What the Doctors Told Him

Joel’s explanation of his condition points to a specific occupational hazard. Performing rock music at high volume, night after night, the doctors told him, was giving him something like a concussion every time he did a show.

Each loud show, they said, was doing damage to his brain nerves. The risk was that he would keep losing brain cells the more he performed. His path forward, they advised, was rest and reduced stress.

That guidance has kept him off the road. Joel has not booked any concerts since his diagnosis, and he has not said when, or if, he will return to full-scale touring.

The Road to Recovery

Joel’s recovery has followed a specific sequence of events since his last full show. The timeline matters for understanding where he stands now:

1. February 22, 2025: He plays his last full concert at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, and falls during “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me.”
2. May 2025: He goes public with his NPH diagnosis and cancels all upcoming shows.
3. January 2: He makes his sole live appearance since the diagnosis, joining Turnstiles in Wellington, Florida.
4. March: He attends the Carnegie Hall tribute in his honor but does not perform.
5. Now: He has given the SiriusXM interview and has not booked any concerts.

Joel is aware that fans have heard alarming things about his health. He wants to reassure them that he is doing better.

“I know people have heard, ‘Oh, he’s got a brain disorder,’ and I’m okay,” he said on SiriusXM.

It is unclear whether he will ever feel capable of playing concerts again.

For now, his priorities are clear: his memory, his balance, and his health come before the stage.

Joel is still here. He just isn’t playing.

Source: rollingstone.com

Billy Joel · brain health · concert cancellation · health update · normal pressure hydrocephalus · rock music