Billy Joel’s daughter calls singer ‘most resilient man’ following diagnosis
By Lauren Del Fabbro, PA Entertainment Reporter
The daughter of US singer Billy Joel has described him as the “strongest and most resilient man” following his diagnosis of a brain condition.
The Piano Man singer was due to perform in Edinburgh and Liverpool in June but cancelled the concerts on Friday.
He revealed he had been diagnosed with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH), a condition that causes a build-up of fluid in the brain, and said it had been exacerbated by recent performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance.
The singer’s daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, shared a post on Instagram on Saturday thanking people for their support.
A post shared by Alexa Ray Joel🌹 (@alexarayjoel)
She said: “We love you and we got you, Pop! 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 … 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.”
She also quoted the lyrics to Joel’s song Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel), signing off with: “The music continues … ”
The New York-born singer rescheduled two of his UK shows in March, which were planned for 2025, because of a then-unspecified medical condition.
In the statement shared on Friday, Joel added: “I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding.”
According to the NHS website, NPH is an uncommon and poorly understood condition that often affects people over the age of 60 and can be difficult to diagnose as its symptoms include mobility problems and dementia which are associated with more common conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
The singer is best known for songs including Uptown Girl, Tell Her About It and An Innocent Man and has achieved five UK top 10 singles and eight UK top 10 albums.
Since beginning his career in the mid-1960s, Joel has won five Grammy Awards and been nominated for 23, and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame by one of his heroes, Ray Charles, in 1999.