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billy joel Fans got an unforgettable start to the new year on Friday with a surprise performance from the ‘Piano Man’ himself – his first ever Since being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalusa rare brain disease.
The “Uptown Girl” singer, 76, has Revealed the disease severely affected his balancecrashed Billy Joel cover band Turnstile’s special New Year’s show at the Village Amphitheater in Wellington, Florida.
The Grammy-winning icon sat down at the piano and performed his hits “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and “Big Shot.”
As he sang, a group of small children clapped and danced next to him on stage.
“I went to the Billy Joel tribute show tonight and the real Billy Joel showed up,” one person wrote on one post. clip Joel’s performance. “What a great way to kick off 2026,” they wrote on TikTok.
In other videos taken by fans at the time, Joel can be seen walking with a cane.
In an interview with Bill Maher in July, Club random On the podcast, the “Vienna” hitmaker opened up about his condition, revealing that his “balance is terrible. It’s like being on a boat.”
Explaining the name of the disease, he shared: “It used to be called hydrocephalus. Now it’s called hydrocephalus – normal pressure hydrocephalus.”
When Maher asked what causes NPH, Joel responded, “They don’t know… I think it must be drinking.”
The “My Life” artist has been sober for two years and reiterated that he feels “good.”
“They kept saying I had a brain disease, so it sounded much worse than what I was feeling,” he insisted.
NPH is a condition caused by excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulating in the ventricles of the brain, causing increased pressure that compresses brain tissue and can lead to neurological symptoms such as balance problems. It most commonly affects people over the age of 60.
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“Recent concert performances have exacerbated this condition, resulting in problems with hearing, vision and balance,” a statement posted to Joel’s Instagram account in May read. “Based on his doctor’s orders, Billy is receiving specific physical therapy and has been advised not to participate in any activities while he recovers.”
Following the diagnosis, Joel was forced to cancel all upcoming concerts and tour dates. He was due to perform across the US and twice in the UK last summer.