Will Billy Joel ever perform again? The Piano Man isn’t sure

Billy Joel wants to get back on stage, but the Piano Man still doesn’t know when — or even if — he’ll be able to perform again.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Joel said he needs more medical testing before doctors can determine whether he can safely return to performing.

In 2025, the 77-year-old Long Island music legend canceled all his remaining concerts after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a condition caused by a buildup of fluid in the brain that can affect balance, vision, hearing and memory.

“What the neurologist told me, every time you do a show, it’s like you’re getting a concussion,” Joel told the publication.

“The volume. Rock ‘n’ roll is loud, man. Rock ‘n’ roll made me deaf already,” he continued. “So it’s the lighting, the sound, the stress of the show, the audience, the energy of the performance.”

“There’s a lot going on when you’re onstage,” he added. “And they said, ‘Well, you really shouldn’t be doing that right now.’”

Surgery brings improvement

Joel underwent surgery in early 2025 to have a shunt implanted in his brain to help treat the condition. He publicly discussed the procedure in September, saying it had improved his memory, balance and overall ability to function.

“It’s hard to tell what’s age and what’s a condition, so I agreed to do the shunt,” Joel said on SiriusXM’s The Billy Joel Channel. “I had a surgery and they implanted a shunt in my brain — and it actually improved things.”

He said he was continuing physical therapy and following his doctors’ advice.

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

Motorcycle collection headed to auction

Joel also revealed that he is currently prohibited from driving and is preparing to auction more than 70 motorcycles from his personal collection through Gooding Christie’s on Nov. 20 and 21 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.

“I can’t drive right now. I’m not allowed to drive,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

With his condition affecting his balance and making riding unsafe, Joel said he realized it was time to part with the bikes.

“I don’t want to die like a bug on a windshield,” he said. “So I thought I’d put a lot of them on auction.”

Joel also recalled a serious motorcycle accident on Long Island in 1982, when a driver ran a red light and he crashed into her car, breaking both hands and injuring his leg.

When asked whether he had to relearn how to play the piano afterward, Joel joked, “No, I was never that good to begin with.”

The collection includes motorcycles from Ducati, BMW, Moto Guzzi, Harley-Davidson, Yamaha, Triumph, Honda and Kawasaki.

Among them is a custom-painted 1978 Triumph Bonneville T140 given to Joel to commemorate his 150th sold-out performance at Madison Square Garden.

Proceeds from the auction will benefit The Joel Foundation, which supports music education and community initiatives.

---

Top: Billy Joel performs “You May Be Right” during the 66th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, file)