Billy Joel told he’s ‘not allowed to drive’ or perform following brain surgery
Billy Joel has no idea when he will return to the stage after brain surgery and a rare diagnosis – or even if he can.
The Piano Man singer, 77, is following doctor’s orders, which means he cannot perform or even drive after a diagnosis of the brain condition normal pressure hydrocephalus.
Billy Joel performed his final performance in late 2024. Getty
“I don’t know [if I can perform again]. I have to take a series of tests before I know, but I can’t drive right now. I’m not allowed to drive,” Joel told The Hollywood Reporter.
“And I can’t do performances because what the neurologist told me, every time you do a show, it’s like you’re getting a concussion.”
Joel was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) last year, a condition that leads cerebrospinal fluid to build up in the skull and press on the brain, according to the Hydrocephalus Support Association Australia.
He cancelled all of his upcoming performances and underwent surgery to treat the condition.
While Joel wants to get back on stage, he was deferring to his doctor’s advice.
“Rock ‘n’ roll is loud, man. Rock ‘n’ roll made me deaf already,” he explained.
“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. And they said, ‘Well, you really shouldn’t be doing that right now’.
“So they have to test me further to see if I can go back and do performing again, which I would like to be able to do.”
It comes after Joel opened up about how he discovered he had the condition on SiriusXM’s The Billy Joel Channel last month.
“I noticed that my balance was not good,” Joel explained.
“I had this sense of being on a boat, like this rocking motion. I wasn’t steady on my feet.”
Joel saw a neurologist who recommended he have surgery to drain excess fluid from the skull.
Billy Joel hopes to perform again eventually. Getty
He initially declined it but came around after learning it could reverse symptoms.
“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 surgery, and they implanted a shunt in my brain, and it actually improved things.”
The singer announced his diagnosis in May 2025, after he was forced to cancel shows he had already postponed.
A post on his Instagram at the time explained that Joel’s condition “has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance”.
“Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.
“Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritising his health.”
