Billy Joel announced health battle last year. Now, there’s an update
Billy Joel stunned the crowd back in January when he made a surprise South Florida appearance at Wellington’s 30th anniversary celebration.
Just about seven months before, the Piano Man announced he was canceling all tour dates following a diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus. The neurological condition occurs when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain.
It’s not surprising that the audience didn’t know what to expect from the music legend, who is 76. Patients with NPH often experience issues with balance, vision, hearing, memory and gait.
But despite looking frail and walking with the help of a cane, Joel ended up performing his wordiest, most complicated rapid-fire song, “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”
The amped-up crowd still wanted more, and Joel, who has a mansion about a half-hour south in Boca Raton, delivered — the 1979 classic “Big Shot.”
Now, there’s even more good news on the health front.
Joel’s daughter Alexa Ray (mom is supermodel/“Uptown Girl” Christie Brinkley, 72) gave an update to the Hollywood Reporter. The interview was to promote an all-star tribute at Carnegie Hall, which Joel managed to attend Thursday night.
The alt-pop singer, 40, says Dad is getting better by the day, keeping up with physical therapy, staying fit and lean, and, perhaps most of all, maintaining a positive attitude.
“I’m so proud of him,” Alexa told the outlet. “He’s such a trouper, so resilient and so committed to being healthy and proactive. He’s a fighter. He’s always been a fighter.”
