Billy Joel opened up about his health after having to cancel his planned mid-tour concerts in May 2025.
At the time, the 76-year-old singer announced that he had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).
I talked to Bill Maher about his Club random podcast, Joel assured him he was feeling “good.”
“They keep calling what I have a brain disorder, so it sounds a lot worse than what I feel,” he said, adding, “I feel fine. My balance is bad. It’s like being on a boat.”
In a statement on his Instagram account in May, Joel said his condition had been “aggravated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance.”
He said he canceled the remainder of his tour on medical advice and was undergoing physiotherapy.
Speaking to Maher, the singer said: “It’s not resolved yet. It’s still a work in progress.”
Joel said he doesn’t know what made him develop NPH. “I thought it was the drink,” he says Piano man the singer said, adding that he no longer drinks. ‘I used to be – like a fish.’
Normal pressure hydrocephalus is a neurological condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the ventricles of the brain, causing them to enlarge without significantly increasing pressure.
It often affects older adults, usually over 60 years of age, and can resemble other neurodegenerative disorders, making it difficult to diagnose.
Symptoms
The classic triad includes gait disturbance (difficulty walking), cognitive decline (memory problems or confusion), and urinary incontinence.
Patients may also suffer from slowed thinking, poor balance and frequent falls, which can worsen over time if left untreated.
Treatment
Treatment usually involves surgical placement of a shunt to drain excess fluid from the brain to another part of the body. Early diagnosis and intervention can significantly improve symptoms and quality of life.
