Billy Joel On Battling Brain Disease: ‘Getting Old Sucks’

Billy Joel, 76, doesn’t like aging and the associated health concerns, but he says it beats the alternative.

“Getting old sucks, but it’s still preferable to getting cremated,” Joel shared, according to Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, directors of Joel’s new HBO documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes. The Piano Man also said he “will be back” after recently being diagnosed with the brain disorder normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).

Billy Joel: And So It Goes focuses on Joel’s path to becoming one of the most popular music artists of all time. It recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

Earlier this week, shock jock Howard Stern also updated fans on Joel’s condition after the singer-songwriter was recently forced to cancel all upcoming concerts because of NPH.

During Tuesday’s episode of The Howard Stern Show on SiriusXM, Stern, 71, said Joel was “doing fine” following their dinner together two weeks ago. “He does have issues, but he said, ‘Yeah, you can tell people I’m not dying,’ ” Stern said. “He wants people to know that. He’s got to deal with some medical stuff, but it was delightful.” 

“I was telling him I’m enjoying playing classical music on the guitar,” Stern said, and cohost Robin Quivers replied, “I’m sure that made him happy.”

“It did,” Stern said. “He lit up because that’s what he’s into.”

The longtime radio personality also said he played the guitar in honor of Joel’s 76th birthday (which was May 9) but joked that the Piano Man “threw up” after listening to it. “He didn’t seem real impressed,” Stern added.

Joel was diagnosed with NPH last month, forcing him to cancel the remainder of his summer tour.

“I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience and thank you for understanding,” Joel said in a press release, which noted that his condition had worsened because of “recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance.”

Joel’s doctors advised him to refrain from performing as he recovers. He is undergoing physical therapy to treat the condition.

The six-time Grammy winner fell onstage during a February concert in Connecticut but got back up to finish his set. In March, Joel took a break to have surgery and had intended to resume his tour in July. “My health must come first,” he said at the time.  

NPH occurs when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull and creates pressure on the brain, according to the Cleveland Clinic. “It’s a condition you can treat,” says geriatric psychiatrist James M. Ellison, M.D. “I’ve seen people improve dramatically.”

Most patients are first diagnosed with NPH around the age of 70. ​The disorder is usually verified with a CT scan, MRI or spinal tap. To correct the condition, a shunt is surgically inserted into the brain to drain fluid.