Close to a year since taking his medically-necessitated leave from the stage, Billy Joel has performed publicly for the first time, appearing briefly with a US tribute band.
In May of 2025, Joel announced that he would be cancelling all tour dates for the foreseeable future – including 2025 and 2026 stadium shows in the US and the UK, where he would have toured with Rod Stewart, Sting, and Stevie Nicks – due to being diagnosed with the rare brain disorder, normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).
According to the Cleveland Clinic, normal pressure hydrocephalus occurs when cerebrospinal fluid builds within the skull and presses on the brain. The condition can affect brain-related abilities like thought, concentration, memory, and movement.
The impetus for this diagnosis came about following a fall at his last headline performance to date, at Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena on February 22nd. During a rendition of It's Still Rock And Roll To Me, Joel took a tumble, but remained on hand to finish out the show.
He later explained during an episode of Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast that this fall was indicative of the condition, saying that he feels “fine” but admitting that his balance “sucks.”
“It’s not fixed, it’s still being worked on,” Joel stated. “I feel fine. My balance sucks. It’s like being on a boat… They don’t really know what causes it. I thought it must be from drinking.
“They keep referring to what I have as a ‘brain disorder,’ so it sounds a lot worse than what I’m feeling.”
On Friday, January 2nd, Joel took to the stage for the first time since February to make a brief live appearance. As Variety reports, Joel joined tribute band Turnstiles at a show near his home in Florida to both sing and play piano for the songs Big Shot and We Didn’t Start The Fire.
Joel reportedly asked the band if he would be able to perform with them, where he was joined by his wife, Alexis Roderick, and two daughters Della and Remy.
“I wasn’t planning on working tonight,” Joel joked with the crowd, before sharing jokes with Turnstiles’ vocalist about what songs the group were going to play.
This has got to be one hell of a way to kick off 2026,” said Turnstiles’ vocalist at the end of Joel’s guest slot. “I have to be dreaming this.”
“It had to happen sooner or later, right?” he added. “I want to see you on stage soon.”
Currently, it's been over three years since Joel last performed on Australian shores, having played a one-off show at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in December 2022. That show was itself his first return to Australia since 2013, though it remains to be seen if another visit will be on the cards once his health improves.
Countrytown brings you Australia’s best country music news, interviews, charts and more every week! This post was authored by Countrytown and originally published on the Countrytown website. It has been re-published with permission.
