Billy Joel fans still bummed about the five-time Grammy winner canceling all of his upcoming shows, including a Friday night concert at Yankee Stadium with Rod Stewart, can rest assured the Piano Man is trying to get better following his recent diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus.
Susan Lacy, one of the two directors behind the HBO Max documentary “Billy Joel: And So It Goes,” told “Good Morning America” the 76-year-old singer is battling back from the buildup of fluid in his brain that forced him to stop performing.
“He’s doing physical therapy, he’s healing, he’s working on getting better,” Lacy said Wednesday.
Joel was also slated to perform at MetLife Stadium on Aug. 8, followed by a Citi Field show on Aug. 21. Stevie Nicks and Sting, respectively, planned to join him.
In announcing the cancellations in May, the “New York State of Mind” hitmaker said his medical condition was impacting his “hearing, vision and balance.” Doctors told Joel to cut out the live shows while he’s on the mend.
The first installment of Lacy’s documentary airs on HBO Max Friday, when Joel was booked to play in his birthplace — the Bronx — while the Yankees are in Atlanta. Part two airs July 25.
The film’s co-director, Jessica Levin, told GMA the documentary takes a deep dive into Joel’s upbringing and how music helped him survive.
“His mother knew that Billy had a gift, and she made sure he had those piano lessons,” Levin said.
Joel famously wrapped up his decade-long monthly residency at Madison Square Garden on July 25 of last year. He was joined onstage by singer AXL Rose and musical funnyman Jimmy Fallon.
Joel last performed at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut in February, where he fell to the ground after an electric rendition of his 1980 classic “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me.” It’s unclear if his medical condition contributed to that tumble.
Also unknown is if or when Joel will next take the stage. His string of nixed shows currently extends through July 3, 2026.
