'I'm not going anywhere': Billy Joel reveals he had brain surgery, but is doing well

American rock and roll star Billy Joel is doing better after going through brain surgery, the singer shared on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

On SiriusXM's Billy Joel channel, the star talked about feeling off before he was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus: "I noticed that my balance was not good. I had this sense of being on a boat, like this rocking motion. I wasn't steady on my feet. I didn't know why that was."

Joel was diagnosed in 2025, after which he cancelled a string of concerts. His neurologist explained that since his illness could be progressive, they were recommending planting a shunt in Joel's brain. It entailed drilling a hole through the skull and placing the shunt in the brain. 

"I didn't want to do that. But then I read up on it and I realized it can help improve your balance. It can help your memory. I don't want to lose my marbles," Joel said. 

He then agreed to do the surgery. 

"It actually improved things. My memory got better. My balance got a little better. My ability to function was better," he said. 

Although according to Joel there is no known cause for normal pressure hydrocephalus, he said his doctors theorized it may have had something to do with his line of work. 

"Because of my job, which is playing rock and roll music very loud...it was giving me something like a concussion every time I did a show. It was causing damage to my brain nerves," Joel said. "I could be losing more brain cells the more I play, the more shows I did."

On his doctors' orders, Joel, 77, has been doing physical therapy since his surgery. 

"I'm doing whatever it is they tell me to do because I don't want to lose it," he said. 

The Piano Man singer assured his fans that he is doing well: "I'm okay. Don't worry about me. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here. I'm stll here."

Joel's multi-decade career produced timeless classics such as Uptown Girl, We Didn't Start the Fire, and Just the Way You Are. His talent has earned him 23 Grammy Awards nominations, winning five, including Album of the Year for 52nd Street. Joel was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, and the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2006, while also earning the 2001 Johnny Mercer Award and the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors.