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In an unexpected treat for fans, Billy Joel joined a tribute band on stage in Florida, delivering two memorable songs on Friday evening.
PALM BEACH, Fla. — This marked Joel’s first performance since he publicly shared his diagnosis of a rare neurological condition.
The legendary musician, now 76, revealed in May that he is dealing with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, a disorder commonly affecting individuals over 65.
Joel appeared with the tribute group Turnstiles, delighting the audience with renditions of his classics “Big Shot” and “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” As he played the piano and sang, his wife, Alexis Roderick, and their daughters Della and Remy joyfully danced along.
According to the Palm Beach Post, Joel was seen wearing a winter jacket and black cap while using a cane for support.
“I wasn’t planning on working tonight,” he humorously remarked to the enthusiastic crowd.
The Grammy-winning singer performed for about 12 minutes alongside the Turnstiles, who named their band after Joel’s 1976 album.
The surprise performance came a few months after Joel canceled his upcoming concerts due to his health.
“I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding,” Joel said in a statement at the time.
According to Joel’s post in May, his condition has been worsened by recent concert performances, which led to issues with hearing, vision and balance. Under doctors’ orders, he’s undergoing physical therapy and has been told to stop performing during this recovery period.
In July he told comedian Bill Maher his condition was “still being worked on.”
“I feel fine,” Joel said in the interview. “My balance sucks. It’s like being on a boat.”
He added how he believed the balance issues stemmed from drinking, noting that he used to “drink like a fish.”
“I feel good. They keep referring to what I have as a brain disorder, so it sounds a lot worse than what I’m feeling,” Joel said.
What is Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH)?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a condition that happens when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside your skull and presses on your brain. The condition is most likely in people over the age of 65.
The Cleveland Clinic noted the symptoms look very similar to dementia, but NPH is often treatable and sometimes even reversible.
While more than 700,000 Americans have NPH, less than 20% are properly diagnosed, according to Yale Medicine.
