Billy Joel, 76, announced that he had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) – which affects his vision, hearing and balance – on social media in May.
Alexa Ray Joel shared an update on her father Billy Joel’s health as the legendary singer battles a brain disorder.
Billy, 76, announced that he had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus which affects his vision, hearing and balance – on social media in May.
The “Riverside Way” singer, who is the daughter of Billy and his ex-wife, supermodel Christie Brinkley, 71, told Fox News Digital that her father has been “incredibly resilient” in the face of his health struggles.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get this characteristic from him because I like to express how I’m feeling always,” Alexa, 39, said. “He doesn’t whine, especially in his older age.”
She continued, “I don’t know, maybe he did more when he was younger, and he put that angst into his music for sure, but he just doesn’t complain.”
“He’s so cool about everything,” Alexa added. “He’s always playing everything down, ‘Oh, I’m fine. Don’t worry.’ He doesn’t want me to worry, and he’s just cool as a cat about everything. And I ask him, ‘I’m like, how are you feeling? Are you OK?’”
Alexa, who just released her new single, explained that Billy is fully committed to his health and described how he has made some major lifestyle changes.
“He’s doing his physical therapy three to five days a week, which is really, really important for him right now,” she said. “He’s adjusted his diet. We had dinner the other night. I said, ‘Dad, what are you doing? You’re not getting the steak? You’re getting chicken instead?’ Like, this is a whole new you here.”
“He’s suddenly eating eggplant and all sorts of vegetables. I said, ‘Dad, you used to hate eggplant. He’s like, ‘Oh, I’ve learned to love it’,” Alexa continued with a laugh.
“So I’m really proud of him and how he sort of adjusted his habits, and he’s really at probably his most healthy actually right now in terms of how well he’s taking care of himself and prioritizing his health,” she added. “Of course, as his eldest daughter, I’m always looking out for him and making sure he stays on the ball with that. So he’s doing great.”
When Billy first revealed his NPH diagnosis, the five-time Grammy Award winner said that the condition had been “exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance.”
The statement at the time continued, “Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health.”
Shortly after Billy announced his diagnosis, the “Piano Man” singer canceled all of his tour dates for 2025 and through July 2026.
NPH is a condition that happens when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain. This condition is most likely to occur in people over age 65. Treating this condition involves surgery to implant a shunt to drain excess fluid from the inside of the skull, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Common symptoms of NPH include difficulty walking, urinary incontinence and problems with concentration and memory.
However, Alexa told Fox News Digital that she had not noticed any change in Billy’s cognitive abilities.
“It’s funny because people were concerned about cognitive decline,” she said. “I don’t see any of that from him. I really, really don’t.”
“I was doing a segment for SiriusXM for his channel, the Billy Joel channel on Sirius a couple of weeks ago,” she said.
