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Billy Joel says he can't drive, unsure about touring future after brain disorder diagnosis
Confirmed
In Short: Billy Joel, 77, announced that he will auction off his extensive motorcycle collection due to health issues stemming from a diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).
Joel revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he is no longer allowed to drive or perform concerts due to the condition, which affects his balance, memory, vision, and hearing.
The auction, organized by Gooding Christie, will feature a 1978 Triumph T140 Bonneville gifted to Joel by Madison Square Garden to commemorate 150 sold-out shows, expected to fetch between $10,000 and $15,000.
Joel’s health issues have also led to the cancellation of his 2025-2026 tour, with doctors advising him to undergo a series of tests before he can resume performing.
Joel has been collecting and restoring vintage bikes for decades, and his shop, 20th Century Cycles on Long Island, shuttered in 2025.
In a recent interview, Joel shared that he underwent brain surgery to treat his NPH, and while he has seen some improvement, he is still not sure when he will be able to tour again.
An upcoming tribute concert, 'The Music of Billy Joel,' is scheduled for March 12 at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, with proceeds benefiting music-education programs for underserved youth.
Joel remains optimistic about his recovery, noting that he is taking steps to improve his condition and hopes to return to performing in the future.
What this adds
Joel's condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance.
What's confirmed
- "I’m not allowed to drive. And I can’t do performances because what the neurologist told me, every time you do a show, it’s like you’re getting a concussion."
- But I’m OK." "They call it a brain disorder, but it’s not that serious.
- And the reasoning behind that is simple, he said: "The volume. Rock 'n' roll is loud, man. Rock 'n' roll made me deaf already. So it's the lighting, the sound, the stress of the show, the audience, the energy of the performance. There's a lot going on when you're onstage. And they said, 'Well, you really shouldn't be doing that right now.' So they have to test me further to see if I can go back and do performing again, which I would like to be able to do."
What's still developing
- Gooding Christie's founder David Gooding told Fox News Digital that Billy Joel is a "genuine enthusiast" who loves all kinds of motorcycles.
- Gooding Christie’s announced the world-famous Billy Joel Motorcycle Collection as a leading consignment for its upcoming inaugural sale at the Javits Center in New York City. (Billy Joel Archives) "And also I have a condition called hydrocephalus, which makes driving a little bit iffy. So I realized it’s time for me to turn it over to somebody else."
- "I didn't want to do that, but then I read up on it and I realized it can help improve your balance and can help your memory," he noted.
- At the time, a statement on his website explained that the brain disorder had “been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance” and that he was undergoing physical therapy under his doctor’s instructions.
- Last year, Billy Joel stepped away from the stage after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, canceling his previously scheduled 2025-2026 tour.
- This comes just a few weeks after Joel noted publicly that he'd undergone brain surgery to treat a disorder called normal pressure hydrocephalus, a diagnosis he first revealed in 2025.
- At the moment, Joel's doctors have advised him not to.
- "We're going to get it fixed one day. I told the doctor, I go, 'Newly divorced, so the minute the boots are hung up, I'm going to come back to you and we're going to make these girls look real good, because these girls are going to get some action in the future and that can't look like that.'" In October 2026, the former The Bachelorette star detailed how she cracked a vertebra in her spine after setting her vibration plate—a motorized platform that rapidly moves back and forth to promote muscle activation and circulation—to "level 30, supersonic speed."
- The Jessie alum opened up about her "hellish" migraines, sharing how they've worsened after suffering five concussions over the course of her life.
- "The visual data that I'm taking in can be so distracting and so loud. Then, with the migraines—which are significantly worsened by that—it sort of is too much."
- "So, I agreed to do the shunt and I had a surgery." He quickly saw an improvement, saying, “My memory got better, my balance got a little better, my ability to function was better." And slowly but surely, he’s getting in a better state of mind.
- "And it broke. Broke right off, like your ex-boyfriend’s bumper. Well, technically, it cracked."