Billy Joel has surprisingly announced he will put on a show despite doctors telling him he can no longer perform or even drive.
The legendary musician, 77, shared on Instagram on Monday that he will be performing at Florida Atlantic University on Dec. 14 for an event titled “Billy Joel for Billy Joel: An Evening of Questions and Answers…and Some Music.”
Tickets for this intimate event, which will include a question-and-answer segment and live music, will only be available to students currently enrolled at Florida Atlantic University.
The performance will mark his first appearance since he revealed in September that he had undergone brain surgery after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) in 2025. NPH is a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain and disrupts brain function, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Joel told The Hollywood Reporter last month that although he wanted to continue performing, doctors had advised him against it.
“I have to go through a series of tests before I know,” he told the outlet.
He explained that his doctors were concerned about the combination of extreme volume, lighting, stress and energy while he was on stage.
“What the neurologist told me, every time you do a show, it’s like you have a concussion,” he shared.
He also said he was “not allowed” to drive, and heartbreakingly shared that that was part of the reason he was auctioning off his prized motorcycle collection, which includes more than 70 motorcycles.
“I have a condition called hydrocephalus, which makes driving a little difficult,” he said. “So I realized it was time for me to hand the floor over to someone else.”
However, the “Piano Man” has a fighting spirit when it comes to his health.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m here. I’m still here,” he emphasized on SiriusXM’s The Billy Joel Channel in September.
He also admitted that although he was reluctant to have surgery, he decided to do it after reading that it could help improve his balance and memory.
“You know, I don’t want to lose my mind,” he noted. “It’s hard to tell what age is and what condition is, so I agreed to do the shunt, and I had surgery, and they implanted a shunt in my brain, and that actually made things better.”
But he once again explained why doctors told him to stop playing.
“It was causing damage to my brain nerves, and the more shows I did, the more brain cells I lost,” he said. “I realized that meant I shouldn’t be doing this now. I need to get better.”
In May 2025, the Grammy-winning musician canceled all of his tours after being diagnosed with NPH.
“This condition has been exacerbated by recent concerts, leading to hearing, vision and balance problems,” he announced in an Instagram post at the time.
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