Billy Joel Speaks Out After Brain Surgery: 'I'm Okay'

Billy Joel told fans this week that he is recovering well after brain surgery, speaking during a call-in on his SiriusXM channel. The 77-year-old musician underwent the procedure to relieve symptoms of normal pressure hydrocephalus, a disorder he was diagnosed with in 2025 and publicly disclosed in September.

"I know people are worried about me because they read that I have a brain disorder, which sounds a lot worse than it actually is," Joel told callers. "I'm okay. My balance isn't that good. Lost a little bit of my hearing, but that may have to do with my age, too, and the rock and roll life and the loud volume probably didn't help. But I'm fine. I want people to not have to worry about me. I'm okay. And I appreciate your call."

Normal pressure hydrocephalus causes cerebrospinal fluid to build up inside the skull and press on the brain. Joel first revealed the diagnosis in May 2025. At the time, he canceled several concerts and said doctors had told him not to perform until he recovered.

He returned briefly in January of this year, performing two songs with a tribute band. But on Sirius he said his doctors have generally asked him to avoid too much stress.

The call-in also touched on songwriting. One caller asked about the inspiration for Joel's 1973 song "Captain Jack," which is clearly about a drug dealer.

"I was living in Oyster Bay, Long Island, across from a public housing area," Joel recalled. "And I was watching kids from the suburbs scoring drugs from this place. And it seemed odd to me that kids from the suburbs were doing that. It was just kind of a foreign thing to me. I call it a look out the window song. I was just basically in my own apartment looking out the window seeing people coming and going from this drug dealer. It was across the street."

He described the composition's origins as well: "I had this idea for a bassline, it's a little bit symphonic of a theme and I always wanted to do something with that and the subject of the song seemed to fit with that particular theme and that's how it got written."

For now, Joel's public appearances remain limited on medical advice, making the SiriusXM call-in a rare, direct channel between the singer and his audience as he continues his recovery.