Billy Joel kicked off the new year with a surprise performance for thousands of fans.
On Friday, the 76-year-old Grammy Award winner took the stage for the first time since announcing his brain condition diagnosis in May, appearing at an amphitheater in Wellington, Florida, where the Billy Joel cover band Turnstiles was celebrating the city’s 30th birthday, according to The Palm Beach Post.
Joel, who was greeted with an enthusiastic crowd chanting his name, walked onto the stage with a cane and took a seat behind the piano.
“I wasn’t planning on working tonight,” Joel told the crowd according to a video posted online, before performing “We Didn’t Start the Fire” with the band, followed by “Big Shot.”
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In May, the five-time Grammy winner announced that he was canceling all his shows due to a brain disorder diagnosis, normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).
“This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance,” the announcement on Joel’s website said.
“Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.”
“He is grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage.”
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Joel concluded, “I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding.”
Joel’s wife, Alexis Roderick Joel, shared a statement with Fox News Digital.
“Thank you for the outpouring of love and support. We are so grateful for the wonderful care and swift diagnosis we received. Bill is beloved by many, and to us, he is a father and husband who is at the center of our world. We are hopeful for his recovery. We look forward to seeing you all in the future,” she said.
NPH occurs 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. Treatment involves surgery to implant a shunt to drain excess fluid from the inside of the skull, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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Christie Brinkley sent love to her ex-husband, just days after the Grammy Award winner announced the devastating diagnosis.
Brinkley – who was married to Joel from 1985 to 1994 – took to social media to share her support and offer words of encouragement as Joel prepared to battle normal pressure hydrocephalus.
“Dear Billy, the whole Brinkley gang is sending you lots of love and good wishes for a full and speedy recovery,” she wrote in the Instagram caption alongside a video of her and daughter Sailor Brinkley Cook dancing at one of Joel’s concerts. “I was looking for some cute photos of you and Alexa [Brinkley and Joel’s daughter] to send you, when I came across this clip from a recent concert. It made me laugh… but it also reminded me of all the joy you create, and all the sensational sing-alongs you’ve [led]. You turn an arena of strangers into a living room full of friends as we all sway in unison.”
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In July, Joel reassured his fans that he was “okay” following the diagnosis.
“I know a lot of people are worried about me and my health, but I’m okay,” Joel told People magazine. “What I have is something very few people know about, including me, no matter how much you try to research it. I’m doing my best to work with it and to recover from it.”
While he said the diagnosis was “disturbing,” he reassured fans not to be concerned about his health.
“It was scary, but I’m okay,” he said. “I just wanted to let people know, don’t worry about me being deathly ill or anything.”
