Last May, beloved singer-songwriter Billy Joel canceled a planned stadium tour after revealing he was battling a rare brain disorder. The “Piano Man” crooner, 76, had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, brought on by an excess of cerebrospinal fluid collecting in the brain, affecting balance, vision, and hearing.
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As the five-time Grammy Award winner continues his recovery efforts, his daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, recently provided an optimistic update on her father’s health battle.
Billy Joel Is Committed to His Recovery
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Alexa Ray, 40, said her father is “doing great”, participating in regular physical therapy sessions and sticking to a diet for weight loss.
“I’m so proud of him,” she said, adding, “He’s such a trooper, so resilient and committed to being healthy and proactive.
“He’s a fighter,” she continued. “He’s always been a fighter and talks in his documentary about how life’s like a fight.”
The “Uptown Girl” crooner raised concerns last February when he stumbled and fell onstage following an attempted microphone spin at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Joel told his daughter not to watch the clip, but she didn’t listen.
“He played it down,” she said. “He knows I have anxiety and am a neurotic worrier, so he was like, ‘Everything’s fine. It was just a little trip.’ When I saw the footage, I was crying. But then I went with him to the doctors, and we’re on top of everything. I just tell him to stay healthy.”
That isn’t her only command. In January, Billy Joel stunned the audience at a tribute show in Florida with surprise performances of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and “Big Shot”. Noticeably, he spent the entire cameo behind a piano.
“I said, ‘If you’re going to perform again, please stay seated at the piano,” Alexa said. “No throwing the microphone stand around!’”
Alexa Ray Joel Serenades Her Father at Tribute Fundraiser
In June 1977, Billy Joel performed at New York City’s Carnegie Hall for the first time. Producer Phil Ramone, who was in the audience, was so impressed with Joel that he offered to produce his next album, The Stranger.
Last night (Thursday, March 12), the “Vienna” singer returned to Carnegie Hall, this time for a sold-out tribute concert in his honor, presented by Michael Dorf. He was there at the insistence of his oldest daughter, who performed his song “This Night.”
“I said, ‘Dad, you better be there! This is Carnegie Hall. Everyone’s paying tribute to you, and it’s an amazing group of artists,’” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “He was like, ‘Let me mark that down.’”
She added, “He was so excited when he first played Carnegie Hall in the ‘70s, so it’s exciting for him to come back decades later and see amazing artists and his daughter pay tribute to him. It’s a full-circle moment.”
Featured image by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
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