Howard Stern gives update on Billy Joel's health amid brain condition
NEW YORK — SiriusXM host Howard Stern said he and Billy Joel had dinner after the Piano Man canceled his upcoming tour due to a brain condition, and can assure Joel's fans the rocker isn't on his deathbed.
'He's doing fine,' Stern said on his Tuesday morning program.
Joel announced on May 23 that he was taking a break from performing following a recent diagnosis of hydrocephalus, which the National Institutes of Health describes as 'an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid deep within the brain.' Symptoms can include vomiting, vision problems, difficulty walking and memory loss or other cognitive impairment.
Stern said Joel told him a few weeks ago, 'You can tell people, you know, I'm not dying.'
According to Stern, Joel wants people to know that while he's not fit to play concerts at the moment, that doesn't mean he's not long for this world.
Stern conceded that Joel does face medical challenges, but described him as 'delightful' when the two Long Islanders got together with their wives. The 71-year-old radio personality didn't say where their dinner took place, but claimed he serenaded Joel with a guitar he'd brought to celebrate the Grammy winner's recent 76th birthday.
'He didn't seem real impressed,' Stern confessed.
One of the upcoming shows Joel had to cancel was a July 8 gig at Yankee Stadium with Rod Stewart, who himself nixed a Las Vegas performance hours before it was set to begin on Sunday due to illness.
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