Billy Joel is returning to performing—months after he offloaded his Long Island estate and nearly one year after revealing a brain disorder diagnosis.
The hitmaker, 77, revealed in a Nov. 9 social media post that he would be making his on-stage comeback.
“Florida Atlantic University will welcome singer, songwriter, and composer Billy Joel for Billy Joel: An Evening of Questions & Answers…And a Little Music,” he penned on Instagram, alongside a snap of himself singing.
The post revealed that he would be performing on Dec. 14, adding that tickets would be exclusively available to currently enrolled students at FAU.
This will mark Joel’s first official performance since he announced on May 23 that he would be calling off his tour in order to focus on treatment for normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)—which occurs when there’s a buildup of fluid in the brain, causing difficulty walking and balancing, confusion, and forgetfulness, per the Cleveland Clinic.
Billy Joel is returning to performing—months after he offloaded his Long Island estate and nearly one year after revealing a brain disorder diagnosis. (Getty Images)
According to a statement released by the singer’s spokesperson on Instagram, his condition has been “exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance,” forcing him to bow out of his planned tour dates.
“Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health,” the announcement continued.
The statement added that the “Piano Man” singer was thankful for his fans’ “support” and that he “looks forward” to performing when his health is in a better place.
“I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for your understanding,” Joel added in a quote.
At the end of the statement, fans were reassured that they won’t need to take any action to receive their refunds, adding that their payments will be automatically refunded to the original form of payment.
The concert dates that were affected by the news include shows in New York City; New Orleans; Toronto; Santa Clara, CA; Salt Lake City; Washington, D.C., and Liverpool.
Months after he announced his diagnosis, his daughter, Alexa, gave fans a long-awaited update on her dad’s performance schedule, telling the Hollywood Reporter that he is a “trooper.”
She noted that her father was looking forward to returning to Carnegie Hall on March 19, where his daughter will be belting out his hits at a tribute event.
Alexa explained, “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.’ He was like, ‘Let me mark that down.’ He’s very organized with his little calendar. 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.”
The hitmaker, 77, revealed that he would be making his on-stage comeback in a social media post on Nov. 9. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
This will mark Joel’s first official performance since he announced on May 23 that he would be calling off his tour in order to focus on treatment for normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)—which occurs when there’s a buildup of fluid in the brain, causing difficulty walking and balancing, confusion, and forgetfulness, per the Cleveland Clinic. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
The 40-year-old singer-songwriter also noted that her father’s health is much better.
“He’s doing physical therapy regularly, and he’s doing great,” she revealed. “He’s lost weight as he’s on his diet. I’m so proud of him. He’s such a trooper, so resilient and committed to being healthy and proactive. He’s a fighter. He’s always been a fighter and talks in his documentary about how life’s like a fight.”
She added, “He played it down. 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.”
“Once a performer, always a performer! But health comes first. I said, ‘If you’re going to perform again, please stay seated at the piano. No throwing the microphone stand around!'” she revealed.
Alexa’s update on her father’s health came mere weeks after he finally offloaded his Long Island estate.
Joel had been trying to sell a large portion of his Long Island estate since March 2025, when it was listed for $39.9 million, having initially put the entirety of the property, which is made up of three parcels, on the market for the even higher price of $49 million.
However, after months with no concrete offers, the asking price of the property’s main residence was slashed, first to $29.9 million, then to $25 million.
In 2025, he sold the seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom gatehouse for $7 million. On March 6, 2026, Billy sold the main property—dubbed “Middlesea”—for $23.2 million, as well as a pair of adjoining lots that brought the total to $35.75 million.
He purchased his Long Island sanctuary in 2002 for $22.5 million before picking up two adjoining plots.
The main residence, which comes with 14.6 acres, was formerly on the market for $25 million, while the two adjacent plots were listed for $3.5 million each.
When deciding to separate the areas, Emmett Laffey, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Laffey International Realty, said, “The new price reflects the splitting of the two buildable waterfront lots, so the gross price remains the same.”
Months after he announced his diagnosis, his daughter, Alexa, gave fans a long-awaited update on her dad’s performance schedule, telling the Hollywood Reporter that he is a “trooper.” (Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
Alexa’s update on her father’s health came mere weeks after he finally offloaded his Long Island estate. (Getty Images)
“When [Billy Joel] bought this 20 years ago, he bought the main house. And then as he lived there, he bought the adjacent two lots, which are buildable lots, and he purchased a gatehouse. Now we’re selling it like he bought it—in pieces. The smartest way to sell this incredible land and property is the way he purchased it,” Laffey previously told the Post.
Laffey noted that many super “fans” have already attempted to snap up the property and have put in several offers.
“You do have some extreme fans. It is very special. It’s a very famous home to everyone on the North Shore of Long Island,” he said.
The main house sprawls over 20,000 square feet and comes with five bedrooms, six full baths, two half-baths, a playroom, a spa and hair salon, a bowling alley, and a wine cellar.
There’s also an indoor pool, which Billy had covered up so he could use the space as a music room, because of its excellent acoustics.
The estate also features a three-bedroom beach house, a three-bedroom guest apartment, and a four-bedroom gatehouse, which has since been sold.
Other luxe amenities include a floating dock and boat ramp, two outdoor pools, and a helipad.
Billy previously insisted that he would still call Long Island home, but would be spending more time in Florida.
Although Billy and Alexa tend to focus on music, they have previously exchanged real estate, with him having sold his Manhattan property, a two-bedroom condo, for $4.5 million to Alexa.
Despite passing the dwelling to his own family member, the singer didn’t hold back with the price, earning an impressive $1.2 million profit on the $3.3 million he paid for the Elizabeth Street dwelling in 2010, when he purchased it from his then-wife, Katie Lee.
Property records now reveal that the two-bedroom, two-bathroom dwelling has been transferred to Alexa following a $4.5 million transaction, as first reported by Crain’s.
The home, which sits at 211 Elizabeth St., spans 1,600 square feet. Pre-staged photos revealed dark herringbone floors, black crown moldings, and a dark-toned chef’s kitchen, according to Curbed.
Transferring the property into his daughter’s name was a formality for the most part, as it has been reported that Alexa has been living in the dwelling since 2010.
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