Alexa Ray Joel Honors Billy Joel’s Health Battle with Touching Lyrics
Yet another celebrity saga: Alexa Ray Joel grabbed her phone to recite daddy’s own lullaby lyrics after Billy Joel announced a normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) diagnosis and canceled his summer tour. The “Piano Man” singer, now 76, revealed on May 23 that excess cerebrospinal fluid in his brain ventricles has been causing hearing, vision and balance issues, forcing him to pause concerts from New York City to Liverpool. Cue the Instagram lovefest: on May 24, his 39-year-old daughter—yes, the one from his high-profile marriage to Christie Brinkley—posted a black-and-white artwork of a dad holding his little girl’s hand, captioning it with a big “SOUND UP ????️ We love you and we got you, Pop!”
Alexa, channeling peak stage-mom energy, thanked fans for the “beautiful outpouring of love and support amid the recent news of My Father’s health diagnosis.” She praised him as “the strongest and most resilient man I’ve ever known” and reassured everyone that he’s “entirely committed to making a full recovery with ongoing physical-therapy treatments.” Then came the sentimental knockout: she closed her note with lines from “Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel),” the 1993 River of Dreams track he wrote for her—“Someday We’ll All Be Gone / But Lullabies Go On And On / They Never Die”—proof that when in doubt, vintage verses will always stir up the feels.
Meanwhile, Billy’s camp confirmed via People Magazine and his own Instagram that his NPH woes were exacerbated by recent show gigs, making him “thankful for the excellent care he is receiving” but “advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.” He’s reportedly grinding through targeted physical therapy under strict doc orders and promises to “take the stage again” once he’s back in fighting shape. Fans won’t need to lift a finger for refunds on the automatically canceled dates, which spanned major cities like New Orleans, Toronto, Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C.
This cancellation follows a February slip-and-slide at Mohegan Sun and a March postponement due to a vague “medical condition,” so one wonders if his well-oiled grand piano act has truly met its match in cerebrospinal fluid. Hey, it happens. With five Grammys, 150 million records sold and residencies at Madison Square Garden, Billy’s résumé is bulletproof—even if his brain plumbing isn’t.
And that wraps up today’s dose of backstage heartbreak and lyrical reenactments. Try not to weep into your coffee too hard; after all, emotional Instagram tributes keep the spotlight glowing. You’re welcome.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Dotdash Meredith
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
