Billy Joel may have stepped away from the stage, but according to his daughter, he hasn’t stopped battling behind the scenes.
The Piano Man singer is still working to recover after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a brain disorder that can affect balance, vision, and hearing — and it’s the reason he was forced to cancel major tour plans.
Now, Joel’s eldest daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, is sharing a fresh update that’s giving fans a jolt of hope.
“He’s doing physical therapy regularly — and he’s doing great,” Alexa Ray told The Hollywood Reporter, adding that her dad has also “lost weight” while sticking to a diet.
And she didn’t stop there.
“I’m so proud of him. He’s such a trooper, so resilient and committed to being healthy and proactive,” she said. “He’s a fighter.”
Alexa Ray also pointed to Joel’s mindset — and how his life story has always been rooted in survival mode.
“He’s always been a fighter and talks in his documentary about how life’s like a fight,” she said, referencing his HBO documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which debuted in 2025.
Alexa Ray’s new comments came as she prepared to honor her dad at a star-studded Carnegie Hall tribute, “The Music of Billy Joel,” on Thursday, March 12.
She described the moment as emotional — and symbolic.
“He was so excited when he first played Carnegie Hall in the ’70s,” she said, “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.”
But the night also came with a reminder that Joel’s health fight is still very real.
In the days leading up to the event, he was reportedly seen at a Four Seasons hotel in New York City using a walking cane.
Joel’s NPH diagnosis was revealed last year, and it quickly altered everything.
The Grammy-winning legend canceled the remainder of his 2025 tour dates — along with some shows planned for 2026 — as he focused on treatment and recovery.
Normal pressure hydrocephalus can come with a frightening set of symptoms, including issues with balance and coordination, along with changes in vision and hearing. In Joel’s case, the condition was described as impacting those areas.
Still, Alexa Ray previously insisted fans shouldn’t assume the worst — especially when it comes to his mind.
Back in August 2025, she said she wasn’t seeing signs of cognitive decline.
“It’s funny because people were concerned about cognitive decline,” she said at the time. “I don’t see any of that from him. I really, really don’t.”
She also painted her dad as stubbornly tough — the type who doesn’t complain even when things get hard.
“He doesn’t whine, especially in his older age,” she said, calling him “incredibly resilient.”
Even with the upbeat new update, experts have cautioned Joel against trying to return to performing too soon.
Florida longevity expert Dr. Gabe Mirkin, who has not treated Joel, previously warned that the condition requires serious rest and rehab — and said pushing too hard could be dangerous.
“This is a disorder that requires a great deal of rest and rehab to overcome,” Mirkin said, warning that exertion could potentially increase pressure on the brain and lead to severe complications.
His message was blunt: don’t rush it.
“You can’t rush this illness,” he said, adding that Joel should only return once doctors clear him — otherwise, he could end up “in even worse straits than when [he] was first diagnosed.”
For now, fans are clinging to Alexa Ray’s latest words: physical therapy, real progress, and a music legend who’s still fighting to get back to himself.
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