EXCLUSIVE: Billy Joel Reveals Shocking Details of His Brain Surgery

Sidelined Piano Man Billy Joel has revealed he quit touring to undergo delicate brain surgery, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

The 77-year-old Only the Good Die Young singer revealed he went under the knife following his shocking May 2025 confession that he was suffering from normal pressure hydrocephalus, or NPH, which is a life-threatening buildup of fluid in the brain.

The keyboard king said he initially resisted the dangerous surgery when he was briefed by doctors on the details of the delicate procedure.

"I said, 'Well, what does that entail?' [They said,] 'Well, we drill a hole through your skull, and we stick a shunt inside your brain.' I said, 'Nah, I think I'll pass on that.' I didn't want to do that."

The Grammy winner said he relented after educating himself on the harrowing implications if he passed on the procedure.

"You know, I don't want to lose my marbles. It's hard to tell what's age and what's a condition, so I agreed to do the shunt, and I had surgery, and they implanted a shunt in my brain, and it actually improved things."

And while the You May Be Right singer returned for a performance when he joined the Billy Joel tribute band Turnstiles in January of this year, doctors have warned him that regular performing could have grave consequences. In fact, docs cautioned him that he was battering his brain every time he took the stage!

"The doctors told me this, because of my job, which is playing rock and roll music very loud, that it was giving me something like a concussion every time I did a show," the Uptown Girl singer said.

"It was causing damage to my brain nerves, and I could be losing more brain cells the more shows I did," he continued.

"I realized that means I shouldn't be doing this right now."

Longevity expert Dr. Gabe Mirkin says the singer is wise to follow his doctor's warnings.

"This is a disorder that requires a great deal of rest and rehab to overcome," said Dr. Mirkin, who has not treated the singer.

"Any kind of exertion could increase the pressure on the brain and thus could cause a potentially fatal stroke."

The We Didn't Start the Fire singer has not toured since announcing his diagnosis last year, saying he needed to prioritize his health.

"I'm doing whatever it is they tell me to do because I don't want to lose it, you know?" the hitmaker confessed on his SiriusXM channel.

He added: "I'm not going anywhere. I'm here. I'm still here."