William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is a singer, pianist, and songwriter from the United States. He has led a commercially successful solo career as a solo artist since the 1970s, having released 12 pop and rock studio albums from 1971 to 1993, as well as one studio album of classical compositions in 2001. He is commonly referred to as the “Piano Man” after his album and signature song of the same name.
With over 160 million records sold globally, he is one of the best-selling music artists of all time as well as the seventh-best-selling recording artist and the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States. Greatest Hits Vol. 1 & 2 from 1985 is one of the best-selling albums in the United States.
Due to illness, Billy Joel has postponed his final 2022 performance.
Billy Joel revealed yesterday that his gig at New York’s Madison Square Garden, which was set for tonight, has been canceled due to a viral virus.
The performance scheduled for tonight would have been Joel’s 86th in his residency at Madison Square Garden, but it will now take place in June 2023.
“I’m disappointed to share that I’m on vocal rest due to a viral infection,” he said in a message on Twitter. “I’m sorry to let you know so soon to show day, but I was hoping to be closer to a full recovery by now,” he continued. Unfortunately, this has not occurred. I want to meet you in the coming year.”
Joel will launch off 2023 with two gigs on Jan. 13 and Jan. 27 at Madison Square Garden and Hollywood, Fla., respectively, before embarking on a combined stadium tour with Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks in March.
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He Reveals That He Had Agonizing Back Surgery Earlier This Year.
It’s been a minute since Billy Joel performed live on stage. Twenty-one months after his last performance, the superstar returned to Madison Square Garden for his 74th engagement on November 5.
The 72-year-old performed for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down events worldwide. Fans were overjoyed to see their favorite musician back on stage, but they were incredibly relieved to see him looking well after undergoing back surgery earlier this year.
According to the New York Post, the “Piano Man” singer appeared to have more energy and endurance when performing. Fans surely noticed the musician’s weight loss, which Joel openly discussed in a recent interview on Howard Stern’s radio show.
“I underwent back surgery earlier this year, and the agony was so awful that I lost my appetite,” the singer explained to Stern. Joel also claimed various “aggravations” that affected his appetite.
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Joel stated that the weight loss was unplanned and was merely the result of him losing his appetite as a result of his back discomfort and rehabilitation. Despite this, he claims to be very comfortable and healthy in his body at his current weight.
Weight loss owing to a lack of appetite caused by pain is not unique to Joel; research has been conducted to establish a link between the two. However, it is crucial to highlight that rapid weight loss should be avoided and medical attention sought. According to the Mayo Clinic, many experts think that if you lose more than 5% of your body weight in six months to a year, a medical review is required, especially if you are an older adult.
While Joel has not disclosed the reason for his back surgery, the singer has previously spoken out about hip problems. Joel had a hip replacement in 2010 and earlier told the New York Times that the joint pain and damage were caused by his wild movements during musical concerts in his early career and being born with hip dysplasia (a hip displacement).
“Jumping from the piano and landing on a hard stage probably didn’t help over the years,” he added in the interview. “In the early 1970s, I used to do somersaults and flips off the piano. I’d climb onto cables and hang upside down to attract attention.”
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He went on to say that he couldn’t walk at one time and had to rely on a scooter chair to go around because of the pain. However, the “Vienna” singer isn’t as young as he used to be, and he confesses that his age may have played a role in his latest operation.
Joel discussed aging candidly in an interview with Rolling Stone in 2019 to commemorate his 70th birthday. “I recently saw images of myself in the Garden and thought, ‘That doesn’t look right,'” he remarked in the interview. “As I grew older, I lost my hair. I was never a matinée idol in the first place, and now I’m on stage doing the same thing I did when I was 16.”
Despite his recent weight loss, his devoted admirers know that he is not one to alter his looks in order to appear younger. “It would be ludicrous for me to try to appear like a movie star,” he stated. “I’ve always been a schlubby man, and I’m not about to change. I’m not sure about plastic surgery or wigs. It has absolutely nothing to do with music. It’s all about image and appearance. I am seventy years old. “I’ve never concealed my age, so why should I now?”
We’re glad to see Joel doing what he does best, looking healthy and entertaining his fans!