Billy Joeleldest daughter, Alexa Ray Joelhe’s always loved watching his dad on stage – but seeing him collapse in the middle of a show in 2025 was heart-wrenching.
“He played it down,” Alexa Ray, 40, said The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published on Thursday, March 12, noting that his father, 76, urged him not to watch the Mohegan Sun program from Montville, Connecticut, where he collapsed after going around the microphone.
Alexa Ray – Billy’s ex-wife Christie Brinkley — he admitted that he didn’t listen to his father’s warning.
“He knows I have anxiety and worry, so he was like, ‘Everything is fine.’ When I saw the picture, I cried.”
Alexa Ray noted that after the initial shock wore off, she became an active participant in Billy’s medical journey.
“I took him to the doctors, and we are on top of everything,” he said. “I’m just telling him to stay healthy.”
The “Piano Man” singer announced in May 2025 that he was canceling tour dates after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).
NPH is a brain disorder in which fluid builds up in the skull and, if left untreated, can permanently destroy brain tissue, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Christie Brinkley is sending well wishes and prayers to her ex-husband Billy Joel as he navigates a battle with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). “Dear Billy, the entire Brinkley gang is sending you lots of love and best wishes for a full and speedy recovery,” Brinkley, 71, wrote on Instagram on Saturday, May 24. […]
“This condition has been made worse by recent concerts, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance,” Billy’s team said in a statement on Instagram at the time. “Under his doctor’s orders, Billy is undergoing some physical therapy and has been advised to take a break from work during his recovery.”
The statement continued, “Billy is grateful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to putting his health first. He is grateful for the support of the fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can take the stage again.”
Billy Joel, Alexa Ray Joel.
Courtesy of Alexa Ray Joel/InstagramDespite taking a break from acting to focus on his personal life, Billy took to the stage in January for a surprise two-song concert at Wellington’s 30th anniversary party in Florida.
“If you’re a player, you’re always a player!” Alexa Ray said THR about his father’s desire to sing and play music for his fans. But life comes first, I said, ‘If you’re going to sing again, please sit down at the piano.
Billy Joel’s wife, Alexis Roderick Joel, is speaking out about her husband’s recent mental illness diagnosis. “Thank you for the outpouring of love and support,” Alexis, 43, wrote on her husband’s official Instagram account on Monday, May 26. “We are so grateful for the amazing care and quick diagnosis we received. Bill is so loved […]
Alexa Ray – who will perform with Billy on Thursday as part of The Music of Billy Joel tribute at Carnegie Hall in New York – said the Grammy winner is definitely feeling better.
“He does physiotherapy regularly and is doing well. He has lost weight as he eats his food,” he said. “I’m proud of him. He’s a tough, strong soldier and he’s determined to be healthy and active. He’s a fighter. He’s always been a fighter and he talks in his documentary about how life is like fighting.”
Besides Alexa Ray, Billy is the father of daughters Della Rose, 10, and Remy, 8, who he lives with his wife. Alexis Roderick. Alexa Ray has two other siblings on her mother’s side. Brinkley, 72, shares son Jack, 30, and daughter Sailor, 27, with former Richard Taubman again Peter Cookrespectively.
