Billy Joel’s eldest daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, has always loved watching her dad on stage — but seeing him fall mid-show in 2025 was triggering.
“He played it down,” Alexa Ray, 40, told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published on Thursday, March 12, noting her dad, 76, urged her not to watch the Mohegan Sun show from Montville, Connecticut, where he fell after doing a microphone spin.
Alexa Ray — who Billy shares with ex-wife Christie Brinkley — confessed she didn’t listen to her dad’s warning.
“He knows I have anxiety and am a neurotic worrier, so he was like, ‘Everything’s fine. It was just a little trip,’” she recalled. “When I saw the footage, I was crying.”
Alexa Ray noted that after the initial shock wore off, she became an active participant in Billy’s medical journey.
“I went with him to the doctors, and we’re on top of everything,” she shared. “I just tell him to stay healthy.”
The “Piano Man” singer announced in May 2025 that he was canceling tour dates after he was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).
NPH is a brain disorder where fluid builds up in the skull and, if left untreated, can permanently destroy brain tissue, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance,” Billy’s team said in an Instagram statement at the time. “Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during the recovery period.”
The statement continued, “Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health. He is grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can, once again, take the stage.”
Despite taking a step back from performing to focus on his health, Billy took the stage in January for an impromptu two-song concert at Wellington’s 30th birthday party in Florida.
“Once a performer, always a performer!” Alexa Ray told THR of her father’s desire to sing and play music for his fans. “But health comes first. I said, ‘If you’re going to perform again, please stay seated at the piano. No throwing the microphone stand around!’”
Alexa Ray — who will serenade Billy on Thursday as part of The Music of Billy Joel tribute event at New York’s Carnegie Hall — said the Grammy winner is definitely feeling better.
“He’s doing physical therapy regularly and he’s doing great. He’s lost weight as he’s on his diet,” she shared. “I’m so proud of him. He’s such a trooper, so resilient and committed to being healthy and proactive. He’s a fighter. He’s always been a fighter and talks in his documentary about how life’s like a fight.”
In addition to Alexa Ray, Billy is the father of daughters Della Rose, 10, and Remy, 8, whom he shares with wife Alexis Roderick. Alexa Ray has two more siblings on her mother’s side. Brinkley, 72, shares son Jack, 30, and daughter Sailor, 27, with ex-husbands Richard Taubman and Peter Cook, respectively.
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