Billy Joel takes surprise stage in South Florida -- first time since diagnosis
Published in Entertainment News
MIAMI — Still got it.
About seven months after Billy Joel canceled all of his upcoming concerts due to a devastating health diagnosis, he made a triumphant return in South Florida Friday night.
Joel shocked the crowd by showing up unannounced during a concert for the Village of Wellington’s 30th anniversary celebration of its incorporation. Wellington, in western Palm Beach County, is best known for its suburban flavor and polo fields.
The headliners at the city amphitheater? A Boynton Beach Billy Joel cover band called The Turnstiles.
In videos widely shared to social media, Joel is seen looking thin, walking on stage with the help of a cane, a sign of his condition, a neurological disorder called Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.
“This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance,” said a statement on the singer’s Instagram in May. “Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.”
It’s unclear what type of physical therapy Joel, who owns a $29 million mansion in Boca Raton, is receiving. According to the Cleveland Clinic, treatment for this often reversible condition involves placing a shunt in the skull to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid.
But one thing is clear: The music icon’s memory for his incredible catalogue of songs spanning almost five decades hasn’t faded.
Flanked by his third wife Alexis Roderick and their two daughters Della, 10, and Remy, 8, the music legend is seen being greeted by Turnstiles band leader Tony Monaco and shown a sheet of paper. Joel peers down to examine it as the audience howls in excitement, chanting “Billy, Billy, Billy! One song!”
Incredibly, Joel takes a seat and begins to tenderly tickle the ivories. Monaco yells out, “I’m never gonna wash this piano again!”
“What are we doing?” the 76-year-old Grammy winner asks the tribute band.
Monaco whispers something to which Joel enthusiastically responds, “I could try!”
Suddenly, you hear the unmistakable guitar chords of the 1989 classic “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Joel then launches into one of his most difficult, fast-paced hits that references several world events in chronological order.
“Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray, South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio,” he belts out, barely missing a beat. “Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, television, North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe!”
As his young daughters clap and dance, Joel continues almost flawlessly with the mile-a-minute lyrics, with a small assist from Monaco.
The crowd still wanted more and Joel complied, performing 1979’s “Big Shot,” about a jet-setting NYC party girl (which Joel later said was inspired by Mick Jagger’s ex wife Bianca Jagger).
“Well, you went uptown, riding in your limousine, with your fine Park Avenue clothes,” be begins. “You had the Dom Pérignon in your hand and the spoon up your nose....”
The Turnstiles later posted on Facebook about the “epic time” they had, saying it was a dream come true to finally collaborate with their idol.
“Friday night in Wellington will forever live in our hearts,” said the caption with a picture of a beaming Joel at the mic. “The music, the energy, the magic of that moment — is something we’ll carry with us for the rest of our lives.”
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