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After Billy Joel was forced to cancel his upcoming shows due to a brain condition, a new HBO Max documentary about the music legend, “And So It Goes,” is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
And despite his shock health diagnosis, the Piano Man could make a comeback and return to the stage.
Billy canceled shows under doctor’s orders after learning he’s suffering from normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).
“Extra” spoke with renowned brain expert Dr. Daniel Amen, who explained what NPH is and shared three main symptoms of the illness.
Dr. Amen said, “Normal pressure hydrocephalus or NPH is a brain disorder that happens when there is too much fluid, cerebral spinal fluid building up.”
He said causes can include head injury, surgery, but most of the time it is unknown.
Speaking of the symptoms, he continued, “Trouble walking, cognitive issues, especially memory problems — so it’s often confused with Alzheimer’s disease — and urinary incontinence.”
Dr. Amen went on, “The good news is it’s treatable, and often they’ll put a shunt in those ventricles to drain off the fluid and people can be remarkably better.”
Which could mean Billy will be back onstage in the future! Dr. Amen explained, “The prognosis, especially if we get it early, is very good.”

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As Joel battles health issues, his new two-part doc “Billy Joel: And So It Goes” is set to debut June 4 at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Based on one of his most personal songs ever, the film features rare home movies and behind-the-scenes moments that have been locked away in a vault — until now.
“Extra” spoke with Variety’s Jem Aswad, who praised Billy, saying, “Anyone who has performed at the level Billy Joel has for his entire career is not a normal person. They’ve got something that most of us don’t have.”
He’s hoping Joel bounces back soon, saying he could still have many years on the road ahead of him. “Not for nothing,” Jem said, “Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson are both on tour right now, I believe and they are almost 10 years older than Billy Joel.”