Billy Joel Postpones Tour Dates Following Surgery: ‘My Health Must Come First’

Billy Joel has postponed his current tour for four months due to an undisclosed medical condition, it was announced on Tuesday (March 11). The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee underwent surgery recently, and will use the time to recover and undergo physical therapy.

Joel, 75, is expected to make a full recovery, with the tour resuming at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on July 5. “While I regret postponing any shows, my health must come first,” Joel said in a statement posted to Instagram. “I look forward to getting back on stage and sharing the joy of live music with our amazing fans. Thank you for your understanding.”

The stadium tour, which includes Joel often pairing with fellow legends Stevie Nicks, Sting or Rod Stewart, was slated to start March 15 in Toronto.

It is unknown if the surgery was related to the spill Joel took on stage Feb. 22 during a show at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn., while tossing his microphone during “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me.” Joel quickly recovered from the fall, seemingly uninjured, and finished the show.

The delay will not affect Joel’s three New York City-area summer shows, which will lead the Piano Man to setting a record. Joel will play Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on July 18; Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., home to the New York Giants and New York Jets, on Aug. 8; and Citi Field, home to the New York Mets, in Queens, N.Y., on Aug. 21, making him the first artist to play all three NYC-area stadiums in one summer. Stewart will join him July 18, Nicks on Aug. 8 and Sting on Aug. 21.

“I’m looking forward to playing these iconic stadiums this summer – each holds personal significance to me,” Joel told Billboard in early February. “There’s nothing like the energy of the crowds in New York, and sharing a stage with my friends Rod Stewart, Sting and Stevie Nicks, whose music always inspires me, is extremely rewarding.”

See below for the rescheduled dates: