Billy Joel Cancels Dates Over Brain Condition

Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden on May 25, 2017 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden on May 25, 2017 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
TT
20

Billy Joel Cancels Dates Over Brain Condition

Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden on May 25, 2017 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden on May 25, 2017 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

Pop great Billy Joel is cancelling a series of global tour dates after being diagnosed with a brain condition that worsened because of recent performances, his staff said Friday.
"Billy Joel has announced that he will be cancelling all scheduled concerts following a recent diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH)," the Piano Man's team wrote on his website.

The Alzheimer's Association says that NPH is "is a brain disorder in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain's ventricles."

The dates include several in Britain, as well as a packed schedule crisscrossing the United States from July 2025 up until July 2026 when he was due to round off his ambitious string of dates in Charlotte, North Carolina, AFP reported.

Joel's team added that "this condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance."

The "We Didn't Start the Fire" legend wrote "I'm sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding."



BTS Member Suga Discharged from South Korean Military Service

 K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)
K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)
TT
20

BTS Member Suga Discharged from South Korean Military Service

 K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)
K-pop boy band BTS member Suga attends Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, July 26, 2023. (Reuters)

K-pop group BTS member Suga was discharged from the South Korean military on Saturday, the seventh and final member to complete the country's mandatory national service amid expectations of the band's comeback from a hiatus.

Suga finished his military tenure as a social service agent on Saturday with little fanfare as fans looked forward to his reunion with the rest of the band, a K-pop sensation since it started up in 2013.

"We confirm that Suga effectively completed his alternative service on June 18 by using his remaining leave. His official discharge date is June 21," BTS' label, Big Hit Music, said in a statement.

Unlike with his BTS bandmates, there was no public event planned to mark Suga's release because of overcrowding concerns.

The seven members of the group put their global music careers on hold in 2022 to begin their military service, starting with Jin in December that year. South Korea's mandatory national service can be for terms of up to 18 months.

Shortly after his official discharge, Suga posted a message on fan community platform Weverse, saying he was "sorry for the disappointment and concern caused by what happened last year", and also apologizing to his bandmates.

Last year, Suga was fined 15 million won ($11,500) by a court for drunk driving while on an electric scooter.

The group is expected to hold its largest-ever world tour in 2026, an NH Securities entertainment analyst said in a report.

Entertainment group HYBE, which manages BTS, is closely monitored by securities companies.

Details of a reunion have not been released.