Billy Joel's new documentary on HBO gave fans a peek into the musician's personal life.
From his feud with Elton John to his four marriages, the second instalment of Billy Joel: And So It Goes revealed a lot about the Uptown Girl hitmaker.
However, if fans were hoping for an update on Billy's condition following the diagnosis of his rare brain condition, then they'll be left sorely disappointed. Despite revealing his diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus back in May, Billy did not address the current state of his health in the documentary.
© Getty ImagesBilly's health battle
Billy recently shocked fans when he was forced to cancel all his upcoming shows earlier this year due to being diagnosed with a rare brain condition.
The musician, 76, revealed in May he had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a brain condition that can affect hearing, vision and balance, and took a step back from the demands of his touring schedule as a result.
© Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock"I know a lot of people are worried about me and my health, but I'm okay," he told People at the time. "What I have is something very few people know about, including me, no matter how much you try to research it." While the condition is treatable, it is a rare diagnosis all the same.
"I'm doing my best to work with it and to recover from it." The singer also noted that balance, in particular, has been his biggest issue, and was the main symptom that sparked concern. "It was like being on a boat all the time."
Billy and Elton's feud
Despite not talking about his health, Billy did address the long-standing feud between him and Elton John.
Speaking in the second part of his HBO documentary, Billy reflected on his decade-long grievance with the Rocket Man singer.
© Getty ImagesThe two music giants reportedly began feuding in the early 2010s after Elton made 'hurtful' comments about Billy.
"Elton had made a comment that he thought I needed real rehab," Billy, 76, said in the film. "He chalked it up to, 'Oh, he's a drunk.' And that really hurt me."
"And there was bad blood for a little while," he admitted. "There was a dovetailing of things that happened during that time."
© Newsday RM via Getty ImagesFrom 1994 to 2010, Elton and Billy co-headlined their massively successful Face to Face tours, which proved to be one of the most lucrative and legendary musical ventures in the music industry.
Despite the enormous popularity of the act, their partnership came to a swift end in 2010 with Billy citing that the touring schedule impinged on his artistic autonomy.
However, Elton claimed that Billy's substance abuse issues were at the heart of the split. In a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone, the Yellow Brick Road singer-songwriter, 78, criticised Billy's past attempts to quit drinking, describing his rehab stays as "light."
© WireImage"When I went to rehab, I had to clean the floors," Elton said at the time. "He goes to rehab, where they have TVs. I love you, Billy, and this is tough love. Billy, you have your demons, and you're not going to get rid of them at rehab light. You've got to be serious. People adore you, they love you and respect you. You should be able to do something better than what you're doing now."
Reflecting on Elton's comments, Billy said to the Daily Mail in 2016: "That's not the reason we're not touring any more. I got tired of doing the same show over and over again, and I think his agent told him we were going to do more dates that I never agreed to. I kept seeing in the press, 'Billy cancelled the tour'. I didn't cancel it; it was never booked. I asked him, 'Why didn't you call me? Don't talk to my agent, talk to me.'"
Elaborating on his health issues, Billy said, "I had to have my hips replaced, and that was the reason I was out of commission. The last few gigs I did with Elton I could barely walk. I had canes – canes on stage is not good. I have had drinking issues in the past. So did he. I think at heart, he meant well."
