He was an incredibly damaged human being, from his father leaving when he was 7 and then his mother being bi-polar and an alcoholic. Yet somehow, he rose to become one of America’s biggest entertainers — and today, everyone knows his name… Check comments ⬇️

He entered rehab twice for his substance issues: first in 2002, which didn’t help, and again in 2005 at Betty Ford.

”The second time was at Betty Ford, which was not a lot of fun. I was drinking too much,” he told Parade in 2018.

”I said, ‘This time I’m going to stick it through for a month.’ It was one of the best things I ever did.” By 2023, he had quit drinking completely. ”I stopped a couple of years ago,” he said. “It wasn’t a big AA kick. I just got to a point where I’d had enough.”

Romantic relationships brought their own challenges. Married four times, his early unions ended in heartbreak or financial loss. His first wife, who also acted as his manager in the ’70s, allegedly tried to take everything from him while he was hospitalized after a near-fatal motorcycle accident.

”When I finally understood what was in that deal, I said, ‘No f**king way—I’m in a hospital bed and you’re shedding crocodile tears and bringing me a contract that completely screws me?’” he recalled.

Inside his brain disorder

Later, while married to another wife, he discovered that her brother, whom he had appointed as manager, had stolen nearly $30 million of his earnings. He sued and recovered a fraction but said the betrayal was more emotional than financial. Subsequent marriages were less financially devastating but still complicated, including a divorce that cost him a Manhattan townhouse worth millions.

Even amid personal chaos, he found love again with his current wife, Alexis Roderick. In 2023, he bought a home in Florida and announced he would step back from performing, though he did not stop making music.

In May 2025, he revealed a serious health diagnosis: Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH), a condition that can damage the brain. His team posted on Instagram, “Billy Joel has announced that he will be cancelling all scheduled concerts following a recent diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH).”

Support came flooding in from family and fans. His daughter shared, “We love you and we got you, Pop!”

One of his ex-wives added, “We all want you back in that white hot spotlight. You’re OUR piano man.” Despite his health struggles, he isn’t retiring. An insider told People, “He is not retiring and hopes to be able to resume performing as his recovery progresses.”

Positive signs

Through every heartbreak, betrayal, and health scare, this music legend has remained resilient, proving that the mic stays hot for those who refuse to let life silence them — this is the story of Billy Joel.