For decades, Billy Joel has been one of America’s most beloved songwriters, selling over 150 million records worldwide. Known as the Piano Man, he’s one of America’s most enduring musicians, and headlines about Billy Joel’s health never fail to cause concern among fans. The 75-year-old icon has always been honest with the public about his various medical issues, including being diagnosed with the brain disorder normal pressure hydrocephalus. However, the star has also been open about a less visible form of illness he’s been battling for decades: depression.
Billy Joel’s Health, Depression and Personal Struggles
Billy Joel has never shied away from acknowledging the darker chapters of his life, even when discussing sensitive health topics. In 2025, he revealed he’d been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a neurological condition that can cause balance and memory issues. The diagnosis forced him to cancel several concerts.
The HBO documentary And So It Goes traces how Joel’s struggles with mental health were shaped long before fame. Growing up on Long Island, he faced a fractured home life. His father, a Holocaust survivor, was largely absent and emotionally distant, while his mother battled loneliness and alcohol use. By his early 20s, after failed bands and mounting personal turmoil, he described himself as a lost soul, homeless at times and overwhelmed by despair.
The musician and those close to him describe how he was on the precipice of losing everything in his 20s. After an affair with Elizabeth Weber, the wife of his friend and bandmate Jon Small, Joel was consumed by guilt. In the aftermath, he spiraled into a deep depression. That overwhelming sense of shame and hopelessness was behind Billy Joel’s suicide attempts.
“I was depressed, I think to the point of almost being psychotic,” he recalled, per Today.
Despite these dark chapters, Joel found a way forward. After his second attempt on his life, it was Jon Small, the very friend he’d betrayed, who stepped in to get him into a hospital. That turning point, combined with psychiatric care, gave Joel the foundation to rebuild. Instead of hiding his pain, he channeled it into his music, eventually launching the solo career that would define him.
Joel has also acknowledged drinking heavily during stressful periods before later seeking professional treatment. He describes developing a drinking problem because he used alcohol to cope with depression.
Navigating Mental Health in the Public Eye
Performing for millions doesn’t protect anyone from isolation, self-doubt or the weight of personal loss. If anything, the pressure of always being in the spotlight can intensify those feelings.
Billy Joel’s private battles unfolded in a very public world. In the 1970s, stigma around mental illness was intense. Men, in particular, were expected to suppress emotional pain, and artists risked being dismissed if they admitted to needing help. Joel has said the cultural climate made it more difficult for him to reach out, which left him isolated even as his career was beginning to take off.
On stage, Joel was celebrated for energy, humor and connection with fans, but behind closed doors, he struggled with loneliness and self-doubt. That split between public image and private reality is common for celebrities, and Joel’s candor about it is eye-opening. By admitting he once felt hopeless enough to attempt to end his life, he dismantles the illusion that success shields people from depression.
The Role of Music and Creativity
For Billy Joel, music proved to be a lifeline. Many of his most hauntingly beautiful songs emerged directly from his darkest moments. After his suicide attempts in the early 1970s, he wrote Tomorrow Is Today, a track he later described as more of a suicide note than a song.
Throughout his catalog, Joel frequently revisited themes of vulnerability, melancholy and resilience. Songs such as Vienna urge patience and self-compassion, while Goodnight Saigon channels collective trauma through storytelling. Even upbeat tracks, such as Only the Good Die Young, reflect an artist who saw both the light and the shadows of human experience.
Being Open About Mental Health as a Public Figure
Billy Joel’s candor on topics including depression and suicidal thoughts carries weight beyond his personal story. While more than 23% of Americans live with a mental illness each year, considerable stigma is still attached to seeking treatment. Celebrities have influence because their visibility makes the issue more difficult to ignore.
When Joel admitted he needed psychiatric treatment, it reframed seeking help as a sign of strength. Despite fame and success, even superstars aren’t immune to the same struggles millions of people face.
Lessons for Listeners: Coping, Resilience and Self-Awareness
Billy Joel’s survival illustrates that recovery is possible and life after despair can still hold meaning and purpose. Professional care gave him structure and tools to manage alcohol misuse and depression, turning what once felt unmanageable into something he could confront with help.
The artist also used music as a way to process his pain. By transforming his darkest moments into songs, he created work that continues to resonate with listeners who’ve faced similar struggles. His decades-long career is proof that hope is indeed a reality.
Promoting Help-Seeking Through Honest Storytelling
The shame and stigma surrounding mental health conditions don’t just apply to celebrities worried about their public image, such as Billy Joel. Depressed and anxious individuals are too often hesitant to seek life-saving care out of fear of being judged.
Joel’s bravery in sharing his harrowing battles with mental health may encourage others to seek treatment. When public figures admit they’ve felt hopeless or considered suicide, it can inspire fans to take their own pain seriously. If someone as iconic as Billy Joel can experience these struggles and find his way forward, so can anyone else.
Knowing that Billy Joel once felt too depressed to go on may help fans who grew up idolizing him find it more acceptable to seek help. As addiction and mental health challenges grow nationwide, it’s more important than ever for those in the public eye to help normalize conversations surrounding these issues.
Recovery Is Possible
Billy Joel’s willingness to discuss his mental health demonstrates the power of honesty. You don’t need to wait for a crisis to seek help. If you or someone you love is struggling, call Restore Mental Health now and ask about our treatment options.
