Billy Joel’s first ex-wife, Elizabeth Weber, has damaged her silence following the enduring musician’s surprising mind dysfunction prognosis.
The “Uptown Girl” hitmaker, who was married to Weber from 1973 to 1982, revealed final month that he was identified with regular strain hydrocephalus.
Following the prognosis, Weber mirrored on the pair’s ill-fated marriage — saying that she all the time knew the so-called Piano Man would change into a star.
“He’s worked so hard all of his life,” Weber advised E! Information on the Tribeca Pageant premiere of “Billy Joel: And So It Goes” in NYC on Wednesday.
“I’ve never known anybody who worked harder than he did in all those years we were together and working together.”
Whereas the 5-time Grammy winner, 76, wasn’t in attendance on the glitzy premiere, his spouse Alexis Roderick Joel, 43, was there in his place.
“I just want him to be restored to good health so he can enjoy his life and his wife and his children. He earned that,” Weber stated of her ex-husband. “The restoration of his good health is all I really care about.”
Though their union crumbled after simply seven years, Weber advised the outlet that she nonetheless admires his work deeply, to the purpose the place she finds it troublesome to decide on a favourite observe.
“There’s too many of them, and they’re all marvelous,” she stated. “Someone can be in the audience and look at him and say, ‘That could be me.’”
“Not everybody can be an unnamed pianist who sings, but everyone thinks that they could do that or be that,” she added.
The “New York State of Mind” musician canceled all his tour dates by subsequent yr after he introduced his prognosis.
The uncommon dysfunction, which reportedly impacts about 0.2% of individuals between the ages of 70 and 80, happens when cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up contained in the cranium, presses on the mind and disrupts cognitive functioning.
“Billy Joel has announced that he will be cancelling all scheduled concerts following a recent diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH),” the “Only the Good Die Young” crooner’s crew stated in a prolonged Instagram announcement on Might 23.
“This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance,” it continued. “Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.”
“I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience,” his crew added, “and thank you for understanding.”
Following the information, his spouse Alexis broke her silence on the prognosis, thanking followers for the “outpouring of love and support.”
“We are so grateful for the wonderful care and swift diagnosis we received,” she wrote on Instagram.
“Bill is beloved by so many, and to us, he is a father and husband who is at the center of our world. We are hopeful for his recovery. We look forward to seeing you all in the future.”
Earlier this week, Howard Stern shared a constructive replace on his longtime pal’s well-being.
Throughout an episode of SiriusXM’s “The Howard Stern Show” Tuesday, the 71-year-old shock jock insisted that the crooner is “not dying.”
“I saw Billy Joel two weeks ago,” he advised co-host Robin Quivers. “We had dinner together.”
“Yeah, he does have issues,” Stern continued. “But he said, ‘Yeah, you can tell people, you know, I’m not dying.’ You know, he wants people to know that. He just, he’s gotta deal with some medical stuff, but he was delightful.”
