New York (AFP) – US pop great Billy Joel will auction the motorcycle collection he maintains in New York state after being diagnosed with a brain condition that forced him to cancel a planned tour, his management said Wednesday.
In May, Joel scrapped dates in Britain and a packed schedule crisscrossing the United States from July 2025 up until July 2026 because of a diagnosis of a rare condition, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH). “Due to a recent medical diagnosis, Billy will be auctioning off his bike collection later this year,” his publicist told AFP.
Joel’s extensive collection of motorcycles is housed at a shop in the Long Island town of Oyster Bay, where they can be seen free of charge on weekends. “He will not be renewing the lease on the 20th Century Cycles bike shop once it expires late September,” the publicist said.
The 76-year-old “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and “New York State of Mind” legend has been a pop mainstay since the 1970s, and motorcycles have long been part of his public persona. In the hit song’s music video, he whisks away an “Uptown Girl” on the back of his motorcycle, and sings about riding a motorcycle in the rain in the song “You May Be Right.” His collection includes more than 75 bikes, per the shop’s website. “I like the older style,” with some motorcycles dating back to the 1940s, Joel said in a promotional video.
Joel’s condition arises if cerebrospinal fluid cannot properly flow throughout the brain and spinal cord, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. The excess fluid and pressure can cause brain damage. The institution said on its website that NPH is rare and can cause cognitive impairment including memory problems as well as trouble walking. Joel said previously “this condition has been exacerbated by (previous) concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance.”
© 2024 AFP
