Today, he fills arenas around the world with his golden voice and timeless classics. Many consider him one of the greatest songwriters of all time. But his childhood was far from peaceful. Recently, the icon opened up about his mother’s illness, his father’s violent behavior, and the times they struggled with poverty.
Fled Nazi Germany
There are good songwriters — and then there are those rare talents who can craft songs that capture the soundtrack of people’s lives, resonating across generations. The artist we’re focusing on today clearly belongs in that second category.
Beyond writing unforgettable hits, he has enjoyed a successful solo career since the 1970s. Today, he stands as one of the world’s best-selling music artists and ranks as the fourth best-selling solo artist in the United States — no small feat for someone who grew up with very modest means.
Born in the Bronx, New York City, he was raised on Long Island alongside his cousin Judy, whom his parents adopted.
His family history was far from ordinary. His father, a successful businessman, had been forced to flee Nazi Germany, losing everything in the process. Though he eventually made his way to New York, he rarely spoke about the horrors of the war.
In many ways, our artist grew up in a typical working-class household. His father later became an engineer, and the community around him in Oyster Bay was filled with families like theirs — people who had survived the Second World War, left behind difficult lives in cities, and sought to build something new and better.
A year ago, the global superstar opened up about his childhood, revealing details that few had known until now. Among other things, he shared that his father, Howard, was a “wonderful pianist.”
“He knocked me out”
The artist himself began studying piano at just four years old, but according to a 2025 documentary about his life, Howard “never really showed kindness, compassion, or understanding toward his talent” as he was growing up.
It wasn’t just that his father ignored the young, talented boy — he could also be violent at times. The artist recalled a memory from when he was eight years old. He was supposed to be playing Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 as written, but instead performed a rock-and-roll version of the piece.
At one point, his father “came down the stairs, bang, I got whacked,” the Grammy winner said.
“I got hit so hard he knocked me out — I was unconscious for about a minute. And I remember waking up thinking, ‘Well, that got his attention,’ and that was my memory of his piano lessons,” he added with a laugh.
“So, he didn’t teach me much.”
Regarding his parents, he reflected in the film on the lack of happy memories of them as a couple. “I saw things between them when I was a little kid that were not good — things were very tense,” he said, noting that he and his cousin were “kind of relieved” when they got divorced.
Afterward, they were raised by their mother, Rosalind.
In a 1992 interview, the musician spoke about feeling like an outcast as a child growing up without a father. “There was no breadwinner, so our situation went downhill pretty fast,” he said. “I was different from the other kids because they had dads. And I remember, especially with a lot of guys my age, there was a dynamic with their fathers that I didn’t have.”
But his cousin saw things differently. In the documentary, she recalled, “When Howard left, it was a relief in that my mother felt more free, but it also gave her a lot more stress because she then had to work very, very hard to keep the family going.”
A childhood friend added, “A depression settled over the house” after Howard’s departure.
He described Rosalind as “a very loving woman” and said he was “almost smothered” by her affection. “I think it was an attempt to compensate for my dad’s lack of it. But there were also some troubling things about her. She was very isolated. She was often lonely, and I think she drank to ease that loneliness,” he explained.
Knew something was very wrong
Her alcohol use became noticeable. “I would see Mom drinking very often, and we would say, ‘Mom, don’t start — you know how you get,’ and she would be crying and screaming for hours and hours,” his cousin recalled.
“We knew something was very wrong, that she was most likely bipolar — we just didn’t know the word at the time. There wasn’t peace because we knew we had to walk on eggshells, that anything could set her off.”
While he admitted that living with Rosalind could be “difficult,” he also recognized her deep love, noting the “dichotomy” in their relationship.
The siblings grew especially close during this time. “We felt each other’s pain and worry, and we drew strength from each other. We were very close — we had to be,” his cousin said.
Despite the challenges, they ultimately saw Rosalind as a mother who did the best she could. “No matter how poor we were or how hard she had to work, Mom knew that piano lessons were important — that this had to be nurtured. She knew he was going to be something someday,” the cousin explained.
Net worth of around $250 million
He added about his mother, “Mom was my cheerleader. She always said anything you set your mind to, you can do. I credit my mom for sticking with me — she never gave up. She believed in me.”
Fortunately, Rosalind lived long enough to see her son conquer the world. She reached the age of 92, passing away in 2014, by which time he was already a well-established artist with millions of records sold.
Her son had also been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 as well as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rosalind was even honored with a song named after her — Rosalinda’s Eyes, released in 1978. But despite all his success and millions in the bank — with an estimated net worth of around $250 million — his career and life have also been marked by setbacks and misfortunes.
Depression played a major role in his struggles with alcohol. He told The New York Times in 2013 that after the September 11, 2001 attacks, he felt overwhelmed by despair. “I used booze as medication,” he admitted. He explained that his drinking often coincided with personal turmoil, including breakups and divorce — alcohol even worsened his failing marriage with one of his wives.
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 out 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 moment. 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 while handing 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 hurt more emotionally than financially. 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’ve 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 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.
Nearly a year after unexpectedly canceling his tour due to a rare brain disorder, there is hope that Billy Joel could return to performing.
His daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, shared a positive update with The Hollywood Reporter, saying, “He’s doing physical therapy regularly and he’s doing great. He’s lost weight on his diet. I’m so proud of him. He’s such a trooper — so resilient and committed to being healthy and proactive. He’s a fighter. He’s always been a fighter and talks in his documentary about how life is like a fight.”
Joel’s last full concert was in February 2025 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. Shortly afterward, he postponed his tour to undergo surgery and therapy for his diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a condition doctors said was worsened by performing, affecting his hearing, vision, and balance. Despite the setback, Joel has remained optimistic. Last July, he told Bill Maher’s Club Random Podcast, “I feel good. They keep calling what I have a brain disorder, so it sounds a lot worse than what I’m actually feeling.”
Fans hoping to see him back on stage got a small taste of live performance in January 2026, when he joined tribute band Turnstiles in Florida for “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and “Big Shot.”
“I wasn’t planning on working tonight,” he joked during the surprise appearance, hinting that the Piano Man isn’t ready to hang up his keys just yet.
