Billy Joel's 1979 Christmas Surprise Drops as 2025 Health Battles Linger

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Billy Joel delighted fans with a rare Christmas Eve gift on December 24, dropping a never-before-seen 1979 concert video of his hit The Stranger from a Houston show on his official YouTube channel, as reported by Parade magazine. Fans flooded the comments with praise, calling it the best holiday surprise and hailing the Piano Man as timeless, with one saying his live performances never disappoint. This archival drop ties into his ongoing YouTube series launched earlier this year alongside the acclaimed HBO Max documentary Billy Joel And So It Goes, directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, which debuted at Tribeca in May and snagged a Critics Choice nomination, per ABC Audio.

Just a day later on December 26, ABC Audio recapped Joels turbulent 2025, spotlighting his health battles as the years defining story: a January procedure postponed shows, February gigs went ahead before Marchs four-month tour halt for surgery recovery, and Mays bombshell normal pressure hydrocephalus diagnosis—fluid buildup in the brain wrecking his hearing, vision, and balance—forcing all remaining dates canceled. In a July Bill Maher Club Random podcast chat, Joel updated that its not fixed but still being worked on, though he feels fine.

No fresh public appearances or business moves popped in the last few days, but ripples from 2025 linger with biographical weight: Piano Man hit 1 billion Spotify streams, his motorcycle shop 20th Century Cycles shuttered with a collection auction, and hes tapped for Michael Dorfs Music Of tribute at Carnegie Hall next March. Social buzz stays hot around that YouTube gem, while unconfirmed whispers of Florida mansion sales or Hamptons horse farm buys echo older reports without new verification. Joels legacy endures, health hurdles notwithstanding, proving the 76-year-olds still rocking archives and headlines.

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