Billy Joel gets ready to sell off his motorcycle collection; he says he can no longer drive: ‘I’m into my 70s now…’ |
Billy Joel, beyond his musical prowess, is best known for his love for bikes and other vehicles. The singer, over the course of his career, spent a lot of money and resources to build his massive collection of cars and bikes. However, following his brain surgery and amid ongoing health scares, the musician is ready to part ways with his beloved rides. In a recent interview, the beloved icon opened up about why he is selling off his prized collection and how his health has been.
Billy Joel shares a health update ahead of his motorcycle auction
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Joel shared a health update after his brain surgery and spending time away from the limelight. He stated, “I have to take a series of tests before I know. I can’t drive right now. I’m not allowed to drive.” He additionally added that his doctors have also advised him to stay away from performing as well for the time being. Joel has also credited his old age and his condition, hydrocephalus, the condition that has affected his balance, being two of the main reasons why he is ready to part with his motorcycle collection now after all these years.He provided some more context and added, “Well, I ended up having over a hundred motorcycles, and the truth is you can only ride one at a time. I’m into my 70s now, and I realized I can’t ride as much as I used to. I don’t want to die like a bug on a windshield. So I thought I’d put a lot of them on auction.”Lastly, when asked about his health, Joel shared, “Well, my health is good. I have this thing called hydrocephalus. It used to be called water on the brain, so it affects your balance, it affects your memory, it affects your vision, and it affects your hearing. But I’m OK. They call it a brain disorder, but it’s not that serious. It’s just something that affects your balance mostly.”He also addressed concerns over whether he will be joining the stage back again or not, stating that only time will tell since there are a lot of things going on with his health. He recalled a conversation with his neurologist, who told him that every time he performed, it was as if he was putting himself through a concussion.
About the auction of Billy Joel’s 70 bikes
According to Gooding Christie’s official web page, Billy Joel is auctioning off 70 of his vintage motorcycles. The announcement was made in September, and it also shared that as part of the auction house’s first consignment, Joel’s motorcycle collection will be put up for auction on November 20 and 21 during the Retromobile New York Auctions.At the time, the singer had issued a statement as well, sharing, “I’ve always been drawn to bikes built by people who cared about getting every detail right. I’ve loved building this collection. Now it’s someone else’s turn to hit the road.”Previously, the star also had his own motorcycle shop on Long Island, which also doubled as a museum for his rides. The space lasted for about 15 years, and Joel would dedicatedly work in the shop and manage his bikes. It was officially shut down last year.
