Billy Joel in 2018 (left) and 2021.Photo: John Lamparski/WireImage; Rick Kern/Getty
Billy Joelreturned toMadison Square Gardenfor the first time since the start of the pandemic last week, minus around 50 lbs.
The “Piano Man,” 72, lost a significant amount of weight this year after undergoing back surgery, he recently toldHoward Stern. Duringan appearance on The Howard Stern Showtwo weeks ago, Stern noted that Joel had slimmed down, which the musician said was due in part to his recovery after the surgery.
“I had back surgery early this year and the pain afterwards was so bad I lost my appetite,” Joel said. “I embraced that, I said, ‘Okay, I won’t eat as much’ and I ate less and less and less and less and then there was just life aggravation and that tends to, you know, impact your appetite too.”
Joel said that the weight loss wasn’t initially intentional, but he was glad it happened.
“I had gotten kind of chunky,” he said. “I was happy to lose the weight.”
Back in May 2019,ahead of his 70th birthday, Joel had talked about hitting the milestone age and getting surprised at how he looks as he gets older.
“This is a Peter Pan kinda job. You start out, and you’re young, and you’re rockin' and rollin', and that’s what you do all your life. You become a little myopic about how old you actually are,“he toldRolling Stone. “I see pictures of myself at the Garden recently, and I go, ‘That don’t look right.’ I got old, I lost my hair. I was never a matinee idol to begin with, and there I am onstage still doing the same job I was doing when I was 16.”
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Joel said, though, that it would be “ridiculous” for him to try and change his appearance the way other celebrities do.
source: people.com
