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Christie Brinkley is sending love to her ex-husband Billy Joel, just days after the Grammy Award winner announced a devastating diagnosis.
On Saturday, Brinkley – who was married to Joel from 1985 to 1994 – took to social media to share her support and offer words of encouragement as Joel prepares to battle normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a rare disorder which affects his vision, hearing and balance.
“Dear Billy, the whole Brinkley gang is sending you lots of love and good wishes for a full and speedy recovery,” she wrote in the Instagram caption alongside a video of her and daughter Sailor Brinkley Cook dancing at one of Joel’s concerts. “I was looking for some cute photos of you and Alexa [Brinkley and Joel’s daughter] to send you, when I came across this clip from a recent concert. It made me laugh … but it also reminded me of all the joy you create, and all the sensational sing-alongs you’ve [led]. You turn an arena of strangers into a living room full of friends as we all sway in unison.”
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“I’m sure I’m speaking for everyone in that room when I say please take good care of yourself, we all want you back in that white hot spotlight, you’re OUR piano man. And we’re always in the mood for your melodies and we all hope you’re feeling alright! We Love You, the kids, me and an arena or two!”
On Friday, the five-time Grammy winner, 76, announced that he is canceling all his shows due to the brain disorder diagnosis.
“This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance,” the announcement on Joel’s website said.
“Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.”
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“He is grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage.”
Joel concluded, “I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding.”
Joel’s wife, Alexis Roderick Joel, shared a statement with Fox News Digital.
“Thank you for the outpouring of love and support. We are so grateful for the wonderful care and swift diagnosis we received. Bill is beloved by many, and to us, he is a father and husband who is at the center of our world. We are hopeful for his recovery. We look forward to seeing you all in the future,” she said.
NPH is a condition that happens when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull and presses on the brain. This condition is most likely to occur in people over age 65. Treating this condition involves surgery to implant a shunt to drain excess fluid from the inside of the skull, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Joel and Brinkley have had a close bond throughout the years.
Last year, Joel serenaded Brinkley during his concert at Madison Square Garden.
In video obtained by Fox News Digital, Brinkley is seen swaying back and forth to “Uptown Girl,” a song that Joel wrote about her in 1983. She was broadcast on the arena’s big screen for the whole crowd to see.
Pictures seemingly show Joel singing passionately to Brinkley.
In 2010, Joel confirmed that “Uptown Girl” was written about Brinkley (she did appear in the music video), although he explained that there was more to the story.
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“I wasn’t even dating Christie when I started writing the song; I was dating Elle [Macpherson],” Joel said on “The Howard Stern Show.” He remembered a moment when he was surrounded by Brinkley, Macpherson and Whitney Houston while he was working on the song.
“That’s why I started writing a song called ‘Uptown Girls.’ It was plural. I couldn’t believe, you know, the situation I was in,” he said of having a bevy of beauties near him.
Joel said when he and Macpherson went their separate ways, the nature of the song changed because of his relationship with Brinkley.
“And then I started dating Christie, and rather than it [being] about all these different girls, she became the ‘Uptown Girl.’ I started writing it about one person.”
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