Billy Joel is alive: publicist debunks viral Google death hoax
A Google search glitch briefly listed Billy Joel as dead, but his publicist has confirmed the 77-year-old singer is alive and well.
A glitch in Google’s search results briefly listed Billy Joel as dead on Thursday, sparking a wave of panicked posts across social media — but his publicist has confirmed the 77-year-old singer is alive.
Screenshots shared online appeared to show a Google search result and knowledge panel listing 17 September as Joel’s date of death, sparking “countless worried posts” from fans within hours, according to Parade. One confused fan posted on X: “why tf is @Google saying billy joel is dead hello ???” alongside the false screenshot. Another X user separately alleged the date also appeared on Joel’s Wikipedia page, though that claim has not been confirmed, and USA Today has contacted both Google and Wikipedia for comment.
Joel’s publicist, Claire Mercuri, moved quickly to quash the rumour. “Billy’s not dead,” she told Newsday, “I was just emailing with him.” A representative for the singer also confirmed to USA Today on 17 September that he is still alive.
The scare followed recent news about the “Piano Man” singer’s health. In May 2025, Joel cancelled his scheduled stadium shows in 2025 and 2026 after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a brain disorder he said was “exacerbated by recent concert performances,” according to USA Today. He revealed on SiriusXM’s The Billy Joel Channel on 9 September that he had undergone surgery to implant a shunt in his brain, and sought to reassure fans: “Don’t worry about me. I’m not going anywhere. I’m still here.”
Joel returned to the stage in January, joining a cover band in Wellington, Florida, to perform two songs, USA Today reported. The Google error has since been fixed, fans noted, posting updated screenshots of the corrected result.
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