NEED TO KNOW
Billy Joel’s motorcycle shop 20th Century Cycles will close in September after the lease expires
Joel — who opened the shop in 2010 — will auction off his personal bikes, which were previously housed in the shop, later this year
The “Vienna” singer revealed his normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) diagnosis in May
Billy Joel is bidding farewell to his motorcycle shop on Long Island, New York.
In late September, 20th Century Cycles in Oyster Bay will be closing as the “Piano Man” singer, 76, has chosen not to renew his lease on the property, his rep confirms to PEOPLE. Joel, who up until recently housed many of his personal motorcycles in the shop, “will be auctioning the bike collection later this year due to Billy’s medical issue,” rep Claire Mercuri says.
Joel revealed his diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) in May. At the time, the statement noted that the musician’s health condition was made worse by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance.
Joel, who grew up in nearby Hicksville, opened the shop in November 2010. In a Q&A shared to his website, the singer said he hoped to draw in motorcycle aficionados.
“I was hoping this could become kind of a focus point for people aimlessly riding around on the weekends,” he said at the time. “We could fit five motorcycles in one car spot. We could fit a lot of bikes there. It’s not what everybody’s worried about — the lifestyle-biker-bad-guy… a lot of affluent people own motorcycles and the demographic is all over the place.”
In a video filmed at the shop in 2013, the “Vienna” singer also said he opened the store to showcase his collection — which he built for 30-something years — for the public at no charge.
“It’s basically promoting an aesthetic here,” he said in a 2013 YouTube video filmed at the shop. “I like older style. I like the automotive style from the ’30s to the ’60s. I wanted to collect a whole bunch of those kinds of bikes, put them in one place and let people see what that era of bike looked like. Because it’s starting to be a lost aesthetic.”
John Shearer/Getty
Billy Joel performs at the Grammys in Los Angeles in February 2024
In July, the “We Didn’t Start the Fire” singer — who recently released his two-part documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes — opened up to PEOPLE about his health.
“I know a lot of people are worried about me and my health, but I’m okay,” he said. “What I have is something very few people know about, including me, no matter how much you try to research it. I’m doing my best to work with it and to recover from it.”
Read the original article on People
