Billy Joel wants everyone to stop worrying about him.  He took calls from fans this week on his SiriusXM channel, when he gave a quick health update. Quote, “I know people are worried about me because they read that I have a brain disorder, which sounds a lot worse than it actually is.  I’m okay.  My balance isn’t that good.  “Lost a little bit of my hearing, but that may have to do with my age, too, and the rock and roll life and the loud volume probably didn’t help.  But I’m fine.  I want people to not have to worry about me.  I’m okay.  And I appreciate your call.” Billy announced last year that he has normal pressure hydrocephalus.  It’s a brain disorder caused by an excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain’s ventricles.  It affects balance, vision, hearing, and walking. (You can hear Billy Joel’s comments here.  Go to 3:07.)

CBS is tripling down on its unscripted lineup, bringing back a new version of “Undercover Boss” — this time hosted by Drew Carey — and greenlighting two new series: “Stacks of Cash,” hosted by Mike O’Malley, and “24 Hour Millionaire,” from the executive producers behind “Big Brother.”  “Undercover Boss” is bringing the show back for a 12th season with “a refreshed take,” which includes bringing in Carey as host. The series has been off the air since 2022. Meanwhile, “Stacks of Cash” is a game show where six contestants answer questions to earn uniquely shaped blocks, which they then stack their way “toward a gold line.” And “24 Hour Millionaire” follows contestants as they must continually engage in social strategy and physical competitions over the course of 24 hours, with one player winning $1 million at the end of the day.

Dasha just revealed that she’s prepping for vocal cord surgery later this month at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Doctors recently found nodes on her vocal cords, and she says that years of nonstop touring finally caught up with her. Dasha’s recovery will include two weeks of complete silence and additional time after that to retrain her voice before returning to the stage again.  But she’s still excited about her new album which will be released next year.

Darius Rucker said Hootie & The Blowfish’s first 10 to 15 shows were played for cases of beer.  He also admitted the band had to steal a PA system from the University of South Carolina because they couldn’t afford their own. You can listen to Darius talking about it here.

It’s October 2^nd!  You officially have 29 days to pick out a Halloween costume.  If you wanna have your finger on the pulse of what’s happening now, you can try something inspired by today’s pop culture. (You can see more here and here.)

Luke Combs says he’s down 30 pounds, and one of his big motivators was getting in better shape for hunting season. So to celebrate, Luke just went on an elk hunting trip and finally tagged a six-point bull after coming up empty on a New Mexico hunt last year. Luke has been open about his struggles with weight and says his long-term goal is simple . . . He wants to stay healthy enough to take his sons on an elk hunt of their own someday. You can watch a 39-minute video of Luke’s hunting trip here.

Zach John King says a friend reminded him of the value of getting out in nature occasionally. “Being in this crazy business, you get to see so many wonderful places in the world, but you end up missing the woods, and the sounds of the cicadas, and the sound of the whippoorwills, and just being out where nobody’s around you.”

Jelly Roll has checked off just about every box on his career bucket list, and now he says the next chapter might not even involve music. During a backstage interview at the Grand Ole Opry, Jelly said he’s grateful for all he’s achieved.  From Grammy Awards to CMA and ACM honors, plus becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry, he couldn’t be more proud. But looking ahead, he said he plans to pray about what’s next and follow wherever God leads him.  He even said that if God told him to go work at a homeless shelter in Paducah, Kentucky, he’d leave the music business and, quote, “Y’all will never see me again.” Jelly has already been talking about taking a break after finishing his recent tour.   And now it looks like he might do just that. (You can listen to Jelly talk about his future here.)

Stella Lefty tells People magazine how crazy life has been since the success of her breakthrough song ‘Boston’. “It’s an absolute honor. I thought I was just gonna be a songwriter my whole life, would have been amazing, but to see that this song has gotten me so far in so many places and here, it’s just an absolute dream come true. It’s unfathomable to me.”

TV Insider says Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” has made  $13.9 million.Nearly $10.5 million of that came from fans in the United States.  The song has been played on the radio 977,000 times worldwide

AOL says Megan Moroney will perform at the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on Oct. 18th in Los Angeles. The show is moving to the West Coast after two years in New York.

The Express Tribune says Ella Langley recently spoke about facing criticism during a concert in Columbus, Ohio. She said, “I don’t think I’ve ever had more opinions on myself in my life than I have in this last year. The way I look. The way I speak. The way I dress. The way I move. The way I sing. The way I write. I don’t know if I’m strong enough for this, Lord. That’s the girl that rode in the 15-passenger van night after night after night. She rode in a Honda Accord night after night after night, chasing her dream, living on bar food, living on tip jar money.”

Real Housewives reality TV star Hailey Glassman tells Page Six that Martha Stewart left a group dinner without paying. The dinner was at New York City’s Polo Bar before filming began for Season 16 of “The Real Housewives of New York City”. Glassman said, “Martha stopped by, and she dined and dashed, actually. She ordered some food and we all, like, covered it.”