Starting on May 18, 2025, posts on Facebook alleged that musician Billy Joel had canceled a summer concert series with Bruce Springsteen after Springsteen's public denunciations of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Variations of the rumor spread on X, as well.
Some readers seemed to interpret the rumor as a factual recounting of real-life events. However, there was no evidence that Joel and Springsteen even had a concert series together planned at all.
Rather, the rumor about the two legendary musicians originated with the America's Last Line of Defense Facebook page — one page in a network of websites and social media accounts that describe their output as being humorous or satirical in nature. Its bio states:
The flagship of the ALLOD network of trollery and propaganda for cash.
Nothing on this page is real.
The fictional story spread in the wake of real comments Springsteen made about Donald Trump at recent shows — remarks that led Trump to call him a "dried out 'prune' of a rocker" and post an edited video of him hitting a golf ball at Springsteen on his social media site, Truth Social.
At a Manchester, England, concert, the first of a European tour, The Boss began his show with the following words:
In my home, the America I love, the America I've written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration. Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!
Coincidentally, on May 23, 2025, Billy Joel issued an authentic statement informing fans he was canceling all upcoming concerts after receiving a diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a condition caused by a buildup in cerebrospinal fluids with symptoms somewhat resembling Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's.
America's Last Line of Defense has a history of making up stories for shares and comments. Snopes has addressed similar satirical claims about Springsteen's stance on Donald Trump in the past, including a similar assertion that George Strait canceled a concert with Springsteen because of the same comments and a rumor that the car manufacturer Jeep announced it would stop advertising with Springsteen.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.