I had heard the same thing. Several months ago someone told me he was in pretty bad shape--Mickey Mantle bad shape.
Although no one is responsible for Broadway Joe's current shape but Joe, I can't help but feel sad at the downward spiral of the man so many women my age simply drooooooled over.
God, I loved that man when I was in high school. My first item on my Christmas list one year was the "I Can't Wait Until Tomorrow...." book. Got it, too.
I don't know about him being in such bad shape. He is currently trying to complete his undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama via a distance education program. I haven't heard how far along he is in the program, but I'm sure we'll hear about it if/when he does graduate.