Billy Joel/Elton John 'Face To Face' Tour 2002

    NEW YORK, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Billy Joel and Elton John are back
 together in the new year for the continuation of the pair's magical "Face To
 Face" performances kicking off on Sunday, January 13th in Washington, DC at
 the MCI Center.  Billy and Elton first toured the successful "Face To Face"
 tour in the United States in 1995 and again in 1996.  The tour was extended to
 Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Europe in 1998. The 31-date "Face To Face"
 2001 tour grossed $59 million.
     Early sales for the Billy Joel/Elton John "Face To Face" 2002 tour of the
 American northeast immediately set box office records, selling out eleven
 shows in four cities with additional shows added at each location and new
 cities being added to the itinerary (see itinerary following).
 
     Billy Joel Opus 10 Fantasies & Delusions (Music For Solo Piano), the first
 album of Joel's instrumental compositions, was released on October 2, 2001,
 debuted at #1 on Billboard's Traditional Classical chart and has remained in
 the top slot for 14 weeks.
     Billy Joel has had a staggering 33 Top 40 hits since he signed his first
 solo recording contract in 1972.  He has received some 23 Grammy
 nominations -- the most recent being this year's nod in the Best Pop
 Collaboration With Vocals category for his duet with Tony Bennett on "New York
 State Of Mind" -- and won five Grammy Awards including Song Of The Year and
 Record Of The Year for "Just the Way You Are"; Album Of The Year and Best Pop
 Vocal Performance, Male for the album 52nd Street; and Best Rock Vocal
 Performance, Male for the album Glass Houses.  In 1990, he was presented with
 a Grammy Legend Award for his contributions and influence in the recording
 field.  In 1992, Joel was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and, in
 2001, was presented with the Johnny Mercer Award, the organization's highest
 honor.  In 1999 he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and he
 received the Recording Industry Association of America Diamond Award for
 Greatest Hits Volume I and Volume II.  The Diamond Award is presented for
 albums that have sold over 10 million copies, and with over 20 million albums
 sold, Joel's album is the highest certified greatest hits album by a male
 artist.
     Joel has been very active outside his music career, donating his time and
 resources to a variety of charitable causes.  A longtime advocate for music
 education, he first began holding "master class" sessions on college campuses
 more than 20 years ago.  "An Evening of Questions, Answers...and a Little
 Music" has developed over the years, with Joel giving sessions at colleges
 across the country and around the world.  In addition, he has held classes as
 a benefit for the STAR Foundation (Standing for Truth About Radiation) and to
 establish the Rosalind Joel Scholarship for the Performing Arts at City
 College in New York City.
     For his accomplishments as a musician and as a humanitarian, Billy Joel
 will be honored as the 2002 MusiCares Person Of The Year by the MusiCares
 Foundation and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences at a tribute
 dinner, concert and silent auction to be held Monday, February 25 in Los
 Angeles.
 
     The monumental career of international singer/songwriter and performer
 Elton John has spanned more than three decades.  One of the top-selling solo
 artists of all time, he has won countless awards including Grammys, Tonys and
 an Oscar with 35 gold and 24 platinum albums to his credit.  Elton's current
 CD, Songs From The West Coast, has been critically acclaimed and has just been
 nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Pop Album."  He has a second Grammy
 nomination for "Best Pop Male Vocal Performance" for the first single off the
 album "I Want Love."  The second single "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore"
 features a video starring Justin Timberlake as Elton John during the 70's.
 Elton recently received the Radio Music Awards 2001 Legend Award.  In 2000, he
 received the Grammy Legend Award and was honored as the MusiCares Person of
 the Year by the MusiCares Foundation and the National Academy of Arts and
 Sciences.
     For three decades, fans around the globe have been captivated by his
 charismatic showmanship, while friends treasure the unique brand of steadfast
 loyalty and constancy of purpose that earned him Knighthood in his native
 England in 1998.
     Over the years, Elton's success has not only been in his musical career.
 Sir Elton John founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992, raising
 millions for the cause with his own performances and other high-profile events
 featuring top entertainers.  The non-profit Foundation, which funds HIV/AIDS
 prevention education and patient services, has contributed $30 million in
 grants worldwide.  In addition, as of February 2002, Elton will act as a
 spokesperson for MAC Cosmetic's Viva Glam IV Fundraising Lipstick and The MAC
 Aids Fund, benefiting people living with HIV/AIDS. His staunch support of the
 Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation and his continued participation in the
 Rainforest Foundation's annual benefit concert among others reflect his
 remarkable level of dedication and service.
 
                BILLY JOEL and ELTON JOHN FACE TO FACE TOUR 2002
 
     Date       City/State               Venue
     01/13/02   Washington, DC           MCI Center
     01/16/02   State College, PA        Bryce Jordan Center
     01/18/02   Washington, DC           MCI Center
     01/20/02   Washington, DC           MCI Center
     01/22/02   Boston, MA               Fleet Center
     01/24/02   Boston, MA               Fleet Center
     01/29/02   Boston, MA               Fleet Center
     01/31/02   Boston, MA               Fleet Center
     02/02/02   Boston, MA               Fleet Center
     02/04/02   Hartford, CT             Hartford Civic Center
     02/06/02   Hartford, CT             Hartford Civic Center
     02/08/02   Hartford, CT             Hartford Civic Center
     02/09/02   Hartford, CT             Hartford Civic Center
     02/13/02   Philadelphia, PA         First Union Center
     02/15/02   Philadelphia, PA         First Union Center
     02/17/02   Philadelphia, PA         First Union Center
     02/19/02   Philadelphia, PA         First Union Center
     02/22/02   Philadelphia, PA         First Union Center
     02/24/02   Philadelphia, PA         First Union Center
 
     http://www.billyjoel.com
     http://www.columbiarecords.com
 
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SOURCE  Columbia Records