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Producers of Billy Elliot and composer Elton John have aligned with Fidelity FutureStage for the Fidelity FutureStage Playwriting Contest.

Select New York City and New Jersey high school students in grades 9-12 are invited to pen a ten-minute one-act play based on the themes from the Broadway musical. The winner of the contest will work directly with the Billy Elliot creative team to develop and produce the play, which will be performed live as part of the Fidelity FutureStage gala at the Imperial Theatre on June 15, 2009.

A panel of Broadway professionals, including Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall, will evaluate the submissions in the categories of originality/creativity; character development; structure of plot and dialogue; and appropriateness of the play to themes of Billy Elliot. The winner will be revealed in late May 2009.

For further information and regulations, visit FutureStage.

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Karen Portaleo, the brilliant cake artist at Highland Bakery in Atlanta, fabricated this frosted dog in drag for Elton John’s birthday on March 25, 2009. The cake is modeled after his cocker spaniel, Arthur.

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A private banquet in Moscow at the Stanislavsky & Nemirovich-Danchenko theatre made Elton John's wallet several times heavier.

For an hour's performance at Marianna Sardarova's party who is the wife of the famous Russian oil merchant, he was paid a million dollars.

Elton arrived in Moscow on March 12, 2009, accompanied by his beloved husband David Furnish, at the Ararat Park Hyatt Hotel.

Elton made an exception for Sardarova's party - he played the piano which was provided by the promoters of the party. The singer usually brings his own musical instrument.

Sir Elton immediately departed after the event destined for Face 2 Face concerts in the United States with Billy Joel.

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Sir Elton John is Watford’s Honorary Life President again and has dropped a strong hint that he will be staging another concert at Vicarage Road next year to benefit the Hornets.

Elton resigned the post in November 2008 in protest at the direction the club was taking under the previous Graham Simpson/Mark Ashton regime, but has now decided to resume his official connection with the club.

In a statement, the former two-time chairman said: “Watford Football Club is in my blood. Wherever I am in the world I cannot resist keeping up with the news about Watford. Despite the terrible luck of penalties going against us deep into added time recently, I am encouraged to know the team has been playing better.

“I wish the new chairman and the board, the manager, the team and all Watford’s loyal supporters a very successful conclusion to the season and I hope that in the summer next year we shall all be able to come together for another concert to benefit the club.”

Elton last staged a concert at Vicarage Road in June 2005 which raised around £1.3m for the Buy Back the Vic campaign, although he stunned senior management at the club by announcing that the proceeds should be used “to help bring in new players” for then manager Ray Lewington.

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It’s safe to expect a variety of questions about Michael Jackson concerts and the return of Celine Dion when The Colosseum celebrates its sixth anniversary on March 25, 2009.

Top executives from AEG Live/Concerts West will join with Caesars Palace President Gary Selesner for a cake-cutting celebration and will likely be grilled as to which superstar will replace Sir Elton John when his Red Piano spectacular comes to an official end April 22, 2009.

The occasion is officially to recognize the employees of the theater who have been there since opening day. But when the invitation dropped, it immediately set off speculation that John Meglen, president and co-CEO of AEG Live/Concerts West, and Vice President John Nelson would take the opportunity to provide some answers to our questions about future entertainment.

Will Michael play Las Vegas now that he’s sold out his first 50 shows in AEG’s 02 Arena in London? Will Celine return to The Colosseum to rotate with Cher and Bette Midler after her current 18-month hiatus and rumored new pregnancy? Who will take over when Sir Elton ends his residency?

AEG Live is the giant entertainment group led by Denver billionaire Phillip Anschutz, who just guaranteed the 50-concert run in England for Michael. We know that’s part of a three-year contract with the King of Pop that will definitely have concerts here in the United States, but the locations are yet unknown.

Since opening, The Colosseum has showcased some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Jerry Seinfeld, Luciano Pavarotti, Gloria Estefan, Mariah Carey, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

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Elton will turn 62 on March 25, 2009 - and this year he will have the day off.

After performances in New York on his 60th birthday and a "Red Piano" show in Las Vegas on 25th March last year, this time Elton will not be on stage at his birthday. The current tour with Billy Joel will continue a day later in Phoenix, AZ.

On behalf of the Hercules team and all the fans around the world, we would like to wish him all the best and a happy birthday!

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After the phenomenal success of Alberta Ballet's collaboration with folk music icon Joni Mitchell two years ago, the company announced a new collaboration with an even bigger star: Elton John.

Elton was "enthralled and inspired" by the Mitchell ballet, the Fiddle and the Drum, and agreed to work with Alberta Ballet and its artistic director Jean Grand-Maitre on a new work.

"I am ecstatic to be able to create this new production and I know that it will most certainly capture the interest of the entire world," Grande-Maitre said in a statement.
Described as a "semi-abstract ballet set to the music of Sir Elton John," the performance will debut in Calgary on May 6, 2010 before moving to Edmonton on May 11, 2010.

The news was unveiled as part of Alberta Ballet's 2010 season announcement on March 24, 2009. Also on the bill is a National Ballet of Canada production of The Sleeping Beauty, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's Moulin Rouge the Ballet, and the perennial favourite The Nutcracker.

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Okay, we are not really talking about rag dolls here, but about those plastic Elton John dolls that became available approx. ten years ago.

Nowadays these dolls are rare collector's items and most of them are hard to find. To the best of our knowledge there were four different styles procuded, with the most popular one being the doll pictured on the right.

In addition to that, manufacturer Yaboom has produced three additional models, all of which are the same Elton doll, but in different suits. The doll with black and white pinstripe pants seems to be the rarest of them all, in fact, some devoted Elton collectors are not even aware it exists.

So we would like to call for an Elton John doll census. If you own one or more of the Elton dolls (apart from the one pictured above), please send us a picture to stephan@eltonfan.net. Thanks for your support!

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Following is the complete set list of the San Antonio show on March 21, 2009.

Elton John/Billy Joel (solo)

• Your Song
  
• Just The Way You Are

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There have been many celebrations around Her Magesty's Theatre lately. On March 7, 2009, the Billy Elliot company marked their 500th performance in Australia.

March 12, 2009 also saw another milestone passed: the company's 100th performance at Her Majesty's Theatre. They have now sold over 200,000 tickets to Billy Elliot at HMT. It's wonderful that Melbourne audiences have loved the show so much to make it so successful. And the show is over halfway through the season - so if you haven't already seen it, make sure you don't miss out!

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Following is the complete set list of the Houston show on March 19, 2009.

Elton John/Billy Joel (solo)

• Your Song
  
• Just The Way You Are

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One is a skinny, hip-hopping, thirtysomething rising star. The other is a legendary, Grammy Award-winning, shamelessly camp sixtysomething.

But despite their differences Just Jack and Elton John are the best of mates. "The Starz In Their Eyes" singer, real name Jack Allsopp, modestly revealed Elton "is a bit of a fan" and helped pave the way to his success. He said: "It sounds random, but he just rang me once and told me he liked my music. We've kind of been friends ever since and he has helped me with my music."

Jack added: "I've been round for tea with him and David (Furnish). It doesn't seem weird to me though because if you have the same interest in music as someone it shouldn't matter what age you are."

But who needs famous friends when Jack's third album is already done, dusted and superbly polished. He said: "There's a lot of different things on the record. There's an instrumental track that's quite metal and messy. I have sad, folky songs too and out of time percussion tunes. Embers is an uplifting, orchestral and epic."

Jack may have come a long way since washing pots in a pub - but he reckons he is still grounded. He said: "My girlfriend reminds me I'm still the same person despite getting more attention. I'm not anymore handsome or amazing. People are always seduced by someone on stage. I'm the same. There are definitely girls who I wouldn't normally fancy but then I see them live and I change my mind."

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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) is always gratified to hear from a satisfied AJC subscriber. It’s even better when it’s a seven-day-a-week diehard celebrity subscriber with scoop.

After thumbing through the March 16, 2009 editions of the AJC, USA Today and The New York Times and finishing his morning tennis match, Buckhead resident Sir Elton John rang the BuzzBerry to thank them for mentioning the woman who oversees his Atlanta household. “Lucy’s over the moon that her name was in the paper this morning,” Elton told AJC, laughing.

He said he’s having as much fun on his current tour with Billy Joel as the ticket-holders. When AJC inquired about the possibility of a new studio project from him (Elton has made no secret of his displeasure over the less-than-stellar promotion of his last album, 2006’s “The Captain and the Kid”), he ended up giving AJC an exclusive.

“I’m talking to [pianist and singer] Leon Russell and [producer[ T-Bone Burnett about recording an album with Leon," he told AJC. Russell, now 67, first came on the scene as a session player for legendary producer Phil Spector in the early 1960s before embarking on a wide-ranging solo career that's included penning modern standards like "A Song For You" and "This Masquerade." A mesmerizing 1976 live performance of Russell was recently restored for the DVD set of "Saturday Night Live: The First Season."

"I've always loved Leon, and I think it's terrible that he's been almost forgotten about now," Elton added. "He's been such an influence on my playing and his music has been such a big part of my life. It will be a duets record. I'm a huge fan, and he's just such a great guy as well. I'm hoping it will all come together, maybe the beginning of next year. These days, I just want to focus on recording things that I really want to do, and I've always wanted to work with Leon."

While AJC had him on the phone, they had to ask about Elton's on-stage salute to Atlanta filmmaker Tyler Perry during the show on March 14, 2009. "When his studios opened last year, I read about it in the AJC and I thought it was such an incredibly positive thing for this city. So I called to tell him that, and he ended up coming to my Oscar party this year. We got on really well. What he's bringing to Atlanta is just incredible."

Added Elton: "This will probably be the last time that Billy and I do this together and so we're taking it around the world. We're having a blast together. I was thrilled we got to bring it home to Atlanta."

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Chris Moyles wants to lure Elton John and Victoria Beckham onto his new Channel 4 quiz.

The Radio One DJ, 35, said: "I'd love to get Elton John, I think he'd be hilarious. The chances of getting him on aren't very good, but it would be great if he'd do it. I was talking to the team and we've all got names on the impossible list. But you never know. If they see the show, like it and think it's fun, they might come out and have a bit of a laugh. Who knows?"

"One week the line-up might be Victoria Beckham, one of the Chuckle Brothers and Elvis. It would be brilliant as long as Elvis didn't sing all the time. That would be just annoying!"

In the show a famous name acts as quizmaster while Moyles and three celebs answer questions and there's a chatshow element in between rounds.

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Following is the complete setlist of the Atlanta show on March 14, 2009.

Elton John/Billy Joel (solo)

• Your Song
  
• Just The Way You Are

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One in three U.S. adults listens to British music more than the offerings by other non-U.S. musical artists, a poll released by VisitBritain indicated.

The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by VisitBritain, the national tourist office for England, Scotland and Wales.

When asked which British musical artists they listened to in the past 12 months, 48 percent of U.S. adults surveyed said The Beatles and 49 percent said Elton John, with The Rolling Stones also ranking high on their playlists with 41 percent. More than one-third chose contemporary stars like Coldplay and one-fifth chose Amy Winehouse.

British pop culture is so alive in the United States and people experience it every day -- from music and film to fashion and art. So we are saying, 'If you like what you have seen in the United States, why not come and immerse yourself in British culture on your next vacation watching an indie rock band in Manchester or attending a world-class music festival like Glastonbury?' Simon Bradley, VisitBritain's executive vice president, Americas, said in a statement.

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An electric guitar signed by the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin, arguably the world's top rock band, goes under the hammer together with a ring of Elton John.

The instrument, featuring the signatures of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, is expected to fetch between £1,500 and £2,000.

It is to be auctioned along with an 18-carat yellow gold Cartier ring with 31 diamonds, once owned by Elton John and expected to fetch up to £5,000, along with several one-off plaques and mirrors signed by the likes of Queen, The Who and The Jam.

The rock and pop, film and sporting memorabilia auction is to be held at auctioneers WH Peacock in Newnham Street, Bedford from 10.30am on March 14, 2009.

A number of the items have come from the personal collection of concert promoter Mel Bush who, after special tours and concerts, would present an inscribed mirror or plaque to the artist and retain one for himself. The auction will also feature Elvis and Beatles memorabilia, including a bubblegum card collection, concert programmes and flyers, and also a selection of film and music posters from the heyday of the fab four.

A spokesman said: "If you are a collector, these are some incredible pieces. It's a fantastic collection." The auction will feature 564 lots in total. For more details, visit www.peacockauction.co.uk.

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Bette Midler has claimed that Sir Elton John is a bigger diva than her and Celine Dion.

The legendary singer admitted that Sir Elton has "much more attitude than I ever had. He's got so much more money! Oh my god, he can be whatever he wants to be," she told Attitude.

"He's got it all. Great spouse, the money, the gigs, the jewels. Oh my god, he really lives large. He has little fits but he's adorable. He's never had a fit with me but I have heard that he's called Madonna some names."

The star added that she was wary about reading stories about herself in the media because "a lot of that stuff is so cruel". I don't like to be slagged. I don't read what's online about me because it's so cruel. They can nip at you like a little fish, like little piranhas nipping away at your soul and I don't like that. I like the old days."

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Members of the Elton John band and friends will be performing at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, CA on April 26, 2009.

Limited dinner seating will be available. See the website of the Lupin Hill Elementary School for reservations and more information.

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Elton John will deliver a keynote address at the BIO International Convention in Atlanta in May 2009, industry officials said on March 10, 2009.

The singer and part-time Atlanta resident will speak about how biotechnology has affected prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, and about future challenges related to the disease. The annual biotech convention is expected to draw 20,000 people to the Georgia World Congress Center.

“For many years, we have been deeply impressed by Sir Elton John’s longstanding commitment to the fight against AIDS and his efforts to raise money for HIV/AIDS charitable organizations,” said James Greenwood, president of BIO. “We share a common vision when it comes to solving some of the world’s most challenging health problems, like HIV/AIDS.”

BIO represents more than 1,200 biotech companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations.

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Elton John has launched his own range of crystal-encrusted iPods - to raise cash for AIDS orphans in Africa.

Elton personally oversaw the design of the limited-edition £400 music players - and had his signature lasered on the back of each one. Elton ordered just 1000 of the collectors items to be manufactured - 100 in each of the 10 colours available.

A share of the profits from the sale of the iPods will be handed over to the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Elton has been involved in the fight against AIDS since the 1980s and has raised more than £100million for his charity.

A spokesman for the star said he was "delighted" with the iPods. He said: "Elton does not usually put his name to a product but this is exactly the kind of thing he loves. It's extravagant and glamorous just like him. And, as everyone knows, his AIDS charity is very close to his heart."

You can buy the iPod online at Goldgenie.com.

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Billy Joel insists his backstage dressing room is like a different world compared to touring partner Elton John's colourful space.

The pair has hit the road again on the "Face 2 Face" tour and Billy insists the fact that both be and Elton play piano is one of the only things that make them alike. He claims their differences are clear in their dressing rooms.

Billy tells Rolling Stone magazine, "Mine is like the back of a deli. Give me some water, a couple of sodas and a cold-cut (meat) platter, and I'm good. Elton's looks like the glory that was Rome. He has flowers, and the room is draped with all kinds of materials. There are boys in togas, like centurions. And he's got dozens of pairs of shoes and beautiful jackets and sunglasses."

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Following is the complete set list of the Charlotte, NC show on March 7, 2009.

Elton John/Billy Joel (solo)

• Your Song
  
• Honesty

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Bernie Taupin’s “He Who Rides The Tiger” will be re-released on March 10, 2009 on American Beat Records.

Bernie Taupin recorded his own mini-masterpiece in 1980 with the release of “He Who Rides The Tiger”. Bernie’s third solo release (his first was spoken word), "He Who Rides The Tiger" garnered much critical acclaim upon it’s release, and critics still point to this album as a high point in Bernie’s illustrious career.

Guests include Elton, David Foster, Tom Scott and Jeff Porcaro, but what is most striking is Bernie's fantastic voice. It is amazing that this album did not strike gold on the radio when it was released. It has become quite a collector's item, though, with Japanese pressings of the CD fetching well over $100 on eBay and Amazon.

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Major headwinds were blowing several miles an hour against the half a dozen fans at “Camp Elton” on February 28, 2009 in the morning. They were bundled up in sleeping bags battling a temperature of 10 degrees below zero outside the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Mary Alice Noble had been camped out since February 24, 2009. All week long, Civic Center staff had admired her persistence and dedication at wanting to see her fourth Elton John concert. “This could,” she says top getting up onstage with Ozzy. How cool is it to stand next to ‘The Prince of Darkness’?!?”

However, they kept reminding her there was no guarantee that showing up over 90 hours early would guarantee her a seat, as “Internet, phone and physical sales would all have an equal priority,” they said, “although GotMine.com purchases would likely be processed the fastest.”

“Mary Alice should really just go home and go online,” they said on February 27, 2009 afternoon. On Saturday morning, the box office windows never even open as promised at 10 a.m., although Rushmore Plaza general manager Brian Maliske and marketing director Steve Montgomery have suited up nearly two dozen staffers ready to answer the phones, man the ticket windows and process Internet sales.

Nobody knows what’s going on in line even though they’ve now heard that the internet sales have begun. Within 45 seconds, more than 5,932 tickets had been sold on the Internet with California, Wisconsin and Chicago among the locations where fans and/or scalpers could buy up to six tickets each. And those not already calling in to the 1-800-GOT-MINE phone line start dialing in as a wave of panic sweeps over the crowd. Some have Blackberry devices with internet access and they begin yelling that they got theirs. By the time one young woman directly in front of the line got through, only the $97 tickets are left and she can barely hear above the echoes of “What’s happening?” and “Can you get through” to give our her credit card number and confirmation code.

The true irony is that while Noble and her five comrades at the front of the line were screaming “OPEN THE WINDOWS ALREADY!” the last person in line at the opposite end of the building is standing far enough back that he’s next to one of the several Internet ticketing kiosks on the premises. But even that machine might not have been fast enough.

By 11 a.m., janitors are gossiping about friends calling to tell them they’re seeing the tickets being scalped online for $177. And by then, an inconsolable Noble is collapsed on the floor, revealing to a friend that while she didn’t get a ticket, she’s on a waiting list along with the other 85 or so people (from the AARP set all the way down to his newer “Lion King” fans) who bothered sticking around and making it to the front of the line to give their names and phone numbers, “just in case any tickets became available.” And nobody knows when or if that will even happen.

A clearly frustrated Maliske is not interested in taking questions as he and the staff plot their next moves as fans and now former fans head home. Up at the front of the line, members of “Camp Elton” are making their own list vowing to contact one another and raise hell at the next Rapid City Council meeting. Still others take out their anger and resentment on members of the staff vowing never to see anything at the venue ever again. We’re blaming them, and they’re not accepting it. “It’s all out of our hands,” says Montgomery.

“Who thought the dangerous place to be in Rapid City on a Saturday morning at 10 a.m., would be an Elton John ticket line?,” someone asked one of the uniformed police officers watching the line. “Oh,” he looks down sheepishly. “We’re not even concerned with you guys. We’re here guarding the car show.”

The stunned Civic Center staff head behind closed doors and phone with Elton’s people, promoter Goldenvoice, and Ticketmaster trying to crack open the first rows of seating that “Elton John always keeps reserved for his own use” as well as the sections Ticketmaster holds for specific credit card holders. But Ticketmaster also counts on people using its own legalized scalping Web site, TicketsNow.com. So preventing locals from getting tickets actually helps them profit not just with added fees, but also in overpriced resale of tickets.

Shortly after noon, whispered word races around the building that more tickets were being sold at one of the box office booths. Some are able to grab one of the cheap seats for $47. None of the staff are letting us in on the news.

Mary Alice and those on the waiting list did get called back with offers of one or two seats. However, those calls aren’t made for many until nearly 3 p.m. as the venue finalizes a stage layout in the round making more $77 and $97 seats available.

By late March 1, 2009, Maliske was able to get 1,900 additional seats made available satisfying anyone who showed up wanting a ticket, and hopefully diluting the value of what scalper are selling.

After this past weekend’s epic fail, the Civic Center has a battered reputation not unlike Ticketmaster’s …#8221; loathed for decades in other parts of the nation for their ticketing practices, pricing, and contempt for buyers. Maybe it’s no longer allowing fan campouts or any physical first day sales, or pushing back demands from promoters that scalpers have a “more equal” first shot at tickets.

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A party organiser to the stars has been made bankrupt after being accused by one of his wealthiest clients of cheating over the bill.

Matthew James arranged events for such celebrities as Elton John, Kevin Spacey, Elvis Costello and Stella McCartney. But his glittering business collapsed after he lost a High Court battle over the fees for a party he organised for one of Britain's richest men, property tycoon Rafi Manoukian.

Mr Manoukian withheld the final £200,000 instalment of the £825,000 bill for the party at Elton's home, unhappy with aspects of the service and angry that Mr James was making a further £50,000 in commission from suppliers. DNA Productions sued to recover the money but found itself on the losing end of a costly High Court battle, which ended in 2008.

The first week of March 2009, Mr James was declared bankrupt, unable to pay Mr Manoukian's legal costs of about £450,000. DNA Productions (Europe) has also been wound up. At his home in Earl's Court, Mr James today said: "I am no cheat. It's a complicated matter."

Mr James, 33, a former drama student, made his name organising Sir Elton's White Tie and Tiara Ball, held annually at the pop star's home in Windsor. These events were increasingly outlandish. At one, he recreated a scene from an 18th-century French painting during which staff wore powdered wigs. Mr James even introduced zebras and giraffes at a safari-themed party.

For Spacey, he designed an airport lounge to celebrate the Hollywood actor's tenure at the Old Vic. He also arranged Stella McCartney's wedding and a party to celebrate the first anniversary of her fashion shop. Other celebrities who had sung his company's praises included P Diddy, George Michael and the Duchess of York.

But Mr James, who set up his business 10 years ago, came unstuck over Mr Manoukian's party in December 2006. The Armenian businessman, said to be worth up to £250 million, and his wife Jo, 35, a former model, hired DNA to stage a joint celebration for his 50th birthday and the christening of their daughter Fimi, now aged four. The party was a typically extravagant affair. The 200 guests included the couple's close friends David and Victoria Beckham, Elizabeth Hurley, Gordon Ramsay and Elle Macpherson. They drank Dom Perignon champagne, ate chocolates served in chocolate "glass slippers" and danced on a floor made out of mirrors.

The court effectively ruled that DNA had grossly overcharged Mr Manoukian and had routinely concealed the true costs of events to other clients. Mr James said: "The party seemed to go very well. It was only afterwards he said he was upset with some of it. People's perceptions of me are always very over-glorified. We were not some super-slick outfit. We had stumbled into it. People like Sir Elton were not my friends. They were my clients."

Mr James's legal case was not helped by an email, accidentally sent to Mr Manoukian, which revealed how he hid costs from his clients. The email, meant for a supplier, said: "When you do quote, could you also just include 10 per cent commission to us hidden in the quote? We have to show the client our invoices which is why we need the written quote and also the commission included."

Mr Justice Evans-Lombe said: "Matthew James accepted it was DNA's practice to conceal from its clients that it was receiving commissions or discounts in addition to an event management fee." DNA went into voluntary liquidation last year. It was £200,000 short on the party, and owed about £100,000 to its own lawyers and about £450,000 for Mr Manoukian's costs. On March 2, 2009 in the High Court, Mr Manoukian had Mr James made personally bankrupt too.
A source close to the case said today: "Matthew James was double-dipping. He got caught out and has gone bust. He has got just what he deserved."

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There was a warning on March 4, 2009 from some Atlanta businesses and charity groups to watch out for a scammer claiming to be connected to Elton John.

"He called, told us he was Elton John's personal assistant and Elton gave him our phone number," said Layne Whitehead-Lee, owner of Sweet N Sinful. At first, Whitehead-Lee was excited about the big order from what could be a very big customer.

"Cupcakes cookies, brownies, muffins. He needed to feed 300 people by 3:00 that afternoon," said Whitehead-Lee. Soon the initial excitement turned to skepticism. The man on the phone only gave a first name and a call to the Elton John AIDS Foundation in New York told Whitehead-Lee that there was no fundraising event scheduled for Atlanta.

"A scam, a real liar's liar, despicable," said Whitehead-Lee. At least two other businesses reported receiving nearly identical calls from the same man in recent weeks. A Roswell police report shows a café received a large order from a man who called himself Mr. Sams.

Doraville's Air Heat America repaired a furnace at a discounted rate for what it thought was an Elton John Foundation connected home. "We were trying to help, it was after hours. We were over there to serve him [only] to find out it was a big sham," said Jane Caplinger of Air Heat America.

The home Air Heat America said they were told to go to is a small house on a southeast Atlanta dead-end street that is surrounded by boarded up and burned out homes. No one answered the door on March 4, 2009 when a FOX 5 news crew knocked on the door. The phone number listed on the police report that Sams called from was disconnected.

Officials with the Elton John AIDS Foundation said they had no knowledge of, or was in any way affiliated with any fundraising events in Atlanta in 2009. "Who wouldn't want Elton John as a client? In the future I will donate to him, but would I want him to pick it up in person so I know it's not a scam, you bet," exclaimed Whitehead-Lee.

Air Heat America officials said they were exploring options as to how to recover the business' lost money. Roswell police took the report about the incident, but has not assigned an investigator because the Roswell café never delivered the order.

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David Buckley's "Elton: The Biography" will be available in paperback in the US the first week of March 2009.

The book was originally published in hardcover in the UK in February 2007. Drawn from over thirty original interviews, including Kiki Dee, Tim Rice, musical collaborators Ray Cooper and Paul Buckmaster, lyricist Gary Osborne, two members of Elton’s first band, and many more friends and associates, alongside meticulous secondary research, "Elton: The Biography" tells a page-turning story of incredible rock ‘n’ roll excess, amazing comebacks, tantrums, high-camp humour and prodigious talent. This authoritative, entertaining and compulsive book traces Elton’s extraordinary journey to national treasure status with wit, intelligence and insight, offering at last an in-depth biographical study worthy of this complex and compelling superstar.

David Buckley is the author of five other highly acclaimed music biographies, including "David Bowie: Strange Fascination", R.E.M. (both Virgin Books) and "Roxy Music: The Thrill of it All" (André Deutsch).

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Fan report by Stephan Heimbecher.

I still remember July 8, 1994 when I saw my first Elton/Billy "Face 2 Face" show at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. Back then the show concept was fresh, new and exciting. Today, almost 15 years later, the concept is basically still the same ... and so was the set list.

The show began with the "Aida" music during which the two pianos were lifted up from underneath the stage, which still is a magic moment that always gets an enthusiastic reaction from the crowd. Then Billy marched onto the stage to an American military march, followed by Elton who did the same accompanied by British military march music. Same as back in 1994.

The two piano men then launched into "Your Song" with Billy - wearing a suit and a tie - singing the first verse. When Elton started to sing, the accoustic feedback from his microphone almost smashed my eardrum. This technical problem didn't get fixed almost until the end of Elton's set.

But it weren't only the technical glitches that made this concert special. One could easily tell that this was the first night of the "Face 2 Face" tour, as the second song, "Honesty", was completely off-beat. The timing between Elton's and Billy's piano playing simply didn't exist so that they completely ruined this wonderful song - at least for me. I say back to rehearsals, guys!

What I liked was the new very open stage design with the two bands being mixed together instead of being seperated on the two sides of the stage. Above the stage is kind of a screen banner and some more screen elements are integrated into the stage, i.e. they are in between the musicians on stage.

Both Elton and Billy didn't talk that much on stage. Just a brief "Good evening, Jacksonville" (Elton) and "Hey, Jacksonville" (Billy) before they were joined on stage by their band members. Elton stated at the beginning of his set that "it is great to be on the road with Billy again". And during "Rocket Man", he improvised a little bit and sang "J-A-C-K-S-O-N-V-I-L-L-E". From that point on I only listened to the rest of the show from the outside corridor as my daughter Amy (5), who attended her first ever Elton/Billy concert this night, couldn't stand the loudness any longer. And it was really extremely loud - at least on the nosebleed seats that we were in.

What I had seen so far was a brilliant light show during Elton's set, which ended with the whole arena singing the "lalala" part of "Crocodile Rock". The highlight in Billy's set for me was "Zanzibar", a song I have always liked. And tonight we got an excellent live version of that song. While Elton had played approx. 80 minutes, Billy's set was almost exactly 60 minutes long. And one thing missing from earlier "Face 2 Face" shows was them singing a cover version of a song of their concert partner. Too bad! Only Billy did a little bit of "Take Me To The Pilot" during "River Of Dreams".

After three hours and 20 minutes the show ended with the mandatory "Piano Man". Quite frankly, I was a bit disappointed that the concept was more or less the same as 15 years ago - in fact it was less than that. I hadn't expected a whole new show, but at least a few new songs/elements would have been nice. Let's wait and see if and how the show will develop over time.

Following is the complete set list of the Jacksonville show on March 2, 2009:

Elton John/Billy Joel (solo)

• Your Song
  
• Honesty

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Elton John and Billy Joel's latest "Face to Face" tour kicks off in Jacksonville, FL, on March 2, 2009 and, according to Elton, may stretch into 2011, if all goes well.

Eltonfan.net plans to publish a review including the set list shortly after the concert.

With the concert industry struggling like the rest of the economy, "Face to Face" is shaping up to be one of the year's few bright spots. Here's why:

ELTON JOHN

HISTORIC TOURING RECORD 60 sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden in his career.

GRAMMYS: 5

BIGGEST SELLING ALBUM: "Greatest Hits," 16 million copies sold, No. 15 biggest-seller of all time

NO. 1 ALBUMS: 7 - "Honky Chateau" (1972); "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player" (1973); "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973); "Caribou" (1974); "Greatest Hits" (1974); "Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy" (1975); "Rock of the Westies" (1975)

NO. 1 POP SINGLES: 8 - "Crocodile Rock" (1973); "Step Into Christmas" (1973); "Bennie and the Jets" (1974); "Island Girl" (1975); "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" (1975); "Philadelphia Freedom" (1975); "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (1976); "Candle in the Wind 1997" (1997)

INDUCTED INTO ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME: 1994

BILLY JOEL

HISTORIC TOURING RECORD: 12 sold-out concerts in one run at Madison Square Garden in 2006.

GRAMMYS: 5

BIGGEST SELLING ALBUM: "Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2," 21 million copies sold, No. 6 biggest-seller of all time

NO. 1 ALBUMS: 4 - "52nd Street" (1978); "Glass Houses" (1980); "Storm Front" (1989); "River of Dreams" (1993)

NO. 1 POP SINGLES: 3 - "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" (1980); "Tell Her About It" (1983); "We Didn't Start the Fire" (1989)

INDUCTED INTO ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME: 1999

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Area concert fans have become accustomed to some of the pitfalls of buying tickets on the internet.

Anyone who's tried to buy tickets for Wolf Trap's summer season on its first day of sale has seen their share of time in Tickets.com's virtual waiting room. But, on February 28, 2009 Billy Joel and Elton John fans got a bit more than that.

Tickets.com crashed during the sale of tickets for the Elton John and Billy Joel July 11, 2009 concert at Nationals Park. For more than half an hour, when fans clicked on "Buy Tickets," error messages appeared. They either read, "webpage not found," or while Tickets.com worked on the problem, fans got a message that the site was down for routine maintenance. Tickets couldn't be purchased for any other Tickets.com event during this time.

Fans have very few options available to them during Tickets.com sales. Apart from venues, the only area Tickets.com retail outlets are at five CD Game Exchange locations in DC and Maryland.

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