Billy Joel and Elton John postponed the remaining stops on their Face to Face tour Monday. The dates affected stretch through April 11th, and include the pair’s second show at Madison Square Garden – originally scheduled for last night – four nights at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, three in New Jersey and one in Boston. Those shows, as well as a previously postponed date in Tampa, Florida, will be rescheduled for “the earliest appropriate time,” according to Joel’s Web site.
According to the post, doctors diagnosed Joel with “acute laryngitis, inflamed vocal chords and an acute upper respiratory infection,” which will require several weeks of rest.
The news follows a Friday night concert at Madison Square Garden, the first of the two scheduled New York shows, after which the New York Times insinuated that a “rambling” Joel had been drinking. “Being a New Yorker – and since it’s been so rough for all of us this past year – I did not want to let my hometown down,” wrote Joel, who grew up on Long Island. “So, I tried to do the best I could Friday night at the Garden. I pushed it more that I should have.”
Doctors expect Joel to make a full recovery.
Tickets for the postponed dates will be honored at the rescheduled shows.