Elton John

The 1998 global stadium tour featured Elton John filling in for Billy Joel due to illness at Wembley and Zurich.

Riding on the success of their previous two tours, Elton John and Billy Joel returned to stadiums in 1998. Unlike prior runs limited to the United States and Canada, this leg expanded globally to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Europe, deliberately avoiding North American cities. The tour faced significant interruptions when illness forced Billy Joel out of his scheduled performance at Wembley Stadium in London on 6 June; Elton John stepped in alone, performing several of Joel's songs to fill the set. This scenario repeated exactly on 30 June at Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich for the final night of the tour. Years later, in 2012, Joel explained that he stopped touring with John because the arrangement restricted his own setlist choices.

Quick Facts

Birth name

Reginald Kenneth Dwight

Born

25 March 1947

Birthplace

Pinner, Middlesex, England

Occupation

Singer
composer
pianist

Education

Royal Academy of Music

Years active

1962–present

Spouse

Renate Blauel (1984–1988); David Furnish (2014)

Children

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

The 1998 leg of their joint touring history marked a distinct geographic shift, moving beyond the North American circuit that had defined their previous two successful runs. The production expanded its footprint to include Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and various European cities, yet intentionally excluded any North American stops for this specific year. A defining characteristic of this tour was the flexibility required when Billy Joel fell ill. On 6 June at Wembley Stadium in London, Joel withdrew from the concert, leaving Elton John to perform solo. John did not merely play his own catalog; he specifically played several of Joel's songs to honor the absent collaborator. This dynamic repeated on 30 June at Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, Switzerland. This date marked the absolute conclusion of the 1998 tour. The collaboration eventually came to an end, with Joel stating in 2012 that he would no longer tour with John because it restricted his setlists.

Reader's Guide

For fans tracking the history of Elton John and Billy Joel, the 1998 tour is notable for its specific international scope and the instances where John performed solo. When researching this era, note that the production visited Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Europe while skipping North America entirely. Two key dates are essential: 6 June at Wembley Stadium in London and 30 June at Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich. On both occasions, Billy Joel was absent due to illness, and Elton John performed the entire show, including several of Joel's songs. The Zurich concert on 30 June was explicitly the last night of the 1998 tour. If looking for the conclusion of their joint touring history, Joel's 2012 statement is the definitive reference point where he noted that touring with John restricted his setlists.