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Coronavirus Update: Elton John, James Taylor, David Lee Roth, Alex Lifeson, Kiss, Billy Joel

By Music News Mar 16, 2020 | 7:00 PM
  • Elton John has postponed a portion of the upcoming North American leg of his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour. An announcement was released by the “Rocket Man's” camp, stating, “After serious consideration, it is with deep regret that Elton John will postpone (the) tour from March 26th through May 2nd. The May 22nd thru July 8th performances remain as scheduled. This tough decision has been made with the safety and well-being of his fans put to the fore, at a time when health services are under increased pressure and with the concern that these gatherings risk accelerating the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Elton looks forward to continuing to perform for his dedicated fans around the world and thanks you for your support.”
    • POSTPONED: Elton John tour dates:
      March 26 – Indianapolis, IN – Bankers Life Fieldhouse
      March 28, 29 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
      April 2, 3 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
      April 6, 7 – New York City, NY – Madison Square Garden
      April 10, 11 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
      April 15 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
      April 17, 18 – Long Island, NY – NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum
      April 20 – Hershey, PA – GIANT Center
      April 23 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
      April 25 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
      April 26 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
      April 28 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
      May 1, 2 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
  • Due to the COVI-19 crisis, James Taylor has cancelled his and Bonnie Raitt's upcoming Canadian tour. As it stands now, Taylor's upcoming shows with Jackson Browne, which kick off in May and run through July, are still on the books.
  • Taylor posted a message on his official JamesTaylor.com website, saying, “James here. I’ve had so many messages urging me to announce a decision regarding our upcoming Canadian tour. We were so looking forward to the tour, it breaks my heart to call it off. But that’s what we must do. All the medical information suggests that small and large gatherings may well put people at risk. That is the last thing we would ever want to do. I hope we can reschedule for the not-too-distant future. We will have an announcement tomorrow about how you can obtain a refund if you purchased a ticket to one of our Canadian concerts.”
    • CANCELLED: James Taylor & Bonnie Raitt tour dates:
      April 14 – Victoria, BC – Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre
      April 15 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
      April 17 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
      Apr 19 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
      April 21 – Winnipeg, MB – Bell MTS Place
      April 24 – Ottawa, ON – Richcraft Live at the Canadian Tire Center
      April 25 – London, ON – Budweiser Gardens
      April 27 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
      April 29 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell
      May 1 – Halifax, NS – Scotiabank Centre
      May 2 – Moncton, NB – Avenir Centre
      May 5 – St. John’s, NL – Mile One Centre
  • David Lee Roth has pulled the plug on his upcoming Las Vegas residency, Tweeting to fans: “House of Blues Las Vegas postponed. And now a word from Dave; 'Somebody gets me a Doctor, just kidding. . .' Take your Whiskey home, not kidding. . . ' Love Dave.” Roth's Vegas six-show run was set to play on March 18th, 20th, 21st, 25th, 27th, and 28th at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino's House of Blues venue.
  • Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson revealed on Twitter that he'll be self-quarantining for the next two weeks. Lifeson lives in the province of Ontario, which, to date, houses the largest number of COVID-19 cases in Canada. Blabbermouth reported: “On Saturday, Ontario reported 24 new cases, the highest daily increase since the outbreak began, bringing the total number of cases to 103.”(Blabbermouth)
  • Lifeson posted on Rush's official Twitter feed: “Just returned from Spring Break with my kids. We are all self-quarantining for 14 days. All travellers should. Looking forward to getting caught up on Netflix!! Send your top viewing suggestions. – Alex”
  • Kiss' Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons both took to Twitter to help assuage the fears of their fans dealing with the current state of social distancing. Stanley posted: “PLEASE. It may seem surreal. It may seem inconceivable. We are about to see illness, deaths and an overwhelmed hospital system never seen in our lifetime. Businesses are closing. This is NOT an opportunity for get-togethers or parties. SOCIAL DISTANCING IS THE MINIMUM. STAY HOME.”
    • Gene Simmons wrote in part: “Stay positive out there, everybody. Just keep washing your hands, and keep your distance from everybody, and you should be OK. This too, shall pass.”
  • Across the Internet and social media, newly created verses to Billy Joel's “We Didn't Start The Fire” touching upon the Coronavirus have sprang up.
  • Rolling Stone posted a few of the more memorable ones:
    • “Schools close, Tom Hanks, trouble in the big banks, no vaccine, quarantine, no more toilet paper seen. Travel ban, Weinstein, panic COVID-19, NBA, gone away, what else do I have to sayyyyyy” – The Caffeinated Therapist
    • “Tom Hanks is infected, flights from Europe re-directed/Quarantine, nowhere clean, panic in the U.S.!” – Danielle Lerner
    • “Flights from Europe banned from map/Sarah Palin tries to rap/They just shut down the NBA/What else do I have to say?” – Alex Hirsch
    • “Stocks and markets all derailed, Harvey’s gonna rot in jail/Donnie’s telling lies & tales/Cover up another fail” – Gav
    • “Coronavirus, CDC/No one goes to Italy. . . Cruise ships stuck, There’s no TP/Private flights, no NBA” – JonBenet Lennon
    • “We didn’t stop the virus/Could have been prevented/But our leader’s demented. . .” – Patton Oswalt
    • “Harvey jailed, White House failed, Travel ban, Jared’s plan?, No tests, Be best, Call your doctor, Where’s Ivanka?, NBA, NDA, CDC, OMG, Tom Hanks, Dow tanks, Bernie Biden, Death Toll risin’, Sarah Palin, MASS CONTAGION!!!” – Bruce Handy

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