As of 2026, Elton John and Billy Joel are both retired from touring, but not long ago the two legendary singer-songwriters and piano men were road warriors. Not only that, from 1994 through 2010, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers toured together numerous times.
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John and Joel’s Face to Face tours featured both artists playing together during the beginning and end of the shows, and each playing his own set as well. To promote the 2001, edition of the Face to Face tour, Elton and Billy visited NBC’s The Tonight Show on February 7 of that year. The episode featured Jay Leno, the talk show’s host at the time, conducting a lengthy interview with John and Joel.
In addition, Elton and Billy performed together twice, duetting on one of each other’s signature tunes. They were accompanied by the Face to Face touring band, which was Elton’s backing group at the time. The band included John’s longtime drummer Nigel Olsson and guitarist Davey Johnstone.
After the interview segments, John and Joel played Elton’s 1973 smash “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” Then, to end the show, the two teamed up for a rendition of Joel’s own 1973 classic “Piano Man.”
Details About the Performances
For the performance of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” Joel belted out the first verse and second chorus, while John sand the first chorus and second verse. Billy also contributed soaring harmonies at different parts of the tune.
For “Piano Man,” Joel began the tune with the classic piano and harmonica intro, before John sang the first verse. Billy and Elton then alternated verses for the rest of the tune, and harmonized on the choruses. Joel also delivered an inspired piano solo in the middle of the performance.
Near the end of the song, John flubbed a lyric and laughed, as Joel responded, flippantly, “Okay.” In another humorous moment, Billy gave his microphone a big sniff after singing, “And the microphone smells like a beer.”
Some Highlights from Leno’s Interview with Elton & Billy
After Leno introduced the rock icons, Billy wheeled Elton out in a wheelchair before John hobbled to his seat. Elton then explained that he’d recently torn his calf muscle while playing tennis.
A few minutes into the conversation, Leno asked John if Joel ever irritated him while on tour.
“Actually, Billy … doesn’t irritate me one bit,” Elton said. He then shared, “There was a time … in 1994, we did stadium tours, and the only thing that irritated me then [was that Billy] wasn’t looking after himself properly. So I sat him down and gave him a little lecture, and he’s been perfect since then.
Leno then remarked, “You’ve been giving him lectures on taking care of himself?”
John shot back, “Well, I’d been clean for four-and-a-half years by then. … No, I was just a little worried about him … ’cause he’s a dear friend, and I adore him.”
Later on, Joel did an almost-spot-on impression of Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone from The Godfather. John followed with his impression of Queen Elizabeth II.
More About the 2001 Face to Face Tour
John and Joel’s 2001 Face to Face Tour officially had kicked off the previous month. Their appearance on The Tonight Show took place while the trek was in the Los Angeles area for three shows at the Great Western Forum (now called the Kia Forum).
The tour wrapped up with a May 15-16 stand in Minneapolis.
(Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
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