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Have $100,000 Handy? Joel Tickets Are For Sale

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 16, 2008

Billy Joel doesn't pause after hearing how tickets to his upcoming Shea Stadium shows - "The Last Play at Shea" - were being resold online for several thousand dollars apiece, with some being priced at nearly $100,000.

"Yeah, I can tell you right now, I'm not worth that," he says, calling from his Sag Harbor home. "Maybe if The Beatles could somehow get back together or if Jimi Hendrix came back from the dead, I would pay $1,000. But if you pay that much for me, you're not going to be happy. I'm not worth more than the face value of the ticket."

There are, of course, many who would disagree with the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, the Grammy winner whose name hangs in the rafters of Madison Square Garden commemorating his record-setting 12-show sold-out run there, the Tony Award winner whose greatest hits album is one of the biggest-selling albums of all time. Coincidentally, many of those disagreeing may also have been shut out of Joel's shows at Shea on Wednesday and Friday, because the 55,000 tickets for each historic concert sold out in record-setting time - in 48 minutes for the first show, then 46 for the second.

Brangelina Postpartum Obsession

For those who are either (a) completely enamored of the most famous/beautiful/important (insert appropriate superlative) babies in the world or (b) are one of the three people left who haven't yet heard about them, the international media continue to deliver updates on the Brangelina twins.

Today's report comes from People.com, who are happy to tell us that the papooses are the talk of the town over in Nice. In fact, Mayor Christian Estrosi, who stopped by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's hospital room, shocked the local newspaper, Nice-Matin, with the news that during his visit, Pitt kept repeating the stunningly unique statement, "I am the happiest father ever." The paper also reported that the babies, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline, born Saturday, spent that night in Jolie's room and that she took care of them all by herself.

Usmagazine.com brings us the scoop on possible reasons behind the names of Brad and Angie's newest additions to their intercontinental family. Quoting "baby name expert" Pamela Redmond Satran, the report tells us, "Vivienne is the French version of the ancient Latin name that means 'alive,'" while Knox is Pitt's grandfather's middle name, and, like the names of big brothers Maddox and Pax, it ends in an x.

Satran also gave the couple some much-needed support, saying, "I applaud Brad and Angelina for being truly creative in a way that many other parents - celebrities and the rest of us - claim they want to be but aren't brave or individualistic enough to really achieve."

Today's Birthdays

Rock composer-musician Stewart Copeland is 56. Dancer Michael Flatley is 50. Actress Phoebe Cates is 45. Actor-comedian Will Ferrell is 41. Actor Corey Feldman is 37. Actress AnnaLynne McCord is 21. Actor Mark Indelicato ("Ugly Betty") is 14.

Sources: The Associated Press, McClatchy-Tribune

CORRECTIONS

It is the policy of The Tampa Tribune to correct all errors of fact. To report an error, call (813) 259-7600 or e-mail news@tampatrib.com.

CORRECTION: The husband of Tampa resident Bella Canasi ran a private transportation business in Cuba before immigrating to Tampa in 1961. His occupation was incorrect in a story in Tuesday's Metro section.

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