LAS VEGAS, Oct. 9, 2011 -- World-renowned singer, songwriter and performer Elton John celebrated a milestone 3,000 live public performances last night, Saturday, October 8, 2011, with his show "The Million Dollar Piano" at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The landmark concert punctuates a banner year for the entertainer as 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of his Las Vegas debut.

Elton has enjoyed an extraordinary and unique voyage from the first ever public concert he played on his 23rd birthday, March 25, 1970, at the Revolution Club in London. At that time Elton was promoting the Elton John album, which had just been released on the DJM label.

Over the past forty-one years Elton's concerts have been presented in many formats. He has played with his band, solo, in a two-man show with percussionist Ray Cooper, with Billy Joel, with Leon Russell, with Eric Clapton, with orchestras, with choirs and, now, with a full band plus four backing vocalists and the 2CELLOS. Two of the great musicians in his current band, drummer Nigel Olsson and guitarist Davey Johnstone, have been with Elton since those very early concerts in the 1970s.

Since 1970 Elton has played and replayed the alphabet of cities, from Aalborg, Denmark, which he played on June 6, 2004, toZurich, Switzerland, which he has played sixteen times in his career. Elton has performed concerts in 74 countries, some of which have changed names, and in some cases political systems, between his performances. Still today he is actively seeking to increase the number of countries in which he has played.

Elton has played the most concerts in the US, with a total of 1,608 performances. In fact, Elton has played concerts in every one of the 50 states. Great Britain comes next (497), followed by Australia (138), Germany (133) and Canada (102). The remaining countries have less than 90 shows each.

Breaking down those 3,000 concerts by decade, Elton performed 616 in the 1970s, 537 in the 1980s, 590 in the 1990s, an astonishing 1,064 in the 2000s and, so far, 193 in the 2010s. On two occasions he has performed at two cities on the same day. On September 18, 1971 he played in Oakland and San Diego, while on July 2, 2005 he played at Live 8 in London and at R.D.S. Arena in Dublin, Ireland.

Following his 3,000th concert, this October Elton will play an additional nine shows of "The Million Dollar Piano" at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. He will then head out on tour for the rest of the year, with concerts in Latvia, Lithuania, Russia,Ukraine, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. His touring plans for 2012 include additional engagements of "The Million Dollar Piano," as well as summer concerts in England.

Additional show dates of "The Million Dollar Piano," are now on-sale. Tickets for performances in February 2012 are available and range in price from $55 to $250, not including taxes and fees. Limited VIP tickets are available through the Caesars Palace Box Office.

2012 performance dates now on-sale for "The Million Dollar Piano" include:

February 9-11, 2012
February 14, 2012
February 16-18, 2012

Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased in person at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Box Office, open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. PST, as well as online at TicketMaster.com, keyword "Elton John." For groups of 20 or more, call 702.731.7208.

For additional show and ticket information, visit CaesarsPalace.com; for the latest updates follow @CaesarsPalace and @ColosseumatCP on Twitter.

ABOUT CAESARS PALACE

Reigning at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, Caesars Palace features 3,300 hotel guest rooms and suites, including the 180-room Nobu Hotel set to open in 2012; and 25 diverse restaurants and cafes, including the 24-hour cafe Central by James Beardaward-winning Chef Michel Richard. The 85-acre resort offers nearly 129,000 square-feet of casino space including a 14,000 square-foot poker room; a five-acre Garden of the Gods pool complex showcasing eight pools and two gardens; the 50,000 square-foot award-winning Qua Baths & Spa and Color Salon by renowned celebrity colorist Michael Boychuck; five elegant wedding chapels and outdoor gardens; 300,000 square-feet of premium meeting and convention space; and the acclaimed 683,000-square-foot Forum Shops offering more than 180 boutiques and dining establishments. Caesars guests enjoy Cascata, one of the world's most exclusive golf courses; and the 4,300-seat Colosseum spotlighting world class entertainers such as Elton John, Celine Dion, Jerry Seinfeld and Rod Stewart. For more information call 866-227-5938 or visitwww.caesarspalace.com; find Caesars Palace on Facebook and follow on Twitter.

SOURCE Caesars Palace