For artists like the Eagles, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen, there is some light at the end of the tunnel due to the fact that soon copyright laws will be allowing them to have control again over their master recordings.

During the 1970s, there were revisions made to copyright laws to provide artists with the right for regaining control of their outputs through termination rights. Thirty-five years after being released, albums become eligible. According to a report in the New York Times, albums dating from 1978 are the first that will gain eligibility. This means that “52nd Street” by Billy Joel and “Darkness on the Edge of Town” by Bruce Springsteen will be two of the more famous moneymakers who could be seeing a change in ownership soon.

However, there are two hitches. The first one is artists are required to file two years before the eligibility date to make a claim on their albums as well as the royalties associated with them. In addition, artists can claim ownership for individual songs. Musicians such as Bryan Adams, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and others have begun pursuing this already.

The second hitch, which is more of a concern for the artists, is that record labels won’t be letting the cash cows go without a fight. Steven Marks from the Recording Industry Association of America said, we don’t believe the termination right applies to a majority of sound recordings.

Eagles band member and artist advocate Don Henley, who is a Recording Artists Coalition founding member said, a gazillion dollars have been made by the recording industry on the masters, with the artists making a lot less. There is an issue of fairness, of parity. This bone of contention will be getting even more contentious during the next few years.

Joel and Springsteen representatives have declined to comment about any plans the artist may have in attempting to capitalize on the copyright issues. The termination claims are processed manually by the U.S. Copyright Office, making it impossible to obtain concrete information about the number of artists who to date have filed.

Rick Carnes, president of the Songwriters Guild of America said, year after year more and more songs will be returning to songwriters and influence the market much more. The music is still valuable and will own it.

The likes of Allen Toussaint, Leon Russell and Garth Brooks were honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame at their recent gala, which is held annually in New York City.

Some of the inductees on Thursday night you may not have recognized amidst the famous faces. Until you heard their famous songs that is.

Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg could probably walk down the street without being recognized. However, they have written several catchy, famous hit songs, including “Like a Virgin” by Madonna, “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper, “So Emotional” by Whitney Houston and “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders.

Referring to the Madonna song, Kelly said, at the time that was pretty risque. It took about a month for us to finally fall accidentally into what that song ended up being.

Another inductee was John Bettis. He wrote “Crazy For You,” the Madonna hit single, in addition to hit songs for Diana Ross, the Carpenters and The Pointer Sisters. He also wrote Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature.” Skylar Grey performed the song during the gala.

Cynthia Weil and Barry Man were presented with a Johnny Mercer Award by Bill Medley from The Righteous Brothers. The married couple wrote “You Lost That Lovin’ Feelin,” the mega hit single.

Medley said we were very lucky they wrote the song for us.

“You Lost That Lovin’ Feelin” is still going strong and has had over 14 million airplays.

Inductees were joined by other artists on stage during the show, with key performances including Trisha Yearwood singing a medley of Hal David hits, Toussaint and Boz Scaggs performing “What Do You Want the Girl to Do,” and Russell and Dwight Yoakam singing “Superstar.”

Drake performed “Best I Ever Had,” his hit single, and Chaka Khan sang “I’m Every Woman” by Ashford and Simpson.

Garth Brooks was inducted by Billy Joel. He later performed “Shameless,” the 1991 Brooks hit, which Joel wrote. Brooks was thrilled.

Speaking of songwriters, here is one of the all time greatest songwriters, said Brooks referring to Joel. He took the time to do this. I’m very lucky.

According to Joel, he loves having other artists record his material. However, he says he didn’t ever intend on being a rock star.

Joel said, I don’t like my voice. Really I don’t. I’m not a good singer, although I do think I am a good songwriter.

Elton John has dished some tough love out for Billy Joel, his longtime friend.

In an interview appearing in the latest Rolling Stone issue, John blasts Joel, his former touring partner. He cites Joel’s penchant for alcohol as the reason for the duo’s many canceled shows.

The 63 year old John told Contributing Editor of Rolling Stone Austin Scaggs, the bottom line is he’s coasting. I’m always saying, Billy can you write some new songs? It’s either laziness or fear. It’s upsetting to me.

John added, Billy is a conundrum. So many of our tours have been canceled due to illness and other various things like alcoholism.

The history of Joel’s struggle with alcohol is well known. In 2002 Joel entered a Connecticut psychiatric and substance abuse center to help him kick the habit. Then just three years later Joel spent thirty days at the Betty Ford Center to treat alcohol related problems.

Elton John has done rehab time as well. He criticized the previous attempts of the Piano Man’s to get sober.

John added, he will hate me for saying this, but each time Billy has gone into rehab they have been light. When I went they made me clean the floors. Billy goes to rehab at places where there are TVs. Billy, I love you. This is my tough love.

In spite of the blatant honesty from John, it doesn’t appear that any love has been lost between these two longtime friends.

Joel said Elton and I have worked together for a very long time. I enjoy our relationship far too much to allow something like this comments change how I feel about him. It’s just Elton being Elton.

Recently, Billy Joel told Rolling Stone he didn’t, contrary to reports stemming from an article in the Chicago Tribune, pull the plug for the summer tour he was allegedly planning to do with Elton John. Joel said he had never planned this year on doing that tour, and there had been no bookings confirmed for the two’s “Face to Face” trek.

Joel told Rolling Stone that 2010 summer tour rumors were leaked apparently by venue insiders where booking agents were inquiring about dates available for a potential John/Joel show. Joel said booking agents have real estate. They like researching to see what’s available at what times to try to put dates together. Then they go to the artists and tell them, if you want to you could play with such and such or play here.

According to Joel, John at the time the Chicago interview was held had recently been told by his booking agent of the news that his touring partner would not be working in summer 2010. Joel said when he asked John about the comments he had made that John had confirmed that he had just been told that Joel wasn’t going to work in 2010. He had expressed being disappointed about that to the press.

Joel insists there isn’t any bad blood between John and him. He also added that their “Face To Face” highly successful tour probably would resume sometime in the future. He didn’t say when, however.

Currently the duo is performing “Face to Face” shows. The dates run through March 11. However they are make-up dates from shows canceled last year.

Billy Joel and Elton John have canceled this summer’s leg from their joint tour. The reason is the Piano Man would like to have some time off. Elton John, in an interview with the Chicago Tribune, said that Joel had made the decision to take the year off, which forced the cancellation of their outing which had been scheduled.

John was in Chicago to promote “Billy Elliot,” the musical. He told local press that he was very disappointed that Joel and he would not perform at Wrigley Field on July 7 as planned.

John, in a WGN-TV interview in Chicago said, there won’t be any more Elton and Billy shows as far as I can tell after our show on March 11th in Albany, NY.

John said, it’s Billy’s decision, not mine. He decided he wanted a year off. My plans don’t really gel with that, but Billy is a friend of mine. He’s an artist. His decision needs to be respected.

Wrigley Field will play host to more than just baseball this summer. Dave Matthews Band and Elton John & Billy Joel both have slated dates to play the storied park. There had been a flurry of questions surrounding future concerts being held at Wrigley due to concerns by the adjoining Lake View neighborhood in recent years.

Last year, three concerts were held in one week at Wrigley – Rascal Flatts and two by Billy Joel & Elton John, and Alderman Tom Tunney declared the experiment a success. Tunney plans to propose an exception to the Cubs night-game ordinance at a future City Council meeting which would clear the way for future concerts.

In speaking with the Chicago Sun-Times, Tunney said, “There are certainly naysayers. There have been naysayers about doing any concerts. But the majority of the community thinks the concerts, so long as they’re regulated and few and far between, provide benefits to the community. It’s great for business in the neighborhood. It also provides real, first-rate entertainment at the park.”

Billy Joel & Elton John have penciled in their Wrigley date for Wednesday, July 7 while Dave Matthews Band is looking more to a Friday or Saturday night in September. There is no word yet regarding the Cubs forfeiting one of their 30 night games in the deal as has been the case in year’s past.

According to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times, it is expected that the Dave Matthews Band as well as Billy Joel and Elton John will be performing at Wrigley Field in Chicago this summer despite concerns that have been expressed by Lake View neighbors in years past.

Reportedly, alderman Tom Tunney is planning to introduce a night game Chicago Cubs ordinance exception at an upcoming City Council meeting that would allow the shows to take place.

According to the report in the Sun-Times, the Cubs last summer held three unprecedented shows at Wrigley field in one week. One of the concerts was by Rascal Flatts and two from Joel and John. Tunney at the time promised neighbors who were concerned about it that if it didn’t go well that there wouldn’t be any additional concerts.

Reportedly, Tunney this week said the experiment of three concerts had been very successful that it was worth repeating the experience.

Reportedly, Joel and John are scheduled tentatively to perform on July 7 at Wrigley field, with Matthews also expected for headlining September night concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings with dates still to be determined.

Elton John and Billy Joel have reshuffled dates once again for the current leg from their “Face 2 Face Tour”. The duo has moved several shows that had been scheduled to take place this month into the early part of next year.

There was no reason given for the postponements. Last month one date was canceled and several postponed due to Elton John coming down with e-coli and influenza and Joel being waylaid with an unspecified illness. September 3 in Seattle is when the next show on the current “Face 2 Face” outing will take place. A second date for Seattle will be on February 6.

Concerts that were originally scheduled for November in Northern California and Seattle have now been rescheduled. Seattle dates are February 3 and 6. On February 13 there will be a show in Oakland, CA and on February 16 a performance will be in San Jose, CA. A pair of shows for upstate New York have also been rescheduled for March.

According to Elton John’s website, all tickets for the original shows will be honored with the rescheduled dates. Refunds will be available as well at their point of purchase locations.

Billy Joel and Elton John have another arena run of dates lined up as part of “Face 2 Face,” their ongoing set of co-headlining shows.

On November 4 the pair will be in returning to the stage in Seattle. Dates have been scheduled through to December 7, where an Albany, NY make-up concert will take place. According to an issued press release, the date was scheduled originally for July but had to be postponed after Joel became ill with symptoms that were flu-like. Another July date will be made good with a Buffalo, NY concert on December 4. The performers will also be visiting several cities on the West Coast in addition to the make-up dates. They will be in Portland, OR on November 10 and in San Jose, CA on November 17.

According to a recent press release John and Joel, like the previous concerts they have done together, will be starting their evenings off by playing several duets where they trade vocals from their twin pianos. Then the stars will perform separately before the come together once again for a grand finale. The shows will consist of greatest hits from the two as well as a selection of classic rock-and-roll tunes.

The first time Joel and John did a tour together was in 1994. Their most recent outing of “Face 2 Face” before the affair this year was a 24 date, sold-out 2003 trek. According to a recent press release, the two performers are the longest running and most successful concert pairing in the history of pop music.

Elton John, in addition to touring duties for “Face 2 Face” and overseas performances periodically of his production “The Red Piano” (his long running residency in Las Vegas closed in April), the performer found time recently to guest on Alice in Chain’s title track for their new set “Black Gives Way to Blue.”

In a recent press release Jerry Cantrell, Alice in Chains vocalist and guitarist said, we had thought about adding piano onto the track. Then a friend of ours suggested that we call Elton. I remember that I laughed and said, yeah sure I’ll do that. Then I decided it was worth a try. I sent an email to Elton explaining the song’s meaning to us. I told him is was a raw, real openhearted song for Layne (late Alice in Chains singer). We sent Elton the track. A short while later we got a call from his saying that he wanted to play on the song and that it was beautiful. That blew us away.

Billy Joel’s camp informed tour officials that the double bill Billy Joel and Elton John tour was suspended late last week when Joel developed flu-like symptoms.

Concerts scheduled for July 24 in Buffalo, NY and July 27 in Albany, NY have been postponed. Joel, age 60, was told by his doctors to rest for a period of 72 hours. That appears to keep the Philadelphia tour shows scheduled for later in the week to go on as scheduled. Tour promoters are working on re-scheduling the dates that have been affected.

A statement that was posted on John’s website said that the Albany venue and promoter AEG Live had been informed that Billy Joel’s doctor had advised him to cancel his public performances for 72 hours due to his extreme physical fatigue and needing to have additional testing performed.

The tour “Face 2 Face,” which features the two veteran singer/piano players, launched in March with shows through the spring as well as summer, alternating with one month on, one month off. The current leg is scheduled to wrap up on August 1 and will resume again in Seattle on November 4.

In Washington, D.C. Joel, during a recent concert, came through to rescue the show after equipment problems forced John to exit the stage early on during the concert. Joel then vamped and played to the crowd while pretending to try to fix John’s piano. The stage crew eventually made the actual fix and John was able to return to the stage, apologizing for the incident.