Elton John to perform in anti-record industry benefit concert

Sir Elton John--along with the Eagles, the Dixie Chicks, Billy Joel, Sheryl Crow, Steve Nicks, No Doubt, Ozzy Osbourne, Weezer, and many others--will perform at benefit concerts the night before the Grammy Awards in February in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times. What makes these benefit shows unusual is that they aren't for charity but for the Recording Artists Coalition, an activist trade group of artists who are taking on major record labels. Proceeds from the five concerts--which will be held at venues all over Los Angeles on February 26--"will be used to help the coalition launch a legislative assault against the Big Five music conglomerates to stop what some artists call unconscionable business practices used to deny musicians their fair share of royalty earnings," according to the paper.