On This Day, Aug. 25, 1970: Elton John played his first-ever show in North America

On This Day, Aug. 25, 1970 …

Elton John played his first-ever live show in North America, kicking off a six-night stand at The Troubadour in Los Angeles.

According to setlist.fm, Elton’s nine-song set opened with the now-classic “Your Song” and also featured “Border Song,” “Take Me to the Pilot” and “Burn Down the Mission.” He also performed a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Woman.”

Elton played shows in San Francisco, New York and Philadelphia, and eventually launched his first full-length tour that October in Boston.

Elton’s more than 50-year touring career had him performing in the U.S. countless times. He wrapped the final U.S. leg of his final tour, the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, with a three-night stand at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium in November 2022. The tour wrapped on July 8 in Stockholm, Sweden.