By Ray Waddell
Billboard
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Hopes are high that the pairing of Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks for the Heart & Soul tour of North American arenas will strike the kind of boomer gold that led James Taylor and Carole King to a $62 million gross in 2010—the sixth-highest among all tours for the year, according to Billboard Boxscore. American Express presales are solid, according to Stewart agent Dennis Arfa at Artists Group International, but the true test comes when several public on-sales launch Jan. 23. The tour begins March 20 at the Bank Atlantic Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Stewart is working his latest Great American Songbook release, while Nicks will release In Your Dreams on May 3, her first studio album since 2001.
Both veterans remain big draws. Last year, Stewart sold out eight shows in Las Vegas and every date on his 26-show European tour, grossing $31.2 million on ticket sales of 309,139, according to Boxscore. Meanwhile, Fleetwood Mac’s 67-date tour in 2009 grossed $74.1 million on attendance of 718,017, according to Boxscore.
