Names and faces

— Tim McGraw is giving away 25 mortgage-free houses - one for each stop on this summer’s “Brothers ofthe Sun” tour with Kenny Chesney - to wounded or needy servicemen. McGraw will kick off the campaign with a Memorial Day concert for members of the military at New York City’s Beacon Theatre during Fleet Week. “My sister’s a veteran, my uncle’s a veteran, my grandfather was a veteran, one of my best friends is a veteran,” McGraw said in an interview. “I’ve known people my whole life who are in service to America. ... So to be ableto go on tour and provide sort of a stable foundation for a veteran and their family is something I really look forward to.” Fans can watch a live stream of the show on YouTube and it also will be available to military bases around the world via The Pentagon Channel website. The country music superstar is partnering with the charity Operation Homefront and Chase Bank on the program, dubbed HomeFront, with contributions from the Academy of Country Music’s ACM Lifting Lives program and The Premier Group on behalf of the North Carolina Furniture Manufacturers. The Brothers of the Sun tour kicks off June 2 in Tampa, Fla., and runs into August with stops in many of the nation’s largest cities. It’s expected to be one of the biggest tours of the summer.

Elton John is canceling three Las Vegas performances on doctors’ orders after being hospitalized with a respiratory infection. Officials with Caesars Entertainment said the Thursday, Saturday and Sunday performances of “The Million Dollar Piano” are being canceled. Show officials said Elton John came down with the infection last weekend and was admitted Wednesday to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LosAngeles. He was later released. Doctors recommended he not perform for a week and take antibiotics. The singer, who is 65, said in a statement that he’s sorry he can’t be with his fans at the casino’s showroom, The Colosseum. “The Million Dollar Piano” launched in September for a three-year run and features the singer’s classic songs.

Front Section, Pages 2 on 05/25/2012

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