KANSAS CITY -- For the first time in 39 years, Kauffman Stadium will host a concert not associated with a baseball game.
Royals legend George Brett made the announcement at a news conference inside Kauffman Stadium on Friday, revealing that another legend, Billy Joel, will perform at The K on Sept. 21 at 8 p.m.
"When I was playing," Brett said, "there wasn't a single act that was bigger than Billy Joel. I'm really excited about this. This is going to be something."
Tickets will go on sale to the public starting Jan. 26 at 10 a.m. CT at royals.com/billyjoel.
The most recent concert at Kauffman Stadium was in 1979 and featured REO Speedwagon.
Joel, who has sold over 150 million records, is the third-largest selling solo artist of all time.
The stage for the concert will be on the field in deep center beneath Kauffman Stadium's 84-by-104-foot scoreboard.
Dave Gerardi of Live Nation Entertainment, which is producing the event, joked that Royals groundskeeper Trevor Vance, "Shouldn't be nervous. We'll have it all under control."
After Brett finished speaking at the news conference, Toby Cook, Royals vice president of publicity, shared some remarkable similarities and coincidences between Brett's career and Joel's:
• Brett started his pro career in 1971. Joel released his first album "Cold Spring Harbor" in 1971.
• Brett made his Major League debut in 1973, the same year that Joel's first hit, "Piano Man," cracked the Billboard Top 100.
• Brett became the first Major Leaguer to win batting titles in three different decades -- the 1970s, '80s and '90s. Joel had No. 1 singles and albums in all three decades.
• Brett retired in 1993. Joel released his last album of original songs in 1993 ("River of Dreams").
• Brett was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. Joel was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.
"And we'll both be at The K on September 21st," Brett said.