James Taylor and Carole King

Iconic recording artists Carole King and James Taylor begin their world tour in Melbourne on March 27, taking to the world stage together for the first time in nearly 40 years.

This once-in-a-lifetime event brings together two of the most beloved singer/songwriters for a rare concert experience, performing in arenas across Australia and in Auckland. Limited tickets to the Vector Arena concert in Auckland are still available.

An additional concert date has been added to the New Zealand tour, Carole King and James Taylor will now perform in Christchurch at the Westpac Arena on Thursday, April 8.

In a Close Up (TVNZ) interview last December, Carole King was effusive when speaking of her previous visit to New Zealand in December 2006. She said the whole of the South Island was wonderful, in particular Franz Josef Glacier, which was 'spectacular'. This will be James Taylor's first visit to the South Island.

The two-hour show will feature a breadth of material including songs they performed during their 1970 debut show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, which helped propel them both to the world stage.

Tickets for the Christchurch concert will go on sale Monday, February 1 at 9.00am.

The idea for the 'Troubadour Reunion' tour came together in 2007 after King and Taylor performed at the famed Los Angeles venue for the first time since 1970 to celebrate the Troubadour's 50th Anniversary. The shows sold-out immediately and garnered rave reviews from fans and critics alike.

The Los Angeles Times noted "the sense of occasion [and] weight of history in the evening" and Variety said "Taylor and King reminded us about the intensity of song, that the artistically rich and commercial viable are not mutually exclusive..."

Australian and New Zealand fans will be able to experience what was created on that magical evening in 2007. Nearly four decades after helping define the singer-songwriter movement, King and Taylor will tour together with the original band-mates guitarist Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar, drummer Russ Kunkel and bassist Lee Sklar, famous in their own right as 'The Section'.

"When James and I first played together in the early seventies, we connected immediately, both musically and personally, with an effortless, comfortable familiarity," Carole King said.

"After we reunited in 2007 with Danny Kortchmar, Lee Sklar, and Russ Kunkel, the original band from our early Troubadour shows, none of us wanted the fun to stop. We can't wait to bring our Troubadour Reunion tour to Australia and New Zealand."

"This tour, our Troubadour Reunion, has been waiting to happen for a long time and the years seem to have vanished, where does the time go?" Taylor asks.

"When we reunited for the Troubadour's 50th Anniversary celebration, it felt like yesterday. It was and still is all about the music and the songs that we get to perform together."

Carole King performed with James Taylor at the Troubadour in November 1970 This historic show marked King's debut as a solo artist after penning 22 Top 40 hits for artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to the Monkees, while Taylor was supporting his self-titled Apple Records release featuring classics such as Carolina In My Mind and Something In The Way She Moves.

Both have since become multi-platinum-selling artists, Grammy winners and members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In 1971, King gave us the landmark Tapestry. The album received a Diamond Award from the RIAA for sales of more than 10 million units in the U.S., with more than 25 million units sold worldwide. King was the first woman to win four Grammy Awards in one year - Best Album, Best Song, Best Record, and Best Vocal Performance in 1972 - a feat unsurpassed for more than 25 years. That same year Time Magazine named King "Woman of the Year".

In 1987 King and Gerry Goffin were inducted into the Songwriter Hall of Fame and honored with their Lifetime Achievement Award in 1988. Goffin and King were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and were honored by The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2004 with the Grammy Trustees' Award.

To date, more than 400 Carole King compositions have been recorded by more than 1000 artists, resulting in 100 hit singles - many reaching #1. She has released 25 solo albums, the most recent being The Living Room Tour double-live CD on her own Rockingdale Records label. The companion DVD, entitled Welcome To My Living Room is now available.

Carole King is arguably the most successful and most revered female songwriter in pop music history.

Over the course of his career, James Taylor has sold more than 40 million albums, and won more than 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards as well as five Grammy Awards. Taylor's first Greatest Hits album earned him the RIAA's elite Diamond Award, given for sales in excess of 10 million units in the United States.

In 2000, Taylor was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In February 2006, The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences named Taylor its MUSICARES Person of the Year. Taylor's CD/DVD One Man Band (2007) was nominated for an Emmy and his most recent album, Covers, was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2008. He most recently released Other Covers in April 2009.