Media outlets around the world have reported on Swedish pop singer Robyn sharing her once in a lifetime experience touring with Madonna. She had given an interview to a local Swedish newspaper where she had told them that she and her band were not allowed to approach Madonna, were not allowed to speak to her or take pictures despite Madonna having personally chosen Robyn to open for a few of her European concerts.
Robyn decided to clarify what she meant and sent the exclusive statement below to Perez Hilton:
“Seeing that a lot has been reported about my experience of being on tour with Madonna in the press, I feel like I have to tell it like it is! So with my own words, here I go:
I got a chance to go on tour with Madonna in Europe and like any one who’s been a fan of her since the age of ten I was super exited. Contrary to what you might have read elsewhere its been FUN! I’ve played to Madonna’s audience in eleven different cities, all of which have received us well even though I was only the opening act. Me and my band got to know Madonna’s production team and they were very helpful. Madonna’s management was super cool and we hung out with the band and dancers and had a lot of fun with them. When I met her at the end of the tour she was really cool and natural. I got a chance to thank her for putting me on and she even told me she was a fan! It was a very special moment i will never forget.
When I arrived on the first day of the tour I was surprised by the tight security that involved us as well. It took a couple of days to find my place on this big adventure but the tour has been a once in a lifetime experience. I have gotten the rare opportunity to see an enormous production from the inside and get the chance to perform in front of tens of thousands of people at every show.
In one interview I was asked if I wanted a career like Madonnas and I said no, my worst nightmare would be trying to be a Madonna. She’s an icon and a pioneer, but only Madonna can be Madonna. It would be sad to try to copy her model. Times are different nowadays as well. Even if I tried, it would be hard to build what she has achieved in the climate of the music industry today. I want to be me and work from my own small independent record company.
I want to be left alone in my creative process. I imagine she has lots and lots of people telling her things. Every one watches her every move. Obviously she can cope with that, but for me that pressure would be a burden. Too many other people have cracked under much less pressure in the music world and as a woman it’s even harder to stay at the top. The peer pressure, fashion mags and media celebrate youth, beauty and the new in females and most people are lucky to stay around for 5 years. I learned that next to the president of the United States of America, Madonna must be the most famous person on earth whose every little move is watched by millions and a complete security state is surrounding her!
I´m from a little country called Sweden where even though a lot of people know me here, I still can go to the store and buy milk in my underwear. And I would love to keep that for me.
But who am I to judge her? Watching her on stage during the tour I could tell that she was really enjoying herself. She is probably doing exactly what she wants to do and that´s why she is so inspiring. I want to be like that as well, I want to be myself.”
The Guardian reported that Madonna was slapped with a fine in the amount of £135,000 or about $270,000 after exceeding her allotted stage time ( her Sticky and Sweet concert ran late ) at Wembley stadium earlier this month.
“Over 74,000 fans packed into Wembley stadium to gawp at the 50-year-old. Although she was due to take the stage at 8.30pm, according to the Sun, she eventually appeared at 9.10pm, which pushed the final curtain back from 10.30pm to 11.10pm.”
Wembley supposedly fines £50,000 ($100, 000 or so) for every 15 minutes of tardiness.
There were also “reports that fans were stranded after public transport at Wembley wound down after 11pm, another problem that occurred as a result of Madonna’s tardiness.”
Somehow I don’t think a fine will cause financial hardship, nor make her change her diva ways. We all know that she can afford the fine. Her Wembley stadium concert brought in $12m USD (£6.3m), according to a statement. A week earlier she performed at the largest-ever concert in Switzerland.
Janet Jackson has now canceled three more shows which makes for a total of six altogether on her tour. According to her rep, JJ has cancelled last night’s show in Greensboro, NC, today’s show in Atlanta, and tomorrow’s in Fort Lauderdale because it’s “evident” she’s not fully recovered.
So that makes Montreal, Boston, and Philly, Greensboro, Atlanta, and Fort Lauderdale. Her doctor has ordered her to go home for further treatment.
From what I’ve been reading, Janet’s tour has been less than 3/4 capacity at all her venue’s except for Los Angeles. Wonder if her tour has been losing money and she’s doing the same thing that Britney did on the ONYX Tour… progressively becoming more ill and bowing out with a medical condition rather than face up to the shame that has followed her career since the Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction.
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Guitar maestro Carlos Santana who is currently on tour gave an interview with Rolling Stone where he talked about his faith, his painful divorce from his wife Deborah (34 years married), and his dream of one day becoming a minister and opening up a church in Hawaii.
Santana was quoted saying:
“I’m going to stop playing when I’m 67 and work on what I really want to do, which is to be a minister, like Little Richard.
“I’m not sick of what I do, but I find that God gave me the gift of communication even without my guitar and with the ability to get people unstuck with certain sections of the Bible having to do with guilt, shame, judgment and fear.”
Santana kicked off his “Live Your Light” tour on September 6th in Auburn, Washington. The 23-date tour ends on October 12 in Concord, California.
He also has a two-disc album “Multi-Dimensional Warrior,” coming out on October 14th. It’s a compilation of Santana songs from his 40-year career.
A rep for Royal Victoria Hospital confirms Janet Jackson was treated and released at their hospital last night. She had “fallen ill” during a sound check and was taken to Emerg.
People is reporting that an unnamed source told them that Janet is suffering from exhaustion. Apparently the touring schedule has been grueling. I’ve also read she has over 10 costume changes, dances for 2 hours and sings 30+ songs!
Couldn’t have been too serious though because her bf Jermaine Dupri was in NYC. A source close to him said: “If [Janet's condition] was more serious he would’ve rushed to her side.” What a tool. He pukes on her during his bday celebrations… probably gave her some kind of bug! He should be vaccinated STAT!
Then he won’t get off his a** to fly over to Montreal to show his girl some love and concern.
Her Boston concert was canceled and apparently she canceled last Friday in Detroit due to “production constraints.”
What’s going on with her? Should we be concerned?
MTV Networks International has released the 11 categories for this year’s 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards.
This year, MTV is inviting its audience to vote in 10 of the 11 categories, which includes 3 new awards: New Act, Best Act Ever and Europe’s Favourite. These new awards reflect MTV’s ongoing commitment to new and regional artists as well as ongoing support for established artists. The remaining award – Video Star - will be decided by MTV.
Album Of The Year
Alicia Keys – As I Am
Britney Spears - Blackout
Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends
Duffy – Rockferry
Leona Lewis – Spirit
Headliner (Most impressive live band of the year at a festival or on tour)
Foo Fighters
Linkin’ Park
Metallica
The Cure
Tokio Hotel
Most Addictive Track (Favourite track of the year)
Coldplay – Viva La Vida
Duffy – Mercy
Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl
Kid Rock – All Summer Long
P!nk – So What
New Act (Best debut by a new artist in 2008)
Duffy
Jonas Brothers
Katy Perry
Miley Cyrus
One Republic
Act of 2008 (Best act of 2008)
Amy Winehouse
Britney Spears
Coldplay
Leona Lewis
Rihanna
Ultimate Urban (Favourite R&B or Hip Hop act)
Alicia Keys
Beyoncé
Chris Brown
Kanye West
Lil Wayne
Rock Out (Favourite Rock or Alternative Act)
30 Seconds to Mars
Linkin’ Park
Metallica
Paramore
Slipknot
Regional Award (Local artist as voted by MTV viewers in each territory)
Europe’s Favourite (The finalists from Best Regional Award go head to head)
Video Star (Decided by MTV)
You can vote right now for your nominees in 8 categories!
Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney is scheduled to perform in Tel Aviv at a concert celebrating Israel’s 60th anniversary. His decision to participate has now made him a target of a terror attack.
A threat by preacher Omar Bakri was made in a weekly Internet broadcast from Lebanon where he has been living in exile since being banned from Britain. Bakri was quoted saying:
“Instead of supporting the people of Palestine in their suffering, McCartney is celebrating the atrocities of the occupiers. The one who is under occupation is supposed to be getting the help,” Bakri said. “Our enemy’s friend is our enemy.”
“Thus Paul McCartney is the enemy of every Muslim. We have what we call ’sacrifice’ operatives who will not stand by while he joins in a celebration of their oppression. If he values his life Mr. McCartney must not come to Israel. He will not be safe there. The sacrifice operatives will be waiting for him.”
McCartney, despite being stunned and shocked by this threat has said he will not cancel his gig even though he was approached by several political groups asking him to cancel his trip. His spokesman has said that McCartney intended to come with a “message of peace”.
Check it out!
Beyoncé was quite the sensation on Friday when she publicly displayed her wedding ring on the red carpet for Fashion Rocks at Radio City Music Hall in N.Y.C… for the first time.
She was photographed on the red carpet wearing an 18 carat flawless diamond by Lorraine Schwartz that is worth more than $5 million dollars… so says the jeweler.
Neither she nor Jay-Z have publicly confirmed their marriage but just recently, Beyoncé’s younger sister Solange referred to Jay-Z as her brother-in-law during a television interview.
Beyoncé took off the ring when she did her duet with Justin Timberlake, and put it back on when she wore the short blonde wig to sing a tribute to blues singer Etta James whom she portrays in an upcoming film.
Some of the celebs also present at the event were: Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Mary J. Blige, Tommy Hilfiger, Hayden Panettiere, Paula Abdul, Fergie, Ciara, Natasha Bedingfield, Chris Brown, Terrance Howard and Chace Crawford.
The 5th Annual Fashion Rocks concert was held at Radio City Music Hall last night. It was a gathering of some of the music industry’s finest talent who turned out to help celebrate fashion and music.
One of the highlights of the evening was a duet performed by Justin Timberlake and Beyonce. The two did a rendition of “Aint Nothing Like The Real Thing” doing a fabulous tribute to the soulful sound sound made famous by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
Proceeds from this event will be donated to Stand Up To Cancer, a program created by the Entertainment Industry Foundation to raise awareness and money for cancer research. Other performers included Kid Rock, Keith Urban, Duffy, the Pussycat Dolls and the Black Eyed Peas as well as a fantastic collaboration of more than a dozen divas which aired by a live feed to be shown on television Tuesday evening in a two hour special.
Well well who to believe? Britney’s manager Larry Rudolph had adamantly stated unequivocally that Britney would not be appearing at the MTV VMAs but… the rumours are abuzzing that she will as a presenter!
Even though nobody from MTV will officially state on record that she is going to show, production crew and wardrobe people are making preparations for Brit. Supposedly (according to an inside source) Britney has her own dressing room.
She has also RSVP’d for 944 Magazine’s MTV VMA pre-party that is being held at the Hollywood hotspot known as Kress on Wednesday. So if it’s a go, and she does show, this will be her first officially scheduled party appearance since she last appeared for the launch of Las Vegas club LAX just over a year ago.