Clarkson postpones summer tour
Kelly Clarkson has postponed her summer tour, saying that she needs time to re-evaluate its size and scope. She says in a statement on her website, ''I promise you that we're going to get back out there as soon as is humanly possible to give you a show that will be even better.'' The news comes just days after Clarkson fired her management team, and less than two weeks before the release of her third album, My December. The cancellation was announced on Clarkson's website as well as via a statement by her rep, Paul Freundlick. ''Plans for Kelly Clarkson's summer tour have been shelved for now as the singer and her team re-evaluate her show's size and scope — a decision made even more difficult by the impending release of her album, My December,'' Freundlich said in the statement. The statement also quoted LiveNation CEO Michael Rapino, who said, ''[T]icket sales have not been what we anticipated and we came to the realization that we had bit off more than we could chew. In the end, we are in the Kelly Clarkson business and for that reason we believe that this decision will only benefit her and her fans in the long run.'' Tickets are being refunded at the point of purchase. See what Clarkson told Dave Karger in the spring about her controversial album in this EW.com ''Idolatry'' video. (People.com)
No fade-to-black end for Lost
Lost creators Carlton Cuse and Damon
Lindelof spoke about the conclusion of their series on
Wednesday (June 13) at Promax/BDA's annual conference,
and though they didn't reveal any big secrets, they
did promise that it would not end with a murky fade to
black like The Sopranos used in its final
scene. ''I'm not sure there is any ending that will
satisfy everyone,'' Cuse said. "Our hope is that the
ending will be ... the logical conclusion of the
story." Cuse and Lindelof said they fleshed out an
ending for the show and mapped out the final three
seasons' story during a recent writers' ''minicamp.''
Production on Lost's fourth season will
start in August. The series is set to end in spring
2010 after 48 hour-long episodes, 16 per season.
Lindelof said the show will enter a new phase of
answering lingering questions next season. The duo
also announced that they will help fill the
eight-month gap before next winter's Season 4 premiere
with a series of mini Lost episodes,
featuring the entire cast, rolling out first on
Verizon Wireless and then probably appearing on
ABC.com. They will be 90 seconds each and provide
information that viewers probably weren't going to get
through the show itself. The creators also addressed
the unpopular characters Nikki and Paulo, admitting
that they were a mistake. Many of those characters'
scenes were cut, not because of the actors, but
because they didn't fit into the story, and Lindelof
said that it was a lesson for the writers to stay true
to the show's vision. (Hollywood Reporter)
McCartney record hits No. 3
Paul McCartney's new album, Memory Almost
Full, was 10,000 copies short of reaching No. 1,
just behind T-Pain's Epiphany (171,000
units) and Ri-hanna's Good Girl Gone Bad (162,000). McCartney's 21st studio pop album (and
first for Starbucks' Hear Music/Concord label) moved
161,000 copies after shipping more than 500,000 to
retail outlets and playing in more than 10,000
Starbucks locations in 29 countries on June 5.
McCartney's only higher debuts came with 2002's
Back in the U.S. Live 2002 (No. 8, 224,000)
and 2001's Wingspan: Hits and History (No.
2, 221,000). (Billboard)
Projectionist loses job after writing review
of Silver Surfer
A projectionist for the Malco Theatre chain in
Memphis, TN has been fired after writing an
unauthorized early review — and a negative one
— of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver
Surfer for the Ain't It Cool News website. He claims
Fox was behind the firing, but the studio denies the
charge. The incident may mark the first time someone
in the entertainment industry has lost a job for
writing an early opinion online. (Hollywood Reporter)
MTV launches green initiative
MTV is launching a youth-focused, global environmental
campaign aimed at providing a green role model for its
young viewers. The campaign, called MTV Switch, will
promote environmentally-friendly lifestyle choices via
public service announcements, TV programs, and online
activities. The campaign is backed by celebrities
including Enrique Iglesias, Shaggy, and Rufus
Wainwright. As part of the initiative's attempt to promote cutting carbon
emissions, MTV's Pimp My Ride will give a
1965 Chevy Impala an 800 horsepower engine that will
run on biodiesel. (Variety)
Aykroyd lends name to Canadian winery
Dan Aykroyd is lending his name to a new $11 million
winery, aiming to boost the Niagara wine region's
international profile. The Dan Aykroyd Winery will be
located near the town of Lincoln, Ontario, in the
heart of the province's vineyards. It will feature
memorabilia from the 54-year-old actor's career as
well as solar panels and green-friendly wastewater
management systems. It should open in time for the
2008 growing season and produce everything from
mid-range wines, starting at $14, to limited releases
for more than $93 a bottle. (Hollywood Reporter)
IN THE GOSSIPS
Rush & Molloy: Washington Blade editor Kevin Naff is calling for a boycott of the new Hairspray movie, charging that its box office sales will provide more money for star John Travolta to donate to the Church of Scientology, which Naff alleges is homophobic. Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote in Dianetics that gay people are ''sexual perverts'' and ''very ill physically.''
Ben Widdicombe: Marvel comics' Stan Lee is developing an animated series for MTV starring Paris Hilton.
