British boy band One Direction announced Thursday they will embark on their Where We Are world tour on April 15, 2014 in Bogota, Colombia. The pop quintet will rock soccer stadiums in South American countries such as Peru, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, before returning to the UK for five more stadium shows, starting May 24 in Dublin, Ireland, wrapping June 7 at Wembley Stadium in London. In addition, the group promised their next as-yet untitled “more edgy” and “rockier” album will be out before the end of the year.
South Carolina native Candice Glover, a three-time contestant, was named America’s new American Idol Thursday, beating out Texas-bred Kree Harrison in the star-packed season finale. Immediately after Glover was crowned this season’s champion, it was announced her debut album, Music Speaks, will be released July 16. Last night’s show featured onstage performances by judges Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, and Randy Jackson, but Nicki Minaj (who announced she would not be back for a second season) elected to stay in her chair. Other guests who performed included Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert, Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull, Psy, Jessie J, The Band Perry, Aretha Franklin, Emeli Sande, and Frankie Valli.
As previously reported, will.i.am will serve as executive producer for the forthcoming Britney Spears album, and according to the Black Eyed Peas principal himself; his new job will get underway next week. Asked about the timetable for recording sessions, he told Billboard, “We start next week.” He added, “Before we even start we’ve had these juicy sessions, where we’ve been bonding, building the trust and comfort. I’ve never worked like this before – not even with the Peas.”
Bound and determined to get back onstage after already having to cancel one concert, Beyonce made good on her promise to put on “a great show” Wednesday in Antwerp, Belgium. The singer addressed the crowd, saying, “I just have to say, I feel so good to be on this stage. Now, my doctors told me not to perform, but there was no way in the world (I would cancel again). I just have to say that you all have given me so much inspiration and I just want to thank you guys.” Earlier Wednesday, she posted a letter on Facebook apologizing for having to cancel Tuesday’s show, which will be rescheduled.
R&B singer John Legend and his model fiancé, Chrissy Teigen, have announced they will celebrate their nuptials this autumn, Teigen told the New York Daily News. Though it’s normal for a bride to have butterflies on her special day, Teigen, who needs a daily dose of Xanax to cope with anxiety, says one may not be enough on her wedding day. She said, “I’ve got to be honest. I have such bad anxiety that sometimes I don’t believe I’ve even taken the pill in the morning.”
The former wife of Michael Jackson has slammed Wade Robson over his allegations the King of Pop molested him over a seven-year period. Debbie Rowe, who is the mother of Jackson’s two eldest children, told TMZ, “I was angered that Wade Robson reversed his sworn testimony from court in 2005, and now claims to be a victim of sexual abuse… His publicity-seeking attempt is opportunistic and just oozes falseness. It will be quickly forgotten, and will do nothing, nothing to tarnish Michael’s extraordinary legacy.” Meanwhile, during an appearance on The Today Show yesterday morning, Robson told Matt Lauer Jackson sexually abused him “from seven years old until 14” and said the singer “performed sexual acts on me, and forced me to perform sexual acts on him.”
MOTORHEAD, BLINK-182 TOP 2013 RIOT FEST LINEUP
The lineup for this year’s edition of the Chicago-based Riot Fest includes headliners Motorhead, Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, and another as-yet unknown act. Additional acts slated to rock the Windy City’s Humboldt Park September 13-15 include Rancid, Rocket from the Crypt, Bad Religion, Against Me!, Guided By Voices, Blondie, and Sublime with Rome, among others.
DROPKICK MURPHYS, SPRINGSTEEN DROP ROSE TATTOO: FOR BOSTON EP
Boston punk rockers Dropkick Murphys AND New Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen on Wednesday released a special charity EP Rose Tattoo: For Boston, benefiting the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. Available on iTunes for $1.29, the EP includes a re-recorded version of the Beantown favorites’ “Rose Tattoo” featuring Springsteen, plus live acoustic versions of “Jimmy Collin’s Wake” and “Don’t Tear Us Apart.” Dropkick Murphys guitarist James Lynch said, “Bruce actually called us up the day of the bombing and asked what he could do to help. We didn’t have to reach out. He was there for us.”
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE GEARS UP FOR SUMMER RUN OF SHOWS
Hard rockers Killswitch Engage will switch into summer tour mode, starting May 30 in Oklahoma City. The 15-stop trek will touch down in cities such as Austin, Houston, Fort Lauderdale, Syracuse, Philadelphia, New York City, and Grand Rapids, MI before unplugging on June 17 in Cincinnati.
AC/DC MORE THAN OK WITH BON SCOTT HOMETOWN STATUE
The current members of AC/DC have thrown their support behind an effort to erect a statue of late singer Bon Scott in his hometown of Kirriemuir, Scotland by posting a message on its official website encouraging fans to donate to DD8 Music, the organization leading the campaign. Fans can help DD8 Music reach its goal of $75,000 by making a contribution on the organization’s Kickstarter page.
THE ALMOST ROLL OUT RUN OF SUMMER TOUR DATES
Ahead of the release of their third album, Fear Inside Our Bones (due June 11), The Almost announced a series of US tour dates that will have them on the road almost all summer long. The band will kick off a run of headlining dates that begin June 2 in Pensacola, FL and end June 23 in Tucson, AZ, then, almost immediately take off on a stretch with Reliant K, starting July 2 in Nashville and wrapping July 23 in Omaha. Meanwhile, yesterday, The Almost debuted “I’m Down,” the first single off Fear Inside Our Bones.
HALFORD HATES THAT TOO OFTEN US BLAMES METAL FOR VIOLENCE
The Metal God is saddened that his adopted country is the only nation in the world that too often blames heavy metal for inciting acts of violence. Judas Priest singer Rob Halford told MTV, “Circumstances like those have never happened in Europe, never in South America, never in the Far East. When metal has been blamed for violence it’s only happened in the States. I don’t mean to sound bitter about that – it’s just a reality, and makes me really sad.” In 1990, Judas Priest was sued for allegedly having placed a subliminal message in the song “Better By You, Better Than Me” which caused two men to commit suicide. The case was eventually dismissed.
FRANZ FERDINAND READIES RELEASE OF FOURTH ALBUM
Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand have selected what they obviously feel is the right time to release their fourth studio album, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions. The band’s album, their first since 2009’s conceptual collection, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, will be available August 27.
RUSH COMPLETE STUDIO ALBUM CATALOG NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES
Recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Rush continue to make 2013 one of the their biggest years with the announcement of the release of The Complete Mercury Years and The Studio Albums 1989-2007, both collections remastered specifically for iTunes, and available now exclusively on the iTunes Store. As its title implies, The Complete Mercury Years features every album released on the label, from 1974’s Rush through 1989’s A Show of Hands, while The Studio Years 1989-2007 package holds all of the band’s Atlantic Records output from 1989’s Presto through 2007’s Snakes & Arrows.
FOGERTY BOOKED FOR BACK-TO-BACK LETTERMAN APPEARANCES
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Fogerty will be hard to miss ahead of the May 28 release of his long-awaited and highly-anticipated album Wrote a Song for Everyone. Fogerty’s television blitz begins tomorrow night on the HBO Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony special, continues Sunday night on CBS’ ACM Presents: Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Night Special, rolls on Monday on CBS This Morning, followed by consecutive night performances Tuesday and Wednesday on the Late Show with David Letterman, and a May 23 appearance on The View. But wait, there’s more: as previously announced, on May 28, Fogerty will celebrate his birthday and the release of Wrote a Song for Everyone with a performance at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles which will be filmed and broadcast live on AXS TV.
DAVID BECKHAM RETIRING
David Beckham will now have more time to be an underwear model. The 38-year-old announced yesterday he will be retiring from soccer after this season. The athlete, who is married to Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, is currently playing for Paris Saint-Germain, and has also played for Manchester United, Real Madrid and the Los Angeles Galaxy. He has also made 115 appearances for England’s national team. "If you had told me as a young boy I would have played for and won trophies with my boyhood club Manchester United, proudly captained and played for my country over one hundred times and lined up for some of the biggest clubs in the world, I would have told you it was a fantasy,” said Becks. “I'm fortunate to have realized those dreams.” He added, “I want to thank all my teammates, the great managers that I had the pleasure of learning from. I also want to thank the fans who have all supported me and given me the strength to succeed."
SHAKIRA & USHER TO RETURN TO THE VOICE NEXT SPRING
Shakira and Usher will not return to The Voice this fall, but they won’t be gone for long. According to EW.com, the fall edition (cycle 5) will feature the original lineup of mentors Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and CeeLo Green, but in the spring (cycle 6), it will switch back to the current lineup, with Usher and Shakira once again replacing Aguilera and Green.
SALDANA LINKED TO ITALIAN ARTIST
In a recent Allure article Zoe Saldana swore off dating other actors, but it didn’t take her long to find a new man outside the acting world. According to the New York Post, the Star Trek star was spotted in LA Tuesday getting close to Italian artist Marco Perego. Insiders say the couple seemed very close at a private party for the movie, and was even spotted kissing. But another source claims the pair has been friends for a while, adding, “It’s too early to say they are dating.”
DEMI TRYING TO GET LOTS OF MONEY FROM ASHTON
Demi Moore is a rich woman, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be richer. According to reports, she and ex Ashton Kutcher still haven’t settled their divorce because she wants him to pay her a lot of money. Demi, who is worth more than Ashton, has not only demanded spousal support from the Two and a Half Men star, but she wants him to help pay for the renovation on her New York City apartment. She also feels she’s entitled to money from an online business Ashton got involved in AFTER they split up. Ashton is reportedly willing to give Demi some money to reach a settlement, but how much is still up in the air.
PALTROW’S $2,000 VIP FAN TRIP SELLS OUT
Gwyneth Paltrow has some dedicated and wealthy fans. The Iron Man 3 star recently launched an exclusive Groupon.com offering to 60 fans willing to shell out $2,000 for a private meeting with the actress, and it sold out in less than 24 hours. The package includes tickets to Paltrow’s VIP event, including roundtrip airfare from anywhere in the US or Canada to New York, airport transfers, two nights in a hotel, spa treatments and dinner at a fancy French restaurant in the Big Apple. Paltrow is also expected to give a private cooking class and sign copies of her new cookbook.
HOMELAND STAR PREGNANT
Homeland’s Morena Baccarin is going to be a mom. The actress announced earlier this week she is expecting her first child with her husband, writer/director Austin Chick. The 33-year-old, who plays Jessica Brody, wife of Damian Lewis’ character, is currently filming the Showtime series’ third season, which will premiere in September.
BOOK OF MORMON INSPIRES WOMAN TO CONVERT
The Broadway hit The Book of Mormon may make fun of the Mormon religion, but it somehow inspired one fan to convert. 21-year-old Liza Morong knew the show was a spoof, but after seeing it decided to log on to Mormon.org to learn more about the controversial religion. She was then contacted by a missionary who asked to chat with her online and she said okay. “I thought, these clowns are in for a treat with me,” she said. But after talking with the missionary on Facebook, she decided to meet him in person, and her feelings changed. In December 2011, four months after seeing the show, she was baptized in Utah. “Because of this musical, a beautiful chapter in my life started and continues to grow,” Morong wrote on her blog, conceding that not everyone shares her opinion about The Book of Mormon. “Although several members of the church are offended by this show it changed my life.”
KITCHEN NIGHTMARES BAKERY AT WAR ONLINE/VOWS TO REOPEN
A bakery in Scottsdale, Arizona has started a war with the public after their negative portrayal on Fox’s Kitchen Nightmares. In the episode that aired last Friday, chef Gordon Ramsay actually walked off the program for the first time in history because the owners of Amy’s Baking Company were so horrible. The couple, Samy and Amy Bouzaglo, stole tips from their staff, cursed at and berated customers, and served sub-par food. After the show aired, their ratings on websites like Yelp took a dive and they answered back in a series of online rants (although they claimed their accounts were hacked). “You are all little punks,” one of their messages read. “Nothing. You are all nothing. We are laughing at you. All of you, just fools. We have God on our side, you just have your sites.” The couple claims they will reopen the restaurant Tuesday, and prove they are being unfairly portrayed. “We are very upset by what has taken place, apologize about the acrimony that has ensued, but now must fight back to save our business,” said Samy. “We hope and believe much good can result from what has transpired. We ask the public to keep an open mind as we begin to tell our side of the story.”
FARRAH SELLING HER USED BIKINI
Farrah Abraham has already proven she’ll do almost anything for money. The Teen Mom star’s latest scheme is to sell the bikini she’s wearing on the cover of her new sex tape. Vivid Entertainment has listed the pink crystal-encrusted suit on eBay, with bids starting at $500. And the two-piece is clearly advertised as “used” which means it hasn’t been washed since Farrah wore it. Reads the listing, “Farrah’s bikini…straight off Farrah’s body and into your hands.” Meanwhile, TMZ reports Farrah went house hunting over the weekend, and was looking at a $3.2 million home in the same gated community where Kourtney Kardashian lives.
MODEL CHRISSY TEIGEN BLASTED FOR FARRAH ABRAHAM TWEET
Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated model Chrissy Teigen is in hot water over a tweet in which she called Farrah Abraham a “whore.” “Farrah Abraham now thinks she is pregnant from her sex tape. In other news you’re a whore and everyone hates you whoops not other news sorry,” wrote John Legend’s fiancée. Teigen was instantly inundated with angry tweets, claiming she was “slut-shaming” the Teen Mom star, which totally shocked her. “Are we really gonna pretend like this girl just had an accidentally leaked sex tape? seriously?? what the f**k is wrong with you?,” she wrote. “Ladies: you aren’t a super feminist for okaying super whores. you don’t need to defend EVERYone with a vagina.”
CW ANNOUNCES FALL SCHEDULE
The CW announced their new fall schedule yesterday, making changes to pretty much every night of the week. The new season will kick off in October, with Hart of Dixie and Beauty and the Beast taking over Mondays now that both 90210 and Gossip Girl are gone. Tuesdays will feature the Vampire Diaries spinoff The Originals, followed by Supernatural, with Wednesdays made up of Arrow and the new show The Tomorrow People.The Vampire Diaries will remain at 8 pm Thursdays, followed by the new show Reign, and The Carrie Diaries will move to Friday at 8 pm followed by America’s Next Top Model. Among the other CW announcements: Nikita will return midseason with a six-episode fourth and final season; The Carrie Diaries will introduce the character of Samantha Jones next season (played by Kim Cattrall in the HBO series); the new sci-fi drama Star-Crossed, starring Friday Night Lights’ Aimee Teegarden and 90210’s Matt Lanter, will premiere midseason, as will The 100, starring Lost’s Henry Ian Cusick; and the network is moving forward with a new reality show, Famous in 12, which will track one family attempting to become famous in 12 weeks with the help of TMZ creator Harvey Levin.
MISCELLANEOUS MOVIE NEWS
● Scarlett Johansson will make her big screen directing debut with the film Summer Crossing, an adaptation of Truman Capote’s first novel. The novel was never published by Capote, who threw it in the trash. His apartment janitor got a hold of it, selling it at auction in 2004. The person who bought it got the blessing of Capote’s former editor to have it published.
● Chris Pine, Amanda Seyfried and Chiwetel Ejiofor have joined the cast of Z For Zachariah, a psychological thriller set after an apocalyptic event. Seyfried plays a teen presumed to be the sole survivor, until she meets a scientist (Ejiofor) and falls in love. Another survivor (Pine) soon surfaces, causing complications in their relationship.
