NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pop diva Mariah Carey said she hired increased security following what she described as threats reportedly made against her by fellow 'American Idol' judge Nicki Minaj, according to an interview on ABC News.
Carey, 42, one of three new judges to join the 'American Idol' panel for the hit talent show's new season on January 16, told Barbara Walters in an interview airing on Monday, 'it felt like an unsafe work environment.'
'Anytime anybody's reeling threats at somebody, you know, it's not appropriate,' Carey said.
'I'm a professional. I'm not used to that type of environment,' she said, adding that she hired extra security.
The diva was alluding to widely reported tension between her and Minaj, who were seen arguing with one another in a video from the show's audition phase.
Walters has reported that, according to Carey, others on the 'Idol' set heard Minaj go further and say, off-camera, 'If I had a gun, I would shoot that bitch.'
Minaj, a Trinidadian-born singer and songwriter, previously denied making any remarks about firearms, but Carey told Walters that beefing up her security 'was the appropriate thing to do.'
'Sitting there on the road with two babies, I'm not going to take any chances,' she said, referring to her 20-month old twins with husband Nick Cannon.
But in a sign of media savvy, she noted that 'for all the drama, I hope it helps the show.'
Walters also asked Carey about reports she is being paid $18 million for each 'Idol' season.
'I think we're in the ballpark, (but) I can't even talk about those things,' the singer replied.
(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Paul Simao)
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Monday, January 7, 2013
Calvin Harris returns to top of British album chart
LONDON (Reuters) - Scottish producer and singer Calvin Harris returned to the top of the British album charts with '18 Months' in the first week of 2013, the Official Charts Company said on Sunday.
The release, his third studio album, had hit the number one spot on its debut in November, and climbed from seventh place to regain the best sellers' crown.
Singer Emeli Sandé slipped one notch to number two with 'One Version of Events', while Ed Sheeran jumped to third place from number 13 with his debut album '+', now in its 69th week in the charts.
James Arthur, winner of the British version of the 'X Factor' TV talent show last year, held onto first place in the singles rankings with 'Impossible'.
'Scream and Shout' by U.S. producer will.i.am, featuring Britney Spears, stayed at number two, while Korean singer Psy's global video hit 'Gangnam Style' held steady in third place.
(Reporting by Tim Castle; Editing by Jason Webb)
The release, his third studio album, had hit the number one spot on its debut in November, and climbed from seventh place to regain the best sellers' crown.
Singer Emeli Sandé slipped one notch to number two with 'One Version of Events', while Ed Sheeran jumped to third place from number 13 with his debut album '+', now in its 69th week in the charts.
James Arthur, winner of the British version of the 'X Factor' TV talent show last year, held onto first place in the singles rankings with 'Impossible'.
'Scream and Shout' by U.S. producer will.i.am, featuring Britney Spears, stayed at number two, while Korean singer Psy's global video hit 'Gangnam Style' held steady in third place.
(Reporting by Tim Castle; Editing by Jason Webb)
Friday, January 4, 2013
Madonna, Bruce Springsteen biggest 2012 world tours
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop and rock music legends bested their younger chart-topping competition on the concert trail in 2012, according to data released on Friday by trade publication Pollstar.
Pop matriarch Madonna, 54, led all competition, grossing some $296.1 million in ticket sales in her 88-show world tour. She topped Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band ($210.2 million) and Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters ($186.4 million).
The elder statesmen of the music world, while no longer topping the charts or scoring radio hits, are doing well because their older audiences can afford to pay higher ticket prices, Gary Bongiovanni, Pollstar editor, told Reuters.
'Certainly the older acts charge more because they can get away with it,' he said.
The Rolling Stones were able to command an eye-popping $529.51 average ticket price. Their five-show tour in November and December grossed $35.5 million, good enough for No. 33 on the list.
British rockers Coldplay were No. 4 on the list, taking in $171.3 million. Lady Gaga placed fifth grossing $161.4 million while at No. 6 Cirque Du Soleil's tribute to late King of Pop Michael Jackson grossed $140.2 million during a 172-show tour.
Teen sensation Justin Bieber, who played a 35-show tour, failed to crack the top 20, taking in $40.2 million, at No. 23.
Acts that cemented their reputations decades ago dominated the top-grossing tours even while playing fewer shows.
Country stars Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw placed seventh grossing $96.5 million in 23 shows, while heavy metal pioneers Metallica were one spot lower at $86.1 million over 30 shows.
Some artists have been enticed to jack-up their own ticket prices after seeing how much more re-sellers were able to command, Bongiovanni explained.
'Now it's a matter of how much money can I make,' he said. 'Some artists like Springsteen are very popular but if you look at their average ticket price it's nowhere near Roger Waters, Madonna and Lady Gaga.'
The average face-value ticket price for a Springsteen concert was $91.95, which was well below the $140.38 average for Madonna and $110.96 for Roger Waters.
Eight separate Cirque Du Soleil shows appeared in the top 50, which did not include the circus company's non-traveling shows in Las Vegas and elsewhere. All told, the Canadian company may have earned close to $1 billion in gross ticket sales, Bongiovanni said.
Elton John ($69.9 million) and Red Hot Chili Peppers ($57.8 million) rounded out the top 10.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant)
This news article is brought to you by GLOBAL WEATHER NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Pop matriarch Madonna, 54, led all competition, grossing some $296.1 million in ticket sales in her 88-show world tour. She topped Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band ($210.2 million) and Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters ($186.4 million).
The elder statesmen of the music world, while no longer topping the charts or scoring radio hits, are doing well because their older audiences can afford to pay higher ticket prices, Gary Bongiovanni, Pollstar editor, told Reuters.
'Certainly the older acts charge more because they can get away with it,' he said.
The Rolling Stones were able to command an eye-popping $529.51 average ticket price. Their five-show tour in November and December grossed $35.5 million, good enough for No. 33 on the list.
British rockers Coldplay were No. 4 on the list, taking in $171.3 million. Lady Gaga placed fifth grossing $161.4 million while at No. 6 Cirque Du Soleil's tribute to late King of Pop Michael Jackson grossed $140.2 million during a 172-show tour.
Teen sensation Justin Bieber, who played a 35-show tour, failed to crack the top 20, taking in $40.2 million, at No. 23.
Acts that cemented their reputations decades ago dominated the top-grossing tours even while playing fewer shows.
Country stars Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw placed seventh grossing $96.5 million in 23 shows, while heavy metal pioneers Metallica were one spot lower at $86.1 million over 30 shows.
Some artists have been enticed to jack-up their own ticket prices after seeing how much more re-sellers were able to command, Bongiovanni explained.
'Now it's a matter of how much money can I make,' he said. 'Some artists like Springsteen are very popular but if you look at their average ticket price it's nowhere near Roger Waters, Madonna and Lady Gaga.'
The average face-value ticket price for a Springsteen concert was $91.95, which was well below the $140.38 average for Madonna and $110.96 for Roger Waters.
Eight separate Cirque Du Soleil shows appeared in the top 50, which did not include the circus company's non-traveling shows in Las Vegas and elsewhere. All told, the Canadian company may have earned close to $1 billion in gross ticket sales, Bongiovanni said.
Elton John ($69.9 million) and Red Hot Chili Peppers ($57.8 million) rounded out the top 10.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant)
This news article is brought to you by GLOBAL WEATHER NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
LA sisters Haim lead hopes of pop revival in 2013
LONDON (Reuters) - Three sisters from Los Angeles producing fun and infectious folk-pop could be the tonic that chart music needs to lift it from what some experts are calling a creative slump.
As music channels, journalists and record labels step up their search for the 'next big thing' in 2013, the Fleetwood Mac-inspired Haim sisters have appeared in a growing number of lists produced at the start of each year.
They include MTV's 'Brand New for 2013' survey, the band topped BBC's 'Sound of 2013' poll on Friday decided by over 200 experts and also appeared on the cover of music magazine NME's new music edition out this week.
Matt Wilkinson, New Bands Editor at NME, was upbeat about indie music in 2013 because up-and-coming acts like Haim had the attitude to succeed unlike more 'reluctant' stars of the past.
'The difference (from recent times) is that they want to be pop stars, want to be on the front of NME, want to create their own scene and want to be No. 1,' he told Reuters. 'It's been quite a long time since bands really wanted to do that.'
Haim is made up of Este, Alana and Danielle, all in their early- to mid-20s - as energetic as they are photogenic and signed to the Polydor label in Britain.
Dorian Lynskey of the Guardian praised their 'fantastic, inventive songs', and said they were part of a revival from 'the current sickly condition of chart pop' dominated by familiar faces like Rihanna and producers David Guetta and Calvin Harris.
RETURN OF GUITAR HEROES?
Sharing NME's new music cover with Haim is Palma Violets, a London-based indie quartet also longlisted on the BBC's annual survey whose past winners include chart queen Adele and 50 Cent.
The death or otherwise of indie guitar rock has been discussed almost obsessively by the British music press over the years, but George Ergatoudis, head of music on BBC's Radio 1, bravely predicted: 'Rock and alternative guitar acts are going to find public taste swinging their way' in 2013.
If that is true, those set to benefit include two Birmingham acts - quartets Peace and Swim Deep - two London bands - female post-punk foursome Savages and alternative rockers Bastille, and two Irish acts, Kodaline and Little Green Cars.
As in previous years, one area with the biggest potential for topping charts around the globe is the single female act.
Whether or not inspired by the likes of Gaga, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and beyond, a new crop of female performers-with-attitude has emerged ready to take on the world.
Creating the biggest stir so far is Angel Haze, a U.S. rapper whose sexually explicit lyrics and self assertive manner have put her on a path to stardom, helped by the success of her EP 'Reservation' which draws on her Native American heritage.
'I will say to anyone's face I am the best out there right now,' she said in a recent interview, with typical bluntness.
At the other end of the musical spectrum comes Gabrielle Aplin, a singer-songwriter who built up an online following by posting acoustic covers before signing to a major label.
Underlining the increasing crossover between merchandising and musical success, Aplin has already scored a No. 1 single hit in Britain with her cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's 'The Power of Love' which was used in a John Lewis commercial.
Somewhere in between falls Laura Mvula, whose powerful voice has earned comparisons from acts as diverse as Billie Holiday and Adele, and MTV has selected Ebony Day as its unsigned artist to watch this year.
There are precious few single male artists on the radar in early 2013.
Tom Odell appears on MTV's Brand New list, the BBC's Sound Of survey and won the BRITs Critics' Choice award for up-and-coming talent, while London rapper K Koke is included on Digital Spy's 'Ones to Watch' column and MTV.
ACCENT ON AUTHENTICITY
Duos are de rigueur in 2013 with British brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence of Disclosure delighting with their house music including new single 'Latch', and MS MR from New York the enigmatic pair who have music critics drooling.
'Prepare to be blown away,' wrote Paul Lester in the Guardian. 'This duo could be the first superstars of chillwave.'
London electro pop pair AlunaGeorge have been championed by the same newspaper and were runner-up in BBC's poll this year.
The surveys have a patchy track record in predicting chart success, and are crammed with dozens of acts already signed to record labels and so well on the way to success.
But they are closely watched by a music industry facing falling sales and desperate to spot the next Rihanna, Lady Gaga or One Direction.
While no one is suggesting the chart reign of Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift is over, there is growing optimism about a new crop of acts who have commercial ambition as well as musical ability and originality.
'I think across all genres there is a thirst from the audience for authenticity, whether it's from folk acts or rappers or dance artists,' said David Mogendorff, digital media director of talent and music at MTV International.
He was involved in drawing up the music channel's 'Brand New' list of 10 artists destined for greatness overseen by Anna Karatziva, head of talent and music at MTV UK. Voting for the winner is open at www.mtv.co.uk/brandnew from January 14-31.
Outside Britain and North America, K-pop sensation Psy will seek to build on his global hit 'Gangnam Style' which became the first video on YouTube to reach one billion views last month.
Whether he can prove more than a one-hit wonder in the West remains to be seen, while other South Korean acts including Girls' Generation are gearing up to follow in his footsteps.
NME has singled out Australia's indie-dance duo Jagwar Ma for special attention, while Russian-German dance music producer Zedd has begun to make inroads in the U.S. market.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
This news article is brought to you by SHOCKING DATING ADVICE - where latest news are our top priority.
As music channels, journalists and record labels step up their search for the 'next big thing' in 2013, the Fleetwood Mac-inspired Haim sisters have appeared in a growing number of lists produced at the start of each year.
They include MTV's 'Brand New for 2013' survey, the band topped BBC's 'Sound of 2013' poll on Friday decided by over 200 experts and also appeared on the cover of music magazine NME's new music edition out this week.
Matt Wilkinson, New Bands Editor at NME, was upbeat about indie music in 2013 because up-and-coming acts like Haim had the attitude to succeed unlike more 'reluctant' stars of the past.
'The difference (from recent times) is that they want to be pop stars, want to be on the front of NME, want to create their own scene and want to be No. 1,' he told Reuters. 'It's been quite a long time since bands really wanted to do that.'
Haim is made up of Este, Alana and Danielle, all in their early- to mid-20s - as energetic as they are photogenic and signed to the Polydor label in Britain.
Dorian Lynskey of the Guardian praised their 'fantastic, inventive songs', and said they were part of a revival from 'the current sickly condition of chart pop' dominated by familiar faces like Rihanna and producers David Guetta and Calvin Harris.
RETURN OF GUITAR HEROES?
Sharing NME's new music cover with Haim is Palma Violets, a London-based indie quartet also longlisted on the BBC's annual survey whose past winners include chart queen Adele and 50 Cent.
The death or otherwise of indie guitar rock has been discussed almost obsessively by the British music press over the years, but George Ergatoudis, head of music on BBC's Radio 1, bravely predicted: 'Rock and alternative guitar acts are going to find public taste swinging their way' in 2013.
If that is true, those set to benefit include two Birmingham acts - quartets Peace and Swim Deep - two London bands - female post-punk foursome Savages and alternative rockers Bastille, and two Irish acts, Kodaline and Little Green Cars.
As in previous years, one area with the biggest potential for topping charts around the globe is the single female act.
Whether or not inspired by the likes of Gaga, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and beyond, a new crop of female performers-with-attitude has emerged ready to take on the world.
Creating the biggest stir so far is Angel Haze, a U.S. rapper whose sexually explicit lyrics and self assertive manner have put her on a path to stardom, helped by the success of her EP 'Reservation' which draws on her Native American heritage.
'I will say to anyone's face I am the best out there right now,' she said in a recent interview, with typical bluntness.
At the other end of the musical spectrum comes Gabrielle Aplin, a singer-songwriter who built up an online following by posting acoustic covers before signing to a major label.
Underlining the increasing crossover between merchandising and musical success, Aplin has already scored a No. 1 single hit in Britain with her cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's 'The Power of Love' which was used in a John Lewis commercial.
Somewhere in between falls Laura Mvula, whose powerful voice has earned comparisons from acts as diverse as Billie Holiday and Adele, and MTV has selected Ebony Day as its unsigned artist to watch this year.
There are precious few single male artists on the radar in early 2013.
Tom Odell appears on MTV's Brand New list, the BBC's Sound Of survey and won the BRITs Critics' Choice award for up-and-coming talent, while London rapper K Koke is included on Digital Spy's 'Ones to Watch' column and MTV.
ACCENT ON AUTHENTICITY
Duos are de rigueur in 2013 with British brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence of Disclosure delighting with their house music including new single 'Latch', and MS MR from New York the enigmatic pair who have music critics drooling.
'Prepare to be blown away,' wrote Paul Lester in the Guardian. 'This duo could be the first superstars of chillwave.'
London electro pop pair AlunaGeorge have been championed by the same newspaper and were runner-up in BBC's poll this year.
The surveys have a patchy track record in predicting chart success, and are crammed with dozens of acts already signed to record labels and so well on the way to success.
But they are closely watched by a music industry facing falling sales and desperate to spot the next Rihanna, Lady Gaga or One Direction.
While no one is suggesting the chart reign of Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift is over, there is growing optimism about a new crop of acts who have commercial ambition as well as musical ability and originality.
'I think across all genres there is a thirst from the audience for authenticity, whether it's from folk acts or rappers or dance artists,' said David Mogendorff, digital media director of talent and music at MTV International.
He was involved in drawing up the music channel's 'Brand New' list of 10 artists destined for greatness overseen by Anna Karatziva, head of talent and music at MTV UK. Voting for the winner is open at www.mtv.co.uk/brandnew from January 14-31.
Outside Britain and North America, K-pop sensation Psy will seek to build on his global hit 'Gangnam Style' which became the first video on YouTube to reach one billion views last month.
Whether he can prove more than a one-hit wonder in the West remains to be seen, while other South Korean acts including Girls' Generation are gearing up to follow in his footsteps.
NME has singled out Australia's indie-dance duo Jagwar Ma for special attention, while Russian-German dance music producer Zedd has begun to make inroads in the U.S. market.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
This news article is brought to you by SHOCKING DATING ADVICE - where latest news are our top priority.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Taylor Swift's ''Red'' holds down top spot on Billboard chart
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Country-pop star Taylor Swift's 'Red' finished 2012 atop the Billboard 200 album chart on Thursday, claiming the No. 1 spot for the fourth consecutive week.
It was the album's seventh non-consecutive week at No. 1 on the chart as post-holiday digital sales accounted for more than half of its 241,000 units sold, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.
Swift, 23, has now topped the Billboard album chart for 24 weeks in her four-album career, tying Adele for the most weeks by a female artist at number one on the chart since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales figures for Billboard in 1991.
The soundtrack to the big screen adaptation of Broadway musical 'Les Miserables' jumped 31 spots to number two on the album chart. It sold 136,000 units and was buoyed by a full week on the chart and the release of the film in movie theaters on December 25.
British boy band One Direction placed third with 'Take Me Home,' while singer Bruno Mars' 'Unorthodox Jukebox' and rapper T.I.'s 'Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head' round out the top five.
U.S. album sales for last week were up 27 percent compared to the same week in 2011, at 9.77 million units.
The post-Christmas week, in which many cashed in their holiday gift cards, saw a record for digital song downloads in a week as a total of 55.74 million tracks were downloaded, besting the previous record of 47.73 million from the same week in 2008.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Sandra Maler)
This news article is brought to you by SPACE AND ASTRONOMY NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
It was the album's seventh non-consecutive week at No. 1 on the chart as post-holiday digital sales accounted for more than half of its 241,000 units sold, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.
Swift, 23, has now topped the Billboard album chart for 24 weeks in her four-album career, tying Adele for the most weeks by a female artist at number one on the chart since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales figures for Billboard in 1991.
The soundtrack to the big screen adaptation of Broadway musical 'Les Miserables' jumped 31 spots to number two on the album chart. It sold 136,000 units and was buoyed by a full week on the chart and the release of the film in movie theaters on December 25.
British boy band One Direction placed third with 'Take Me Home,' while singer Bruno Mars' 'Unorthodox Jukebox' and rapper T.I.'s 'Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head' round out the top five.
U.S. album sales for last week were up 27 percent compared to the same week in 2011, at 9.77 million units.
The post-Christmas week, in which many cashed in their holiday gift cards, saw a record for digital song downloads in a week as a total of 55.74 million tracks were downloaded, besting the previous record of 47.73 million from the same week in 2008.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Sandra Maler)
This news article is brought to you by SPACE AND ASTRONOMY NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
A Minute With: Singer Trey Songz on new movie "Texas Chainsaw 3D"
LOS ANGELES, January2 (Reuters) - R&B and hip-hop artists have appeared in horror films before, but 28-year old singer Trey Songz tackles a brand new incarnation of the 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' franchise with 'Texas Chainsaw 3D.'
The film, which opens in U.S. theaters on Friday, follows a young woman who inherits a lavish, isolated mansion. When she visits it for the first time with her three friends, one of whom is played by Songz, they realize there is horror awaiting them in the basement.
Songz, a Grammy-nominated artist with hits like 'Say Aah,' 'Can't Be Friends' and 'Bottoms Up,' took a break from his world tour to talk to Reuters about his first movie role as a lead actor.
Q: Is acting something you've had your eye on?
A: 'It's something I've always wanted to do, but music comes first. I wanted to make sure when I did choose a role, I had time to really get in to it. (Director) John (Luessenhop) came to the studio to meet me for the first time and I told him to give me 24 hours to figure it out. I had just come off tour, I was recording an album and the four weeks I was set to have for vacation would be the four weeks I'd be shooting the film.'
Q: What did you think about during that 24-hour period?
A: 'Making sure I wouldn't be carrying the weight of the film. My name means so much in the music world that I was worried I'd have to carry the film, but I think the franchise carries the weight of the film. Luckily, (my character) Ryan is a likeable guy. There wasn't too much stress on me mentally and it didn't take too much away from me as a person in order to be him ... I couldn't ask for a better stepping-stone as a first-time actor.'
Q: You've stated that you are the first black actor in the 'Texas Chainsaw' franchise. What does that mean to you?
A: 'I think it means something not only to me, but to the franchise. Ryan was originally envisioned as a white male. The fact that the studio, the producers and the director went out on a limb and put a black man in such a strong part in a classic movie first made in the 70s, when things were so different, speaks volumes too.'
Q: Your single 'Heart Attack,' off your fifth and current album 'Chapter V,' was nominated for a best R&B song Grammy, making it your third nomination. What would a win mean?
A: 'Right now I feel like I'm in the Grammy club, but not in the V.I.P. I'm just looking at the V.I.P. going, 'I got to drink. I want a bottle, just let me in the V.I.P. please!' But all jokes aside, the Grammy is the most elite award you can win as a musician so it would mean so much.'
Q: You moved around a lot as child, partly because you had a stepfather who worked in the military and partly because of your mother's work opportunities. What was that like?
A: 'When you're a young, single mother, you're dependent on welfare. Your mother is struggling and we would move around a lot - Virginia, Florida, Kansas, New Jersey, Baltimore ... I went to eight different schools before ninth grade.'
Q: How does that impact you today?
A: 'I've never really been settled. I don't think I've ever known what it was like to be a person that was used to sitting still. I think it's given me the ability to detach from any situation. It's so easy to remove myself from the closest of situations just because I've had to do it my whole life.'
Q: Do you ever want to know what it feels like to be settled?
A: 'I do. I don't know when it will happen. I don't even know how to. When I sit still for a couple of days, I get fidgety. I don't know what I'm supposed to do.'
Q: I suppose acting is another way to keep yourself from sitting still. Will there be more acting in store for you?
A: 'I've set a goal for myself to land a couple of films a year. Recently, I shot a movie starring Paula Patton entitled 'Baggage Claim.' It's an urban film where I get to be comedic as well as sexy.'
Q: Comedic and sexy - it's great that you see yourself that way. What confidence!
A: Some things just are what they are!
(Reporting by Zorianna Kit; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Jackie Frank)
This news article is brought to you by STOCK MARKET BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
The film, which opens in U.S. theaters on Friday, follows a young woman who inherits a lavish, isolated mansion. When she visits it for the first time with her three friends, one of whom is played by Songz, they realize there is horror awaiting them in the basement.
Songz, a Grammy-nominated artist with hits like 'Say Aah,' 'Can't Be Friends' and 'Bottoms Up,' took a break from his world tour to talk to Reuters about his first movie role as a lead actor.
Q: Is acting something you've had your eye on?
A: 'It's something I've always wanted to do, but music comes first. I wanted to make sure when I did choose a role, I had time to really get in to it. (Director) John (Luessenhop) came to the studio to meet me for the first time and I told him to give me 24 hours to figure it out. I had just come off tour, I was recording an album and the four weeks I was set to have for vacation would be the four weeks I'd be shooting the film.'
Q: What did you think about during that 24-hour period?
A: 'Making sure I wouldn't be carrying the weight of the film. My name means so much in the music world that I was worried I'd have to carry the film, but I think the franchise carries the weight of the film. Luckily, (my character) Ryan is a likeable guy. There wasn't too much stress on me mentally and it didn't take too much away from me as a person in order to be him ... I couldn't ask for a better stepping-stone as a first-time actor.'
Q: You've stated that you are the first black actor in the 'Texas Chainsaw' franchise. What does that mean to you?
A: 'I think it means something not only to me, but to the franchise. Ryan was originally envisioned as a white male. The fact that the studio, the producers and the director went out on a limb and put a black man in such a strong part in a classic movie first made in the 70s, when things were so different, speaks volumes too.'
Q: Your single 'Heart Attack,' off your fifth and current album 'Chapter V,' was nominated for a best R&B song Grammy, making it your third nomination. What would a win mean?
A: 'Right now I feel like I'm in the Grammy club, but not in the V.I.P. I'm just looking at the V.I.P. going, 'I got to drink. I want a bottle, just let me in the V.I.P. please!' But all jokes aside, the Grammy is the most elite award you can win as a musician so it would mean so much.'
Q: You moved around a lot as child, partly because you had a stepfather who worked in the military and partly because of your mother's work opportunities. What was that like?
A: 'When you're a young, single mother, you're dependent on welfare. Your mother is struggling and we would move around a lot - Virginia, Florida, Kansas, New Jersey, Baltimore ... I went to eight different schools before ninth grade.'
Q: How does that impact you today?
A: 'I've never really been settled. I don't think I've ever known what it was like to be a person that was used to sitting still. I think it's given me the ability to detach from any situation. It's so easy to remove myself from the closest of situations just because I've had to do it my whole life.'
Q: Do you ever want to know what it feels like to be settled?
A: 'I do. I don't know when it will happen. I don't even know how to. When I sit still for a couple of days, I get fidgety. I don't know what I'm supposed to do.'
Q: I suppose acting is another way to keep yourself from sitting still. Will there be more acting in store for you?
A: 'I've set a goal for myself to land a couple of films a year. Recently, I shot a movie starring Paula Patton entitled 'Baggage Claim.' It's an urban film where I get to be comedic as well as sexy.'
Q: Comedic and sexy - it's great that you see yourself that way. What confidence!
A: Some things just are what they are!
(Reporting by Zorianna Kit; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Jackie Frank)
This news article is brought to you by STOCK MARKET BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Paparazzo killed on freeway after photographing Justin Bieber's car
(Reuters) - A celebrity photographer was struck and killed by a car on a Los Angeles highway on Tuesday after snapping photographs of a Ferrari registered to pop star Justin Bieber, police said.
Bieber wasn't in his car, which had been pulled over by California Highway Patrol officers on Interstate 405 for suspected speeding, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Cleon Joseph said on Wednesday.
Highway patrol officers saw the 29-year-old paparazzo taking photographs of the scene on Tuesday evening and ordered him to return to his car for safety reasons, Joseph said.
The photographer, whose name was not released, refused to leave. After officers repeated their order, he was struck while trying to cross four lanes of traffic, Joseph said.
Charges were unlikely to be filed against the driver who struck the photographer, the officer said.
Bieber was stopped by police for speeding on a Los Angeles freeway last July. He told officers he was being hounded by paparazzi at the time.
Prosecutors charged a celebrity photographer under a California law that criminalizes dangerous driving when taking photos commercially, but a judge later dismissed those counts.
(Reporting by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
This news article is brought to you by CELEBRITY GOSSIP NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Bieber wasn't in his car, which had been pulled over by California Highway Patrol officers on Interstate 405 for suspected speeding, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Cleon Joseph said on Wednesday.
Highway patrol officers saw the 29-year-old paparazzo taking photographs of the scene on Tuesday evening and ordered him to return to his car for safety reasons, Joseph said.
The photographer, whose name was not released, refused to leave. After officers repeated their order, he was struck while trying to cross four lanes of traffic, Joseph said.
Charges were unlikely to be filed against the driver who struck the photographer, the officer said.
Bieber was stopped by police for speeding on a Los Angeles freeway last July. He told officers he was being hounded by paparazzi at the time.
Prosecutors charged a celebrity photographer under a California law that criminalizes dangerous driving when taking photos commercially, but a judge later dismissed those counts.
(Reporting by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
This news article is brought to you by CELEBRITY GOSSIP NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
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