Idol child Kelly Clarkson says rescheduled shows will be ‘even better’
By Damara Popoola
HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 6/14/07 – Fans will not be seeing Kelly Clarkson in an arena near them, now that the pop-rocker and former “American Idol” has cancelled her 35-date tour due to disappointing ticket sales.
This news comes on the heels of other troubles for Clarkson who left her manager two days ago and publicly butt heads with music mogul Clive Davis over the nature of her forthcoming album “My December.” Perhaps Davis’ misgivings were warranted given the lukewarm reception for Clarkson’s first rock-tinged single “Never Again,” which peaked at eight on the Billboard charts but later fell to 17.
Clarkson’s multi-platinum sophomore disc, 2004’s “Breakaway,” spawned five top ten hits, but the songstress has opted for more rock the third time around, despite the urgings of her label. In the July issue of “Elle” magazine, Clarkson even claimed that Davis offered her $10 million to drop five songs from “My December in favor of more likely hits. She said, “My resistance upsets a lot of people, because we could make a lot of money, and I’m not hating on money. … I’m just not comfortable doing things that don’t feel like me.”
Refusing to back down, Clarkson made similar statements in an interview with MTV. “I’ve never once compromised myself, so I don’t think you should,” she said. “I think that’s when you start to lose fans and credibility … I always stick to my guns. I think you definitely need to keep doing what you love, because I’m the one who needs to sing it every night.”
But it looks like Clarkson will not be singing every night to her fans as soon as expected, now that her tour has been scrapped. In a statement released from her camp, Gregg Perloff, CEO of concert promoter Another Planet Entertainment, said, “The day when [Kelly] will play in sold-out arenas is, no doubt, coming, but for now her fans should look forward to seeing her in a more intimate concert environment.”
While Clarkson did not hint at when any potential rescheduling might take place, in a message on her website she said, “”I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to getting out there to perform for y’all. In the craziness of the music business, performing is what I look forward to doing the most, so it really is disappointing for me to have to tell you that I won’t be coming out to tour this summer. The fact is that touring is just too much too soon. But 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.”
“My December” is slated for a June 26 release and Clarkson can be seen performing next at the July 7 Live Earth concert at Giants Stadium in New Jersey.
