|
Post by reception on Oct 10, 2007 6:29:57 GMT -5
Oct 9, 9:04 PM EDT R. Kelly to Embark on U.S. Concert Tour
NEW YORK (AP) -- R. Kelly's twisted taste - most recently seen in his "Trapped in the Closet" campfest - could be front and center on his upcoming U.S. concert tour.
The singer announced Tuesday that he will open the tour in Columbus, Ga., on Nov. 14. He will be joined by Keyshia Cole, Ne-Yo and J.Holiday.
The tour - in support of Kelly's latest album, "Double Up" - tentatively includes stops in Atlanta; Dallas; Washington; Houston; Las Vegas; New Orleans; Philadelphia; Baltimore; Chicago; St. Louis; Newark, N.J.; and Oakland, Calif.
"Trapped in the Closet" is a 22-part ghetto soap opera with a cast of characters including a well-endowed midget, a gay pastor and a convict named `Twon. Kelly, 40, released a DVD of the strange saga in August.
Kelly was charged with child pornography in 2002 and is accused of engaging in videotaped sex acts with an underage girl. Kelly's trial in Chicago was postponed last month because the lead prosecutor had a baby. A new date hasn't been set.
Kelly's spokesman, Allan Mayer, said on Tuesday that Kelly was in the process of getting court permission to travel on the tour. Mayer said Kelly has received approval for previous tours and events outside of Illinois.
|
|
|
Post by areyoureadytojump on Oct 16, 2007 17:15:45 GMT -5
10/20 chart
146 KELLY*R. DOUBLE UP 5,355 5,549 -3% 872,210 (1xp)
|
|
|
Post by reception on Dec 20, 2007 6:34:15 GMT -5
Dec 19, 4:47 PM EST R. Kelly Misses Court Date in Chicago
CHICAGO (AP) -- R. Kelly could be facing arrest if he doesn't show up in court Thursday.
The 40-year-old singer, who is in the middle of a 45-city tour, faces child pornography charges for allegedly videotaping sex acts with a young teenage girl. He has pleaded not guilty.
Kelly missed a hearing Wednesday in Chicago after his tour bus was stopped by Utah State Police, said Kelly's attorney, Ed Genson.
Cook County prosecutors asked Judge Vincent Gaughan to issue a warrant for Kelly's arrest, saying the court had been generous in allowing Kelly to embark on his tour.
"The very least he could do is be here for his appointed court date," said Assistant State's Attorney Shauna Boliker.
The judge entered the warrant, but put it on hold until Thursday morning, when he ordered Kelly to appear in court.
Genson told the judge his client tried his best to make it on time, but first snow, then Utah authorities, delayed the tour bus on its journey from a concert date in Sacramento, Calif., to Chicago.
Police pulled the bus over and discovered its log book didn't document enough rest time for the driver. Police ordered the bus to stop for eight hours, Genson said.
Gaughan is expected to set a trial date in the case, which has been pending since 2002.
The singer won't have to rush off to a concert after court. A Minneapolis show Thursday night has been canceled. The next scheduled tour date is Friday in Chicago, according to Kelly's Web site.
|
|
|
Post by reception on Dec 21, 2007 5:44:09 GMT -5
Dec 21, 1:05 AM EST Judge Chides R. Kelly for Tardiness
CHICAGO (AP) -- R. Kelly avoided arrest Thursday by showing up in court, but the judge presiding over his child pornography case said he'll consider revoking the singer's bond despite his excuse: that police made him late.
Judge Vincent Gaughan said he was "very disappointed" that Kelly, in the midst of a concert tour, failed to show up for a scheduled Wednesday appearance.
Kelly attorney Ed Genson explained his client was tardy because police who pulled over his bus in Utah discovered the log book didn't document enough rest for the driver and ordered it stopped for eight hours.
Gaughan admonished the R&B superstar in court anyway, saying he'll decide Friday whether to revoke his bond. The Cook County judge also was to set a trial date Friday.
"I need more input about what happens to you if I revoke your bail and stop you from concerts," Gaughan said, adding that he would hear arguments from both sides Friday.
Kelly is in the midst of a long legal fight after prosecutors said he videotaped sex acts with a teenage girl. He has pleaded not guilty.
At Thursday's hearing, prosecutors said during the trial they would not refer to vein patterns on the singer's hands as a way to identify Kelly in the video that is at the core of their case. Defense attorneys had argued that identification based on vein patterns wasn't reliable.
Kelly's attorneys haven't even conceded he is on the videotape, saying his likeness may have been computer generated. They have also tried to raise doubts about the identity and age of the girl in the recording.
Kelly appeared in court in a blue-gray suit and in his trademark cornrows. He did not speak during the hearing, and he also declined to comment to reporters as he arrived and left.
Earlier this week, Kelly canceled a scheduled Thursday night show in Minneapolis. He is next scheduled to perform Friday in Chicago, according to the singer's Web site.
|
|