Susan Boyle skips 'America's Got Talent,' but don't blame Lou Reed

Susan Boyle may have disappointed some "America's Got Talent" audience members when she didn't perform for the show Wednesday night, but it wasn't because Lou Reed was trying to keep her from giving his "Perfect Day" the "Wild Horses" treatment.

Boyle's reps told Access Hollywood on Thursday that due to a glitch, the song had been cleared for performance in the British market but not for television in the United States -- meaning that, no, it couldn't be part of the "AGT" season finale that will air next week.

SuBo had rehearsed only the one song, so when the plug got pulled and there wasn't time to put another number together for the show, she headed back to London.

After the jump, check out video of a bunch of other people singing "Perfect Day."

-- Christie D'Zurilla

Photo: Susan Boyle in October 2009. Credit: Austin Hargrave / Shorefire PR via Bloomberg

Comments

[Tim Hyder]

I think Lou Reed should accept that people sing his songs. Hes so insenstive. If someone famous is singing a popular song, be proud of that and dont be a snob.

[Joey]

Hey Tim? By any chance, did you read the article?

[Dee Wilhelm]

Is anyone surprized how nasty he treated Suan Boyle? Back in the 70's he was mean to his fan base, throwing things at them and yelling obscenities at numeous people. He was/is a dope head and has been ridden hard and hung up wet. Now he is getting all this backlash on how he treated Susan , and he is back peddling. You're a creep and a has been, and I don't believe a word you say....Lou! Go back to your hole and leave Susan and her fan base alone.

[Eve]

Reed did nothing wrong to Susan, except not approve her use of his song.

Boo Hoo.

If her widdo feelings are that fragile, she should remove herself from show business altogether.

Apparently there are legal issues involved here, and the song was not an approved release for use in the US. So all you yahoos who want to jump the gun, should get your facts straight.

I've been a fan of Reed's since the late 60's. I couldn't care less about his personality or what he did 40 years ago. If he did retaliate against his fans, chances are they were a-holes. Just look at how quickly people attacked him here.

And it's HIS music - he can do whatever the heck he wants with it REGARDLESS of legal issues - and he owes NOBODY an explanation.

[Patricia]

I've heard Lou boo his own fans when they wanted him to play his old hits instead of his newer stuff.

He's the sensitive type, but that's okay. It goes with the territory.

[Patricia]

Both Susan Boyle and Lou Reed have earned a reputation for being the "sensitive artist" type.

They both have very protective and loyal fan bases, but those fan bases don't exactly coincide.

[McGee]

Hey, guys... didn't catch the article??? It says "the song had been cleared for performance in the British market but not for television in the United States"

IT'S NOT LOU REED'S FAULT! They FAILED to clear it with his publisher in the due time, THE TELEVISION PEOPLE FORGOT TO DO IT, NOT LOU REED!

By the way... the title says: "but don't blame Lou Reed"

Just sayin'...

[TomAz]

I have lint in my navel that is more intelligent than some of you people.

[Bob Howe]

It's not Lou Reeds fault (whoever he is?). A bad misunderstanding is more like it. Maybe she should think about firing a rep and find one that knows how to get all her eggs in a row.

[Gloria J Puel]

Oh how I LOATHE the STUPID, Hip Hop-style nicknames that people attach to performers and sports personalities. Names like JLo (sounds too much like Jello!) attached to Jennifer Lopez, and Bradjelinna (a combination of the names Brad and Angelinna) when referring to Brad Pitt and Anjelinna Jole, LinLo (for Lindsay Lohan) and now SUBO for Susan Boyle! It almost sounds like Bubo, which is an ugly, puss-filled lesion that appears of a plague victim. These nicknames make me downright nauseous! How hard it is to pronounce a person's name correctly, and RESPECTFULLY? Most celebrities, like Miss Boyle, work hard to be recognized by the fickle public. The last thing they need is to find themselves being referred to by a crude street name.

[Gloria J Puel]

Eve, and by the way, the moment a performer publishes a song, it becomes the property of the PUBLIC. ANYONE can perform the song, and include it in an album collection, as long as they GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR IT, AND ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AS THE WRITER. The song in question was no longer his, as you claim. If an artist legally owned the songs they published, we wouldn't have a gazillion, no-talent Rappers and Hip Hoppers, "sampling" (which is just a new way of labeling THEFT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY). Why bother to write, arrange, and record a new song, when it's so easy to steal a few notes of this song, add a bridge from that song, and overlay it all with a memorable melody from a third ( and well known)song, then blend in a few lines sung, or rapped by less than talented upstart, unwilling to pay their dues and climb the ladder to success as everyone else has done! Susan Boyle was doing what is known as a "cover" of Reed's song, which is absolutely legal, and intended as a compliment, to Reed's "talent".

[Malcom]

It's not clear to me when Reed became an 'auteur'. Or why, if La Boyle is permitted to record the song, why she is not permitted to perform it. At minimum, he should say something polite if he feels no enmity towards Boyle or her singing.

I am, however, really enjoying all the 'Reed's an artist with integrity' folks eating huge chunks of cake over his permitting Boyle to record it.

It's interesting that Renee Fleming has also performed it.

[Dylanfan2]

Oh, really?! So why was the plug pulled at the last minute? Dirty, dirty. This Reed character WAS to blame, trying to pull in some publicity for his "hasbeen" status. He would have done well to let her sing it and get some positive feedback for himself. I've heard a sneak peek version from her new CD (out later this Fall) and OMG! Way better than Reed's. I don't care who wrote it. Go, SuBo! Don't give this braindead oddball another thought!

[David Starr]

If 'Perfect Day' isn't cleared for American television, how did it end up on Elvis Costello's 'Spectacle' ? Are there different clearance procedures for cable versus network television ?

[Billy the Kid]

Never was a Lou Reed fan.....always thought he was just a Bob Dylan wanna be. No musical talent...beginner guitar skills at best. As a musician I always scratched my head at people who really got into him. Neither Dylan or Reed could sing...but at least Dylan could play and write. I feel sorry for whomever had to transpose Reed's music to staff paper...."what was that note you were trying to sing Mr. Reed:?"...........Even Brian Wilson laughed once when he saw him and said....is this guy for real?

[Carlo]

Lou Reed has a right to do want he wants.Boyle maybe a good singer but you can't pervert his songs or his music as you like it.
I'm not an american idol myself, so blame the people who started this mess, don't blame Reed or Doyle

[MollyS]

I'm no expert, but Gloria needs to do a little homework. I have a friend who has worked in the entertainment business and he says that procuring the rights for someone to either cover a song or use the original in a movie or TV show can be expensive and complicated. He used to work for ASCAP.., (google it) and I just remember him saying music is tricky business. Your reasoning doesn't make sense... the late Michael Jackson bought out the rights to all the Beatles songs, so why would he have done that if it was all free game? It just sounds too easy that once a song is published it becomes public material, and anyone can do what they want with it as long as there is attribution. That's not so with books, quotes from books, even quotes from famous people. I do know that for sure, because that's my line of work. The network messed up, is what I think.

[diane]

Susan Boyle's manager has proof in the form of an e-mail that Lou Reed blocked it within two hours of the show. It seems to be a nasty and insensitive move on his part. Maybe he could have blocked it before she rehearsed it and made the trip.