Katy Perry postpones tour dates because of food poisoning

Katy Perry has been forced to postpone two dates on her California Dreams tour after "an attack of food poisoning leading to severe dehydration," the singer announced Friday.

According to a statement on her official website, Perry and concert promoters Jam Productions have rescheduled Friday’s show at Chicago's Allstate Arena for Aug. 21, and Saturday’s stop at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center for Aug. 23. Both rescheduled concerts will be in the same venues.

“I apologize to my fans in Chicago and the Twin Cities for not being able to perform this weekend, but I am going to return in a few weeks to give them the very best show ever!" she said in the statement.

Perry’s illness comes just after Taylor Swift announced she had to reschedule a handful of shows because of bronchitis and Adele was forced to halt her tour because of laryngitis.

Perry's tour is scheduled to make a stop in Los Angeles Aug. 5-7 when she plays three dates at the Nokia Theatre in L.A. Live.

Here’s hoping all the divas get well soon.

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Katy Perry announces summer 'California Dreams' tour during live Facebook chat; L.A. date in August

— Gerrick D. Kennedy
twitter.com/GerrickKennedy

Photo: Katy Perry kicks off the North American leg of her California Dreams Tour 2011 at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga., on June 7. Credit: Frank Micelotta /PictureGroup

Katy Perry premieres '80s-inspired video for 'Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)'

Katy Perry took it to the '80s for the video to her new single, “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).”

In the Marc Klasfeld-directed clip the singer does her best to pay tribute to the coming-of-age teen flicks that made John Hughes a legend among angst-ridden high schoolers. Naturally this means some very campy acting, a makeover and an out-of-hand house party while Mom and Dad are away.  

Perry introduces her alter ego Kathy Beth Terry, a braces-and-bifocals smartypants who longs to be the popular girl and gets a makeover courtesy of Rebecca Black (this girl is really stretching those 15 minutes). 

The cameo-filled mini-movie also stars “Glee’s” Darren Criss and Kevin McHale, Corey Feldman, Hanson, Debbie Gibson and Kenny G. 

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-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

Twitter.com/gerrickkennedy

Dr. Luke, Max Martin named songwriters of the year at ASCAP Pop Music Awards

Dr. Luke and Max Martin spent most of the last year cramming both the radio and the pop charts with sticky singles from Katy Perry, Ke$ha and Usher.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers clearly took note of that profile and awarded the duo big at its 28th annual pop music awards Wednesday.

The event was held at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, where the two shared the honor of being named songwriters of the year.

Dr. Luke, born Lukasz Gottwald, and Martin tied for the award, as the duo penned five of the most performed songs of 2010 together, including Katy Perry’s "California Gurls" and "Teenage Dream," as well as "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz. It's the fourth time Martin has received the honor.
 
Martin also won for "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" by Usher with Pitbull, and "Whataya Want From Me" by Adam Lambert, who presented the award to the Swedish songwriter-producer. Dr. Luke was also honored for Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA" and Ke$ha’s "Tik Tok." The songwriter-producer has had 20 No. 1 songs over the last five years, 17 ASCAP Awards (he was named songwriter of the year last year) and a Top 10 spot on Billboard's producers of the decade list.

Special trophies were also presented to Rod Stewart, who was honored with the ASCAP Founders Award; Band of Horses, which received ASCAP's Vanguard Award; and Randy Bachman, who was presented the ASCAP Global Impact Award. 

EMI artists and songwriters launch charity for Japanese disaster relief

Artists and songwriters from the EMI roster have teamed up to raise funds to aid the Red Cross in its continued efforts to provide relief from the devastation of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March.

Starting Tuesday, music fans can go to eBay and bid on more than 200 goodies from artists such as Coldplay, Norah Jones, Katy Perry, Gorillaz, Iron Maiden, the Beach Boys, David Guetta, Lady Antebellum, the Chemical Brothers, Depeche Mode, 30 Seconds to Mars, Daft Punk, Keith Urban and the Beatles, among others.

The auction is split into two phases, with the first running from Tuesday until April 15. The second phase will take place April 11-21.

Items up for grabs include Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin’s jacket from the 2010 "Viva La Vida" world tour, a pair of vintage speakers from Abbey Road’s famous Studio 3, the Beastie Boys’ Japanese MTV award and a signed limited-edition lithographic Depeche Mode print.

Also on the auction block is a 1987 Ferrari 412 as featured in Daft Punk’s film "Electroma," Perry’s cupcake trampoline from her current "California Dreams" world tour, a limited-edition Beatles’ Yellow Submarine Schwinn bicycle, a signed guitar from Jones, the MacBook used by Guetta to create the demos for "One Love," framed hand-written lyrics from Brian Wilson and a limited-edition Gorillaz lithograph signed by Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn.

"Japan has been one of my favorite countries to visit, and my heart goes out to everyone affected by this disaster," Jones said in a statement. "I'm so glad I can be part of this fundraising effort, along with the EMI family."

All the funds raised will be used toward Japanese Red Cross disaster relief efforts, and the EMI Group has promised to match a portion of the total.

More info can be found on the charity's eBay site.

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-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

twitter.com/gerrickkennedy

Photo: Chris Martin’s jacket from the 2010 "Viva La Vida" world tour. Credit: Courtesy of EMI Group

Katy Perry's 'E.T.' video: She's having alien sex but is she having fun?

Katy Perry - Kanye West - Free Music Videos - Top Songs

Katy Perry's new video with Kanye West for "E.T.," her ode to extraterrestrial romance, has been burning up the Internet today, setting off debate about whether Perry's space-glam get-ups blatantly rip off Lady Gaga or whether West's rhymes celebrating the joys of alien sex help or hinder. Some have even expressed sadness that Perry's breasts don't shoot lasers, preferably the kind that could blow up something 50,000 yards away. Well, it all goes to show that you can't satisfy everyone all the time -- even when you have a big, fawntastic reveal at the end. (And no, dear reader, you don't get to complain about that being a spoiler but you may complain about my pun.)

The video, created by "The Runaways" director Floria Sigismondi, who has crafted several notable music videos for the likes of Dead Weather, the Cure, Christina Aguilera, Sigur Rós and many others, is getting so much attention because it marks a departure in style for Perry, who's usually frolicking with bananas or rolling her eyes like a screwball comedy actress or otherwise engaging in something raunchily campy. At first glance, Sigismondi's video might seem a step away from all of that, but it still aligns with Perry's style. The difference is that the campiness is to be found in many of the visuals and not in Perry's facial expressions or her acting. She even seems, gasp, kind of serious.

Chris Brown hits No. 1, post-meltdown, with 'F.A.M.E.' album

Like the adage about bad publicity, R&B singer Chris Brown proves that  there’s also no such thing as a bad meltdown on  national TV as long as they spell your name correctly and plug your new album.

That album, “F.A.M.E.,” entered the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart at No. 1 with first-week sales of 270,000 copies, the second highest total of the year, despite -- or perhaps partly because of -- the singer's tirade after ABC-TV's “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts asked him about his assault on former girlfriend Rihanna rather than limiting their discussion to the album.

It gives Brown his first No. 1 on the national album chart, although its initial-week sales total is slightly down from his 2007 high of 294,000 for “Exclusive,” which peaked at No. 4 in Billboard. 

A day after his angry outburst, Brown told the BET Channel’s “106 & Park” show, “I felt like they told us this just so they could get us on the show to exploit me. That’s what I thought. So I kind of took it very, very hard. And I kept my composure throughout the interview, although you could see me upset, you know. I kept my composure and did my performances, and when I got back, I just let off, like, steam in the back … I just had to release the anger that I had inside me, because I felt like I worked so hard for this music.”

Brown’s appearance Tuesday on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” helped the show take the night’s TV rating contest, although some participants expressed disappointment that the show had invited him on in light of the 2009 domestic violence case. 

Coming in well behind Brown in the No. 2 spot on this week's chart is Jennifer Hudson’s latest, “I Remember Me,” which was overseen by veteran music mogul Clive Davis. It sold 165,000 copies. 

Among four new titles in the top 5 this week are the Strokes’ “Angles,” which debuted at No. 4 on first week sales of 89,000 copies, close behind Adele’s “21,” which remained strong at No. 3 on sales of 96,000 copies. Adele's album still holds the lead for 2011 in first-week sales, with an initial total of 352,000. Gospel artist Kirk Franklin’s “Hello Fear” entered at No. 5, with sales of 87,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

On the singles front, Katy Perry's "E.T." with Kanye West has climbed to the No. 1 spot, making it her fourth chart-topping single from her "Teenage Dream" album, which also hit No. 1 last summer upon its release. Billboard notes that it's the first album to put four singles at No. 1 since Usher's "Confessions" accomplished that feat in 2004, and it's only the ninth album to do so in the chart's 52-year history.

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-- Randy Lewis

Photo of Chris Brown performing in Hollywood last year at the afterparty for the premiere of the film "Takers." Credit: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images.

Chris Brown's 'GMA' outburst: Making headlines for the wrong reasons on release day

John Lennon, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Josh Groban hits together on 'Songs for Japan' benefit album

Contemporary and classic hits from John Lennon, Justin Bieber, Bob Dylan, U2, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry, Josh Groban and nearly three dozen other acts have been gathered on “Songs for Japan,” a new compilation that will generate funds for the Japanese Red Cross Society’s disaster relief efforts.

The album’s 38 tracks include Lennon’s “Imagine,”  Bieber’s “Pray,” Dylan’s “Shelter From the Storm,” U2’s “Walk On,” Gaga’s “Born This Way,” Springsteen’s “Human Touch,” Perry’s “Firework,” Groban’s “Awake,” Pink’s “Sober” and Nicki Minaj’s “Save Me.”

Other artists represented include Black Eyed Peas, Madonna, Keith Urban, Rihanna, Lady Antebellum, Eminem, Elton John and Shakira.

All artists, publishers and record companies have waived their royalties and other proceeds so that 100% of money generated from sales of “Songs for Japan” will go to the Japanese Red Cross Society. The collection is available for digital download now on iTunes and will surface as a double CD set in early April.

Meanwhile, Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, is playing two benefit shows in New York in the days ahead from which proceeds will go to relief efforts. She’ll be joined by Sonic Youth; her son, Sean Ono Lennon; Cibo Matto; and others on Sunday at the Miller Theatre in a performance that has already sold out. Then on Tuesday, she’ll have Patti Smith, Tony Shanahan, Matto and others with her at Le Poisson Rouge. Tickets are $100.

-- Randy Lewis

BMI's How I Wrote That Song panel offers a glimpse into the magic of hitmaking [Video]

The songwriters behind smash hits from Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Britney Spears and Beyonce discuss how they wrote the hits at a roundtable event.

It came as a bit of a surprise to see the line of eager last-minute ticket buyers and attendees stretching down the block outside West Hollywood’s Key Club on Saturday. Although Cee Lo Green, Seal and the Neptunes’ Chad Hugo were inside, they weren’t performing. Instead, they were talking songwriting along with lesser-known, behind-the-scenes hit authors Bonnie McKee, BC Jean and Claude Kelly during BMI’s How I Wrote That Song panel.

The writers behind the sticky hooks and melodies that reigned in pop and R&B sat down with Grammy-winning producer Dallas Austin and BMI Vice President Catherine Brewton for an in-depth discussion on the particulars of their respective hits.

Herbie Hancock + a Beatle? = Grammy time

 
A night of full of upsets and other surprises started early with Grammy voters’ verdict in the pop collaboration with vocals category. In a field featuring tracks that teamed superstar combinations of Eminem, B.o.B. and Hayley Williams; Elton John and Leon Russell; Lady Gaga and Beyoncé; and Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg, the Grammy went to … Herbie Hancock.

Now, we know how much the Grammys love Herbie, most illustriously when he took the 2008 album of the year award for "River: The Joni Mitchell Letters” album of the celebrated singer-songwriter's music. This time, he trumped the pop, rock, rap and R&B heavy hitters with his version of John Lennon's "Imagine,” from his "The Imagine Project" collection, for which he was joined on the Grammy-winning track by Pink, India.Arie and a group of international friends.

The award also delivered yet another example of the Grammy night adage: Never underestimate the power of a Beatle.

The music industry's love affair with the Beatles surfaced two other times Sunday, with awards to Paul McCartney for solo rock vocal for his rendition of the Beatles' "Helter Skelter" from his “Good Evening New York City” live album, and the award for historical album for "The Beatles in Stereo," the 16-disc box set that packaged stereo versions of all the Fab Four's original studio albums.

-- Randy Lewis

Photo of Herbie Hancock at the Grammy Awards on Sunday. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times.

 

Katy Perry announces summer 'California Dreams' tour during live Facebook chat; L.A. date in August

Katy Perry’s much-hyped Facebook announcement is what was expected: She's gearing up to hit the road this summer.

The multiple Grammy nominee took to “Facebook Live,” the official streaming channel for the social network site, at their Palo Alto headquarters to announce her upcoming “California Dreams 2011” world tour Wednesday afternoon.

For openers, Perry said she will be joined by Robyn as well as Marina and the Diamonds on select dates in the U.S., and Yelle and Calvin Harris will support her on the U.K. leg of the trek, which will draw on material from her hit-filled sophomore disc, "Teenage Dream."

“It’s going to be super girl power. If you come to the tour, you’ll probably start menstruating,” she joked on the webcast. “It’s going to be amazing. I really believe in this tour.”

The 41-city North American leg of the tour launches Jun. 7 in Atlanta and wraps in August with a pair of dates in Perry’s hometown, Santa Barbara.

She said she plans on interacting with fans through social media networks throughout the tour. Using Facebook Places/Deals, fans will be able to check into the venues each night in a bid to score meet-and-greet access to the singer.  They will also be able to submit their own photos of the show via Twitter, which will be incorporated into the live show and also live on her website. 

Her tour will make a stop in Los Angeles on Aug. 5 when she will play the Nokia Theatre in L.A. Live. Presale tickets for the show go on sale on Friday with information on her website.

Check out the dates after the jump.