Usher Gets Sick, Walks Offstage Mid-Show In Berlin

Singer cancels kick off date of European leg of his OMG Tour due to illness.
By Gil Kaufman


Usher (file)
Photo: Michael Caulfield/ WireImage

Usher was forced to delay the kick off of his European OMG Tour on Wednesday night in Berlin because of illness. In a statement released to fans, the singer apologized for the last-minute scratch, saying he felt he was suffering from a "sinus complication." Although the gig was rescheduled for Thursday night at the O2 World arena in Berlin, his German fans apparently weren't appeased by his effort.

"I am truly sorry to all my fans in Berlin who were inconvenienced by tonight's postponement of the show," the singer said in a statement about Wednesday's aborted concert. "I was ill and felt that I would not have been able to give them the show that they properly deserve. ... I am looking forward to performing tomorrow and giving Berliners a great show."

According to the statement, the singer received treatment from doctors for a sinus issue that affected his balance, but a visibly still-ailing Usher was unable to finish the Thursday make-up show, reportedly abandoning the stage after just five songs.

On Friday (January 14), a follow-up statement from his spokesperson confirmed that he was too ill to play Thursday night's Berlin date and has been forced to reschedule the next three dates on the tour as well. The Rotterdam show originally scheduled for this week has been moved to March 1 and a show in Antwerp, also slated for this week, has been bumped to March 7.

The statement also updated the singer's condition: "Usher is suffering from upper respiratory illness, which is currently preventing him from performing a proper show. After consultation with doctors, he has been advised to reschedule the upcoming dates in order to get the rest he needs to ensure a complete recovery."

Footage posted on YouTube that was purportedly taken at the make-up performance in Berlin shows Usher standing silently at the microphone seemingly unable to sing, with fans booing him at first and then chanting, "Usher, Usher," as he approaches the microphone and apologizes to them for his struggles. "I appreciate your support," he told the fans wearily.

"I have been very excited about my European Tour and I deeply regret having to reschedule the shows," the singer said in the new statement. "I am truly sorry for any inconvenience I have caused my fans. My fans are the best in the world and I am looking forward to getting better so that I can give them the show they deserve."

Usher wrapped up the North American leg of his tour in December and his overseas dates are slated to last through the spring.

What do you think of the fans' reaction to Usher's walking offstage mid-show? Tell us in the comments.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655991/usher-gets-sick-walks-offstage-midshow-berlin.jhtml

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Victoria Justice Reveals "iParty with Victorious" Details!

Gearing up for the upcoming crossover episode of Nickelodeon?s hit shows ?iCarly? and ?Victorious," Victoria Justice has revealed some exciting details of ?iParty With Victorious.?

The 18-year-old phoned into "On Air with Ryan Seacrest" earlier today (May 24), during which time she dished about the premise of the show, telling, ?I am dating Stephen, and Miranda Cosgrove's character Carly is dating the same guy, and she finds out that he is cheating on her and we meet up at this party and plan this revenge to get back at him ? so there?s a lot of girl power.?

Victoria also mentioned that "a rap battle, and a mash-up of her theme song and mine" would take place on the special episode.

As for how Justice herself would handle such a dating dilemma in real life, she explained, ?it?s all about how they treat you, and they have to open doors for you and be polite to you and your family, and if you find they?re cheating on you or even flirting with other girls in front of you, I find that so disrespectful so that would be the end of Stephen for me!?

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/victoria-justice/victoria-justice-reveals-iparty-victorious-details-508627

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Ke$ha, Adam Lambert, Ne-Yo Have A Few Royal Wedding Gift Ideas

From 'guyliner' to American delicacies like Uncrustables, Kathy Griffin, Mike Posner and more tell us what they'd get Will and Kate.
By Terri Schwartz


Kate Middleton and Prince William
Photo: Ben Stansall/ Getty Images

What kind of wedding gift do you give the royal couple who has everything?

The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton is on Friday (April 29), so MTV News reached out to some of our favorite Hollywood celebrities — from Ke$ha to Adam Lambert. Fortunately, they had some solid ideas!

"I haven't met them, so it would be kind of awkward," the "Tik Tok" singer admitted to MTV News. "I might paint them something. Maybe I'll paint them a guitar."

Like Ke$ha, other celebs had suggestions that were from the heart, even if they weren't the most practical.

"I will go out on a limb and say these two individuals maybe haven't had Uncrustables before in their life. I would get them a strawberry Uncrustable," Mike Posner said about the pastry.

David Cook followed up on the all-American food idea. "I feel like they have everything except maybe they probably don't have an Applebee's gift card. I'll go [with an] Applebee's gift card," the "American Idol" alum said.

Other stars said they'd gift the British prince and soon-to-be-princess with an item they were personally best known for.

"I'd probably buy William some eyeliner," Lambert said. "He could do that, he could rock that look. I think."

Ne-Yo was more empathetic, saying he would give gifts that could help shield them from photographers and blend in with everyday people. "Three years' supply of sunglasses. Yeah, put them on. A bunch of baseball caps, throw those on, and try to move around like regular people," the singer said. "I can't imagine what it would be like having to live under that big of a magnifying glass your whole life ... and fake mustaches, that's what I'd give them."

Brooke Burke went the more traditional route, saying she would get Will and Kate a journal to record the big event. "I would ask them to really take the time to write down thoughts and phrases and wishes," Burke said. "And not really to lose sight of how they feel about each other now and to really hold on to that feeling."

Kathy Griffin had good intentions but the comedian couldn't resist a puke joke.

"If I had to get the royal couple a gift, I would get them the Royal Couple Vomit Bag, which someone sent me a photo of," Griffin told us. "So you can actually buy vomit bags with their image on it, and I think that that is an honor and I hope that they see it as such."

What would you give to William and Kate? Share your ideas in the comments section!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662928/royal-wedding-gift-ideas.jhtml

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TMZ's Hoorah Heroes Photo Contest!

Filed under: Contest

This week's contest is TMZ's Hoorah Heroes Contest -- so if there's a special someone that is (or has) serving in the armed forces -- email in a kick ass pic of them and you could score $250 American dollars and some great gifts from TMZ!

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**CLICK HERE for contest rules and regulations!**

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Source: http://www.tmz.com/2011/05/24/tmzs-hoorah-heroes-photo-contest-military-memorial-day-picture-vote-winner-prizes/

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Lady Gaga's Born This Way: The Reviews Are In!

'It's a storming collection of high-concept pop brilliance,' says one critic of Mother Monster's brand-new album.
By James Dinh


Lady Gaga
Photo: Dave J. Hogan/ Getty Images

Little Monsters, the wait is over! After almost a year since Lady Gaga first dished out details about the project, her Born This Way album has finally arrived.

With endorsement deals from Starbucks, Google and Zynga's "FarmVille," Gaga and her team have crafted an over-the-top marketing plan to make sure everyone under the sun knows that the LP has hit stores. As one of the year's most anticipated releases, Born This Way is expected to debut with high sales ranging from 450,000 to 750,000 copies, according to Billboard estimates.

Much like her costumes, performances and everything else that is Lady Gaga, critics have noted (and mostly praised) the immensity of Born This Way, while name-dropping Madonna every other review. For a deeper look at what the press says Mother Monster has to offer on the new album, read on.

Lyrical Content/Themes
"All over Born This Way, she takes on the big topics dear to her heart: sex, religion, muscle cars, her hair. She sings in French, German, Spanish and whatever language wants to claim 'punk-tious.' She seduces men, women, deities and dead presidents. ('Put your hands on me/ John F. Kennedy' — hey, it rhymes.) And in 'Heavy Metal Lover,' Gaga purrs the immortal pickup line 'I want your whiskey mouth/ All over my blond south.' " — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone

Production
"Enthrallingly, though, the album never lets up, as her producers chuck entire studios at her fulsome vocals. Many songs here are crafted from radically different tunes all stitched together for an attention-deficit generation: A song may start with an intro from one genre, segue into a verse from another, switchback into a surprise pre-chorus, follow that with a fist-pump major-chord chorus, before inserting a hard-edged clubby middle eight." — Kitty Empire, The Guardian

Choruses
"Choruses seem to be the problem with all of the album's singles so far. And what's a pop song without a good hook? The speed metal-meets-'Bad Romance' knock-off 'Judas' is lyrically more interesting than 'Born This Way,' but its Aqua-esque chorus is too sweet and poppy for a torch song dedicated to one of the Bible's greatest villains. The electro-rock ballad — and accidental third single — 'The Edge of Glory' isn't retro so much as retrograde, starting off with some crafty Art of Noise synth tones before morphing into what sounds like the theme song to an early-'90s sitcom, or an inspirational sports flick, as sung by Bonnie Tyler." — Sal Cinquemani, Slant Magazine

Influences
"The album has abundant echoes of the 1980s: not just Madonna, Lady Gaga's obvious predecessor in many things, but also the heft and piano pounding of '80s heartland rock. Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band plays saxophone on two songs, and for the rafter-raising power ballad 'You and I,' Lady Gaga turned to Mutt Lange, who produced thickly layered tracks for Def Leppard in the 1980s. (Mr. Lange, in turn, brought in Brian May, the guitarist in Queen, the band whose song 'Radio Ga Ga' gave her a name.)" — Jon Pareles, The New York Times

The Last Note
"This is not quite the revolution, and certainly not the greatest album ever made. It's a storming collection of high-concept pop brilliance designed to soundtrack every preposterously tremendous Gaga moment for the next 18 months. If there's a gripe to be had, it's regarding the length: At an hour long, Born This Way initially feels more like an assault than an event, and it could easily lose a couple of tracks. However, if she is planning on releasing nine singles from it, then nobody can come away feeling ripped off." — Ian Wade, BBC Music

Have you listened to Lady Gaga's new album? Share your reviews in the comments below!

Don't miss MTV News' hour-long exclusive interview, "Lady Gaga: Inside the Outside," airing Thursday, May 26, at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1664409/lady-gaga-born-this-way-reviews.jhtml

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