December 27, 2004

Prince’s tour of North America has made him the continent’s most lucrative live performer of the year. His 69 city, 96 show tour took $87.4m during 2004, beating Celine Dion’s Las Vegas residency, which came in second, taking $80.4m. The figures were published by trade paper Pollstar, which named Madonna as the third most lucrative performer. Madonna’s tour took $79.5m, while Metallica were ranked fourth in the magazine’s table, taking $60.5m.

Of the top 100 performers, the average ticket came in at $52 – with Elton John’s tickets the most expensive, at $158 each.

TOP US/CANADA TOURS
1) Prince $87.4m
2) Celine Dion $80.4m
3) Madonna $79.5m
4) Metallica $60.5m
5) Bette Midler $59.4m
6) Van Halen $54.3m
7) Kenny Chesney $50.8m
8) Sting $50.1m
9) Toby Keith $43.7m
10) Elton John $43.3m

Source: bbc

Jane Wiedlin, Belinda Carlisle, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock and Kathy Valentine, a.k.a. The Go-Go’s, are heading south in February, getting a chance to pick up some John The Conqueroo before visiting Disneyworld.
Starting February 2nd, The Go-Go’s go to Louisiana’s Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans, then Bossier City’s Isle of Capri Casino and back to N’arlens’ House of Blues February 6th.
After a stop at Atlanta’s Earthlink Live February 9th, the women visit Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg, Fla., February 11th, then the next night at Orlando’s Universal Studios.
That should give The Go-Go’s enough time to enjoy the sites. Here’s hoping you fans down there get a chance to enjoy their visit.

Source: pollstar.com

Reggie White, a fearsome defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers and one of the NFL’s greatest players, died Sunday, his wife said. He was 43.

The cause of death was not immediately known, however White had a respiratory ailment for several years that affected his sleep, according to Keith Johnson, a pastor serving as family spokesman. An autopsy was scheduled.

“Today our beloved husband, father and friend passed away,” White’s wife, Sara, said in a statement. “His family appreciates your thoughts and prayers as we mourn the loss of Reggie White. We want to thank you in advance for honoring our privacy.”

White died at Presbyterian Hospital, where he was taken after his wife called 911. A police officer was outside White’s Tudor-style home in a gated community, and would not let a reporter approach the house.

A two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and ordained minister who was known as the “Minister of Defense,” White played a total of 15 years with Philadelphia, Green Bay and Carolina. He retired after the 2000 season as the NFL’s all-time leader in sacks with 198. The mark has since been passed by Bruce Smith.

Source: SI.com

Millions of Americans went shopping for comedy this weekend, giving the star-studded “Meet the Fockers” the record for the best single Christmas Day box office take. The sequel, reuniting Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro and adding Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand as Stiller’s parents, earned $44.7 million over the holiday weekend according to studio estimates.

“Meet the Fockers” knocked last week’s top film “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” to third place, with $12.5 million. Second place was taken by the live-action version of “Fat Albert,” which debuted Saturday with a two-day total of $12.7 million, according to studio estimates.

“Meet the Fockers” succeeded in part because of an aggressive ad campaign, including the release of the DVD of the original “Meet the Parents” as well as the return of Streisand to the big screen after an eight-year absence.

It also captured the clash between families, which resonates at the holidays.

“It’s a clash of cultures,” said Marc Shmuger, vice chairman of Universal Pictures. “It’s about the coming together of completely different families, but that’s exactly what the world is going through right now.”

“Meet the Fockers” opened Wednesday, bringing its five-day total to $68.5 million.

Source: yahoo

SkierGuard, an insurance policy launched by Skier Insurance Services (SIS) in August of 2003, will refund the unused portion of a ski resort season pass on a pro-rata basis if a policyholder becomes sick or injured and cannot use the pass for 30 days. The policy, which costs six percent of the season pass, also comes with $15,000 in emergency evacuation insurance and $10,000 of accidental death/dismemberment coverage.

Comedian George Carlin, a counter-culture hero who gained fame in the 1970s with routines about drugs and dirty words, said on Monday he was voluntarily entering a drug and alcohol treatment program.

“I’m going into rehab because I use too much wine and Vicodin,” Carlin, 67, whose latest book “When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?” is a national bestseller, said in a statement. “No one told me I needed this; I recognized the problem and took the step myself.”

The announcement came weeks after the veteran stand-up comic caused a stir at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas with a performance that questioned the intellect of people who visit the resort city.

According to media accounts of the incident, Carlin’s bit about “moronic” Vegas tourists touched off a bitter, profane exchange with members of the audience, including one woman who shouted “Stop degrading us.”

Carlin has acknowledged having battled cocaine addiction in the 1980s but said he quit on his own by tapering off the drug. He also has suffered three heart attacks.

Speaking of his current problem, he said: “My levels of use are nowhere near the worst you hear about these days; I could easily have continued functioning at a good level … for awhile. But my use would have progressed, I would have been in deeper trouble, and I didn’t want to tolerate that.”

Carlin’s spokesman, Jeff Abraham, said the comedian entered rehab on Monday but did not know how long he would remain in treatment. He said Carlin was currently scheduled to begin a new engagement at Stardust Hotel in Vegas in February.

Source yahoo.com.