Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige Deny Appearances at Jackson Tribute

Yesterday Jermaine Jackson held a press conference to announce the initial lineup of performers he's booked for the September 26th Michael Jackson tribute concert in Vienna, Austria. The list included Mary J. Blige and Chris Brown — which was evidently news to both stars.

Mary J. Blige's rep tells Rolling Stone the singer was in talks to perform at the concert, but has a previous commitment at a Gucci show in Milan that has been booked for months and will not be able to attend. And as for Chris Brown, a source close to the embattled R&B star says he wasn't ever in real talks to play the show. "It was in the most crude, fundamental research phase as a possibility. To say it was even being considered was a stretch. He was not close to saying yes."

The source adds that Brown would need permission from the court to travel since he was recently sentenced to one year probation after pleading guilty to assaulting Rihanna. "They're trying to drum up attention because Sister Sledge isn't enough," the source says, alluding to other artists on the bill which include Akon, Natalie Cole, Sister Sledge and German boy band US5. "It's super unfortunate, and at Chris' expense."

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Song Stories

“Too Close”

Next | 1998

Next was formed in Minneapolis when the uncle of Terry "T-Low" and Raphael "Tweety" Brown, who was a gospel choir director, introduced the brothers to Robert Lavelle "R.L." Huggar. Sounds of Blackness singer Ann Nesby groomed the R&B group before handing them over to Naughty by Nature's KayGee, who wrote and produced "Too Close." The idea for the song was sparked "from a conversation we had with several girls at a nightclub," explained T-Low. "It's talking about the club scene, with guys getting out of hand and the female telling him to back up, asking, 'What are you doing?'" 

More Song Stories entries »

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