news archives

October 31, 2002 - InnosentDevil27 writes "According to Z100.com, the line up for the annual concert Jingle Ball has been released. This concert includes the hottest acts of the year which include: Avril Lavigne, Kylie Minogue, John Mayer, Ja Rule, Nelly, Kelly Clarkson, Destiny's Child, Mariah Carey, No Doubt, and *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake. Tickets go on sale Friday, where you can get them at Z100.com."

October 31, 2002 - Tom from the Friends of Mariah Messageboard posted his experience at the taping of Tros TV with Ivo Niehe in Holland on Wednesday. After an interview and performance of 'Through The Rain', the singer "went into, yes INTO the audience! She signed everything and smiled the whole time! She went up all the stairs and laughed and enjoyed every moment! When she came close to me, I handed her the Butterfly album cover (eyes closed) And I asked her: Mariah, Can you please sigh this one for me, it's my favorite! And she looked up at me and I looked her straight in the eyes and she replied 'Of course!' and she grabbed (!) the booklet and signed it with MC and a heart symbol which is sooo sweet and then the best part: I got it back and 'Thank you so much!' and then she winked her eye!!! Wooohooo!" Read more.

October 31, 2002 - Radio 1 reports DJ Sammy has been brought in to help Mariah Carey with her big comeback album. Mariah's manager has been to Sammy's studio to ask for advice after hearing his re-make of Bryan Adams' 'Heaven'. "Every big artist has his ups and downs you know," he said. "And I think Mariah has such a huge vocal... I would love to work with that woman."

October 31, 2002 - Mariah Carey left a message for her street team thanking them for helping support her new album 'Charmbracelet', which is due out December 3. Download and listen to the clip here.

October 31, 2002 - Star File Online has more footage of Mariah Carey in New York City last Thursday (October 24). Check out the pictures here.

October 31, 2002 - Roger Friedman of Fox News broke down the album battle setting up between Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey as both release their new stuff on November 26th (Friedman looks to be wrong here, as Mariah's album is actually due out December 3rd). Friedman says after the well received release of Whitney's 'One of Those Days', he knows "that the Arista kids are thrilled that they leapt ahead of Mariah's single, 'Through the Rain,' which has made steady but slow progress as the lead track off Carey's new album." Read more.

October 30, 2002 - Mariah Carey left a message for fans on her official website. Mariah said, "Hi... hey lambs, I know it's been a long time since I left a nice message 'cause I've been working hard to finish the album and... it's done and my credits are done and I'm so happy and... hum... I wanted to say that... hum... everybody I have been meeting at all the fan events around the country, you guys are stellar, I love you... and you gave me the best books and... you know toys and Hello Kitty stuffs, lambs and everything has been really really great and I just enjoyed you much, alrighty? And I love you much and I can't wait for you guys to hear the whole album 'cause it's my favorite definitely since 'Butterfly' and... hum... I just want to say thanks again to everybody for being here, for your support and for being here for... hum... 'Through The Rain' and everything else, so... I... will talk to you soon and I hope you like the nice... video and... hum... I will be leaving you another message shortly, bah-byyye!" You can listen to the message by registering at MariahCarey.com.

October 30, 2002 - IDJ Sr. VP Promotion Ken Lane tells HitsDailyDouble.com that Mariah Carey’s promo blitz has already helped 'Charmbracelet' with programmers. "When Lyor first mentioned to me we were going to sign Mariah, I immediately started thinking about ways to reintroduce her to radio," Lane said. "We organized dinners with radio programmers in small intimate settings of 40 to 50 people, where she could spend an hour, just be herself and get people feeling they made a new friend." Read more. [Requires free subscription]

October 29, 2002 - The fan that went to cover the Seventeen Entertainment Tonight showcase in New York City filed her report on MTV's Total Request Live on Monday. She tried to interview Mariah Carey but were ignored. The winner said afterwards, "The night is over I had a blast it was the bomb. Thank you so much, MTV. We're about to get outta here the show's over thank you."

October 28, 2002 - The cover art to Mariah Carey's new album 'Charmbracelet' is available to check out at MariahDownunder.com. The album drops on December 3rd. Check out the picture here.

October 28, 2002 - Fans can check out a promotional clip for Mariah Carey's new single 'Through The Rain' which includes comments from the singer and behind the scenes shots from the New York shoot. Mariah describes the message behind the song as well. Watch the clip here.

October 26, 2002 - Us Weekly has a very small tidbit on the Mariah Carey track 'Yours' featuring Justin Timberlake of *NSYNC, which appears on Carey's upcoming 'Charmbracelet' due out December 10th. Jimmy Jam commented, "Justin matched Mariah note for note."

October 26, 2002 - MariahBuzz.com has photos of Mariah Carey outside of last night's MTV special that was taped in New York City. Check them out here.

October 26, 2002 - Nicole from MariahBuzz.com was on hand at the Mariah Carey MTV Special taping in New York last night. She writes, "What a night we had tonight! We lied our way into the MTV recording of Mariah's special that will air December 3rd, the day of the album release. Mariah was truly AMAZING! So calm, funny & relaxed. We were treated to a mini concert of 6 songs consisting of new tracks & some oldies." Read more.

October 26, 2002 - Mariah Carey, Dream, Shaggy, B2K, Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs, Daniel Bedingfield, and Da Brat were on hand at Seventeen Magazine's New Star Showcase presented by Entertainment Tonight at Roseland Ballroom on Friday (October 25) in New York City. Check out photos from Getty Images and WireImage.com.

October 25, 2002 - Globe magazine reports Christina Aguilera "really identifies" with Mariah Carey after the singer's breakdown, something Christina herself dealt with after being hurt by boyfriends and close associates who sold her out. An insider said, "Poor Mariah suffered her own breakdown after her love life collapsed. And believe me, Christina knows what Mariah went through. She really opens her heart to Mariah and all her problems."

October 25, 2002 - The New York Daily News spoke with Mariah Carey on Tuesday from the listening party of her new album 'Charmbracelet' in New York City. "It expresses a kind of spirituality," she said of her new music. "A lot of the things I've been through, other people, especially women, have also gone through, so I think they can identify with it. But I get feedback from the fans, and I also draw a lot of inspiration from others." Read more.

October 25, 2002 - MTV's Total Request Live today talked a bit about the Mariah Carey 'Charmbracelet' track 'Clown', which many are saying is a diss towards Eminem. John Norris reports Carey says this is in fact about any guy who talks a big game when, in fact, when you get beneath the tough outside, he is kind of a softy underneath. She says, no it is not necessarily about anyone. Carson said, "She's a lunatic to take on Eminem. Keep it to yourself." Norris added, "Not a good idea."

October 25, 2002 - The final tracklisting for Mariah's new album "Charmbracelet" was released from Universal Denmark today. Check it out here.

October 25, 2002 - Mariah Carey has brushed aside comparisons to 'American Idol' winner Kelly Clarkson. "I think she's got more of a Celine type of thing going on," Carey told the New York Times.

October 25, 2002 - Jerry Blair, a former executive at Columbia Records who has worked with Mariah Carey since the inception of her career, has revealed in a conference call that Mariah's record label MonarC has only signed one artist at this point, Isabelle. However, they're looking at working with two of Mariah's background singers. Tomorrow they will launch a talent search with Seventeen. Mariah will also make an appearance to introduce Isabelle's first performance. MonarC will also be involved in cartoons and jingles. As for Carey herself, she'll be busy doing photo shoots for Allure and Blender among others. In addition, an MTV is special being recording in New York this week, which will air around the time of the album release. There will also be specials taped for BET and VH1. Read more.

October 24, 2002 - The New York Daily News spoke with Mariah Carey on Tuesday from the listening party of her new album 'Charmbracelet' in New York City. "It expresses a kind of spirituality," she said of her new music. "A lot of the things I've been through, other people, especially women, have also gone through, so I think they can identify with it. But I get feedback from the fans, and I also draw a lot of inspiration from others." Read more.

October 24, 2002 - The New York Post reports Mariah Carey hits back at Eminem in the song 'Clown' on her upcoming album 'Charmbracelet.' The rapper had said of their reported romance, "On the whole personal level, I'm not really feeling it. I just don't like her as a person. I learned a lesson from it: Don't believe the hype . . . She doesn't really have it all together." Carey sings, "You should have never intimated we were lovers. I gotta break it to you delicately - who's gonna love you when it's over? Who's gonna care?" Asked if she wrote the song, Mariah said from her listening party Tuesday night, "I wrote all the songs except for one or two." Read more.

October 24, 2002 - Nicole from MariahBuzz.com was on hand at the Mariah Carey album preview party in New York City last night. She writes, "Mariah looked better than fantastic!" As for the Def Leppard cover of 'Bringin' On The Heartbreak,' she commented, "This is a brilliant song & uses a guitar heavily, One of my favorites." As for the Justin Timberlake featured 'Yours', she said it was "AMAZING... as with every song... everyone was blown away & the media were the ones to start the clapping.. The standing ovation etc etc." Read more.

October 24, 2002 - A Flyte Tyme records news posting states: "Last week when Mariah was visiting the Twin Cities, Jimmy Jam noticed a stunning new charm bracelet she was wearing! He commented to her how beautiful it was! She told him it was what she was going to name the new album! It's now official." Read more.

October 24, 2002 - Mariah Carey's listening event at the Hayden Planetarium for her new album 'Charmbracelet' to be released in December saw 'American Idol' judge Randy Jackson, Da Brat, Leon, and Naomi Campbell in attendance. Check out photos from GlobePhotos, LFI, and WireImage.com.

October 24, 2002 - Roger Friedman of Fox News was on hand at the listening party last night in New York for Mariah Carey's new album 'Charmbracelet'. One of the tracks played was cover version of Def Leppard 's 1993 hit 'Bringin' on the Heartbreak', which Friedman says "was one of the many applauded tracks on an album full of potential hits." 'American Idol' judge Randy Jackson was on hand at the event and offered, "It's the most real and honest record she's made. She didn't care what anyone thought of the lyrics. They were only important to her." Read more.

October 24, 2002 - The New York Post reports Mariah Carey hits back at Eminem in the song 'Clown' on her upcoming album 'Charmbracelet.' The rapper had said of their reported romance, "On the whole personal level, I'm not really feeling it. I just don't like her as a person. I learned a lesson from it: Don't believe the hype . . . She doesn't really have it all together." Carey sings, "You should have never intimated we were lovers. I gotta break it to you delicately - who's gonna love you when it's over? Who's gonna care?" Asked if she wrote the song, Mariah said from her listening party Tuesday night, "I wrote all the songs except for one or two." Read more.

October 22, 2002 - Mariah Carey's father passing away last summer, on the fourth of July, making her touching tribute 'Through The Rain' even more poignant. She told Extra TV, "It's not just like, I’m strong, I can do this. We all really can if we have faith. That's the message of the song." Read more.

October 22, 2002 - Blender magazine has named Mariah Carey's album 'Glitter' as 'The Most Disastrous Album Ever' in their November issue. Moby commented, "On a quantitative level, you can make the case for it being the most disastrous album of all time. It makes the idea of the Sex Pistols being paid $46,000 to leave EMI [in 1977] look like child's play."

October 22, 2002 - The Star Tribune reports Mariah Carey gave an exclusive lunchtime CD-listening party on Tuesday at Flyte Tyme Studios. Their insider reports that a few bigwigs from Sam Goody and Best Buy got to hear four songs from Carey's 'Charmbracelet', due December 10. Rapper Da Brat was there to act as emcee, sorta. Carey, who looked diva-liciously casual in pigtails, leather boots with six-inch heels and a sweater zipped down to there, didn't let on much about the CD except that she and *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake do a duet. She didn't explain why she used only two of the five songs that she'd recorded with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. But they were nice enough to host the party anyway.

October 21, 2002 - WireImage.com has photos from the 2002 BET "Walk of Fame" Honoring Stevie Wonder at BET Studios in Washington, DC on Saturday (October 19). Amongst the celebs in attendance were *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, Brian McKnight, Chanté Moore, Dru Hill, Ed Gordon, Fred Hammond, India.Arie, Ja Rule, Jacque Reid, Jamie Foxx, Jill Scott, JoJo, K-Ci & JoJo, Kedar Massenburg, Kelly Price, Musiq, and the honoree Stevie Wonder. Check out the pictures from the PressRoom and Show.

October 21, 2002 - Popdirt.com's last poll asking which pop diva's new single is your favorite had 47.9% of you say Mariah Carey's new single 'Through The Rain', followed by Christina Aguilera's 'Dirrty', which got 34.3%. Madonna was next with 9.9% on 'Die Another Day', while Jennifer Lopez was last with 7.9% for 'Jenny From The Block'. For complete results, click here.

October 21, 2002 - Stars.com has listed their top 10 divas. Those on their list include Robbie Williams with a 5 out of 10 outrageous rating, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, also at 5 out of 10, Britney Spears at 6 out of 10, Mariah Carey at 9 out of 10, Whitney Houston and Elton John at 8 out of 10, and the queen of outrageousness, Jennifer Lopez scoring a perfect 10. Read more.

October 21, 2002 - Blender magazine reports Mariah Carey reportedly spent $20,000 on fog machines, candles, flowers and cases of Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio wine this spring while recording her Island/Def Jam debut 'Charmbracelet' in Capri. 7 Aurelius said, "It was just her, a glass of wine, and a microphone, pouring her soul out onto tape." He added that Carey is the most professional artist he's ever worked with.

October 21, 2002 - Us Weekly spoke with Carson Daly ahead of the 1,000th episode of TRL on Wednesday (October 23). Carson said Mariah Carey was the show's 'Wackiest Entrance' from her infamous 2001 appearance. "I had no idea she was supposed to be on, which was interesting because I'm the host and executive producer," Carson said. "First, she passed out ice cream, then she started taking off her shirt! I remember thinking, something is definitely wrong with her."

October 20, 2002 - Glenn Gamboa of Newsday weighed in on the "Clash of the Titans" in the music industry's fourth quarter, which has plenty of heavyweights putting out new work. In the 'Diva Class', they have Whitney Houston's 'Whatchulookinat' against Mariah Carey's 'Through The Rain', Gamboa gives Mariah the nod. Read more.

October 20, 2002 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that following Mariah Carey's visit to Q100, Mariah Carey dined with her entourage and rapper Da Brat at the Atlanta Fish Market on Monday night. Mariah ate sashimi tuna over white rice, boiled lobster (removed from shell, natch) and steamed spinach. Diners report Carey was wearing a navel-revealing shirt and her personal masseuse occasionally rubbed her shoulders during the singer's meal.

October 20, 2002 - Those that read about Mariah Carey's Q100 provided turkey sandwich being auctioned only to look on eBay and not find it may wonder what happened. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports an e-mail to Q100 jokester Jeff Dauler from eBay told him that the foodstuff "does not appear to be consistent with eBay guidelines. . . . All food and related products sold on eBay should be packaged or sealed to ensure that the buyer can identify evidence of possible tampering." Dauler says he intends to relist the item, because it was clearly explained in his description that the sandwich was being sold solely as a celeb souvenir and could not be consumed.

October 20, 2002 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Mariah Carey was about 45 minutes late to the Q100 radio on Monday, arriving with an entourage of 12. An assistant used antibacterial baby towelettes to wipe down the can of Coke she drank from and also utilized a utensil to lift the bread of a turkey sandwich so the singer could inspect its innards. The Bert Show Executive Producer Jeff Dauler said, "She was cool, but if I was her, I'd be surrounding myself with people who could make me as punctual as possible. She's got a lot of career-rebuilding to do. She needs to scream 'professionalism' right now."

October 19, 2002 - Nicholas Fonseca of Entertainment Weekly weighs in on the new albums coming out from Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Lopez, and Shania Twain. EW gives Aguilera revival odds of 5-2, Shania Twain 1-1, Whitney Houston 10-1, Jennifer Lopez 3-1, and Mariah Carey 5-1. Read more.

October 19, 2002 - Fans can check out the new video from Mariah Carey for her latest single 'Through The Rain' at VH1.com.

October 18, 2002 - Star magazine chatted with a Mariah Carey insider who says the singer has bounced back from her emotional meltdown and breakup with Eminem, dropping 30 pounds, and is ready to soar. The pal says Mariah revealed, "I don't need a man." The source added, "Her relationships got too complicated. She's trying to keep her life simple and positive now. She was too driven in her career and this started falling apart. Now she knows you have to be happy with yourself before anything else in life." Friends worried after she split with Eminem last fall, but she showed them she could overcome it. "After she and Eminem stopped seeing each other, Mariah said she realized that she had to get on with life on her terms," the insider revealed.

October 18, 2002 - A fan submitted her Mariah Carey meet and greet story to MariahBuzz.com. Lynn writes, "She had on the cutest outfit and her hair was just perfect. So when it was my turn to meet her I felt so stupid because I didn’t get to say what I wanted to say to her. I went up to her gave her a hug and she asked how I was doing. Then I asked her to sign my poster and I told her I love you so much and she said thank you. Then so put her arm around me and we got our pic taken. And I just walked away after that, that was stupid cause I wanted her to sign more things and I wanted to talk to her because I’ve been waiting for 12 years to meet her. So I got behind the photographer and I was just looking at everyone’s reaction to meeting MC. That was great I got to hear what she was saying and I kept starring at her." Check out her entire story, including her 'kleptomania' tendencies, here.

October 18, 2002 - Eve was the guest host of MTV's Total Request Live earlier today and at the conclusion of the show she said tomorrow Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs will host, Fat Joe will guest, and they will have the world premiere for Mariah Carey's new video 'Through The Rain'.

October 18, 2002 - Universal Belgium have realeased the following new promotional photos of Mariah Carey for the new album/single. Check them out at MariahBuzz.com.

October 18, 2002 - Jeannette Walls of MSNBC reports some celebrities at the VH1-Vogue Fashion Awards were complaining when Jennifer Lopez's name was listed last to begin the show, while all the other names were listed in alphabetical order. "There were some pretty big names there and VH-1 had a lot of discussion about what order to announce them at the beginning of the show," says a source. "They didn’t want anyone to feel snubbed by listing them in order of importance, so it was decided that all the stars would be announced alphabetically." Read more, including an auction by Q100, which appears to have been cancelled, to sell a partially eaten sandwich of Mariah Carey, here.

October 18, 2002 - Mariah Carey's rep Cindy Berger sent out a message to fans informing them that the singer's Washington D.C. meet and greet has been cancelled. Cindy said, "Due to the recent shootings occurring in and around the surrounding area of Washington, D.C., Mariah wants to ensure the safety of her fans. Unfortunately, this means that the Washington, D.C. region for Mariah's Meet and Greet has been cancelled. On behalf of Mariah and myself, we apologize for this inconvenience. I understand that nothing can replace the chance to meet Mariah, but we intend to compensate each of you in some way and we'll notify you of that shortly. Mariah sends her love. We thank you in advance for understanding the situation."

October 18, 2002 - Mariah Carey's official website announced on Thursday that the singer's new album is to be called 'Charmbracelet'. Mariah says, "Charmbracelets have always had a personal and sentimental significance for me. Charms are like pieces of yourself that you pass on to other people...items that tell your story, and that can be shared...like a song. The bracelet represents the foundation of this album, a body of work that encompasses many feelings." 'Charmbracelet' drops on December 10th.

October 18, 2002 - The New York Daily News reports that longtime rivals Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston were set to unite for a CBS special in an effort to boost both of their careers, but Whitney backed out. "She wasn't ready," says the source. "Also, do you think that CBS would have promoted it as anything other than the 'Two Freaks'?" Another source countered that it was Mariah who turned down the offer. "They didn't want her associated with Whitney, with all her troubles," said the insider. "Considering Mariah's baggage, why would you want to invite comparison?" Whitney is reportedly in talks to have a special on ABC.

October 17, 2002 - Mariah Carey popped into the Q100 studio in Atlanta sit down with the Bert Show to talk about how fairly or unfairly the media treats her, the biggest Mariah misconceptions, and the truth about her alleged suicide attempt. Listen to the 12 minute interview and photos here.

October 16, 2002 - Jeanette Walls of MSNBC reports that with news of *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake collaborating with Mariah Carey on the romantic duet 'Yours', there is already talk that the two are an item. "Sure, she’s a little older, but he was also [romantically linked] to Janet Jackson," who is 36, points out one source. Timberlake's spokesman says the two are not romantically involved "as far as I know." Carey's rep says they are not romantically involved. Read more.

October 16, 2002 - Mariah Carey stopped by the Kidd Kraddick show recently and talked about her new album, how the "machine" made her sheltered after about three albums, her shoe collection, 'Wisegirls' and the accent she had to use, the positive reaction she's gotten from fans on 'Through the Rain', the "TBD" album title, and more. Also, Mariah said her phone number was (212) 233-5592. Check out pictures from the appearance here and listen to the 11 minute interview here.

October 16, 2002 - FoxNews.com's Roger Friedman got a listen to seven tracks off of Mariah Carey's yet-to-be-titled album on Friday and says "they are great." Friedman adds, "Mariah's new songs are several cuts above a lot of her recent work. I don't mean 'Glitter', either. Better than a lot of 'Rainbow' and 'Butterfly'." His favorite of the seven is a gospel-flavored number called 'My Saving Grace.' Read more.

October 15, 2002 - The New York Post hears that Mariah Carey has finished her first album for Def Jam and is having an exclusive listening party October 22nd at the Hayden Planetarium. Spies told the paper the album is "amazing."

October 15, 2002 - Mariah Carey dropped by the Y100 radio station in Miami, Florida for an almost 40 minute long interview with DJ's Kenny and Footy for their morning show. Mariah discussed, among other things, her new album, the tabloids, hot sauce scandals as well as confirming a few things. Mariah announced she will be doing a world tour in support of the new album but just has to work out places and venues to hold the shows because booking them can be a complete and total mess. Also, Mariah revealed that the video for 'Through The Rain' will premiere this Friday, October 18th. Download and listen to the interview here.

October 15, 2002 - Howard Cohen of the Miami Herald was on hand at Mariah Carey's meet and greet with fans in Miami on Saturday night at North Miami's South Florida Rehearsal Studios. Over 100 fans showed up to meet Carey, as the singer explained her "fans are an extended family for me." Carey added, "Probably everyone that wants to be famous is filling a void of something they are missing. I feel the acceptance they give me. And the support and unconditional love they show me is critical to my being." Read more.

October 14, 2002 - Danny was on hand at Mariah Carey's meet and greet in Miami this weekend and reports, "We all sat around her, they had a nice couch for her, and people got to ask questions, and I wanted to ask what perfume she was wearing cuz she smelled sooo good! Or just to say how beautiful she was in person, or even to thank her just for everything, but I cant believe how shy I was to talk to her! But hey, no regrets, becuz despite that I truly believe the night was perfect. During the Q&A, she was signing like everything for everyone (I got my polaroid and my 'Butterfly' CD signed). She was really just so sweet-so funny, so REAL! And all the other fans were so nice, and polite." Read more.

October 13, 2002 - The second track to be released from Mariah Carey’s new album will be called “Yours” and in addition to a solo version, there will also be a duet version featuring *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake, according to Flyte Tyme’s website. The track was penned and produced by Mariah, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and James “Big Jim” Wright of Flyte Tyme Productions and is currently being mixed by Steve Hodge in Flyte Tyme’s 'Studio D.'

October 13, 2002 - Fast Freddy of Boston's Star 93.7 interviewed Mariah Carey for the morning show earlier this week. Read more.

October 13, 2002 - Jon Bon Jovi and Ritchie Sambora stopped by MTV's Total Request Live on Friday in a big surprise. Carson Daly, who was hosting, joked, "Bon Jovi just stopped by, apparently unannounced too. Let me tell ya, I was on my way to No. 2. Let me say I hope everything is okay with you two because the last artist to surprise me on this show was Mariah, and we know what happened with her." The two laughed and Carson added, "There is no ice cream in sight." Then Jon started taking off his shirt to attempt to re-create the scene. We'll probably find out from the TRL Diary that their visit caused chaos, since they had promo'd Madonna's phone in all week, and Bon Jovi coming by to shamelessly plug their new album, after Jon had already been on a few days ago, probably upset some of the show's staff. 

October 13, 2002 - A fan on the MariahBuzz.com website shared his story of meeting Mariah Carey at a meet and greet in Dallas on Friday. Joseph writes, "Well, out came Mariah. She looked at me in the eyes and hugged me. Then we all sat down next to her and I sat RIGHT BESIDE THE WOMAN! AHHH! I WAS NEXT TO HER! SHE HELD MY HAND FOR A MINUTE! We were passing the mic around and I was the first to ask her a question and said 'Mariah, I was watching Cribs and I wanted to ask you something... why was your friggin dog in the dryer!!??' She laughed hard!" Then another fan caused Mariah to laugh when she showed Mariah a 'Wisegirls' parody of Mariah holding a gun to Jennifer Lopez's head. Mariah said, "We love everybody!" Read more, including a picture of Joseph and Mariah, here.

October 12, 2002 - Popdirt.com's latest poll asks readers to judge their favorite of the new releases from Christina, Mariah, J.Lo and Madonna. Vote here.

October 12, 2002 - CDNow.com reports Shaggy, B2K, and Daniel Bedingfield will perform at Seventeen magazine's New Star showcase at the Roseland Ballroom in New York on October 25th. Mariah Carey will also make an appearance, introducing Isabel, a new artist on Carey's MonarC Music imprint. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Fresh Air Fund.

October 11, 2002 - Searches for Mariah Carey on pay-per search engine Overture.com in September have dropped a bit from the last time we checked in January, though may start to rise beginning this month with the impending release of her new album and 'Through The Rain' video. The term 'Mariah Carey' was searched for 135,038 times. The most searched for site was her official site at MariahCarey.com, followed by MariahDaily.com. The most common misspelling wasn't really a misspelling, as a porn star and sort-of look-a-like goes by the name of Mary Carey. For a complete list of Mariah Carey related searches and misspellings, read here.

October 11, 2002 - MariahBuzz.com reports Mariah Carey will be performing a selection of songs from her forthcoming album for an MTV Special, to be taped October 24th in New York City. The production will be in the same vein as 'Unplugged' (i.e. likely a 5 - 6 piece band), but it will not be called 'Unplugged'. In addition to the performance, fans in attendance will have the opportunity to ask Mariah questions. This Q&A session will be included as part of the upcoming special. This will take place at Right Track Studios, where Mariah is putting the finishing touches on her album.

October 11, 2002 - BET announced the artists for the "Stevie Wonder Walk Of Fame" tribute on their website: It's hosted by Jamie Foxx and it says appearances by: Dru Hill, Gerald Levert, Eddie Levert, India.Arie, Ja Rule, Jill Scott, Mariah Carey, Elton John, Alicia Keys and more. It will be aired on October 29th, 2002 at 9:00PM EST.

October 10, 2002 - MariahBuzz.com has a couple fan reports from Mariah Carey's meet and greet in Boston on Wednesday night. The fans were treated to a small listening party of some of the tracks from the new album which are said to be "awesome". There is a sample and there are rappers but they're all good. Check out reaction to individual songs and more here.

October 10, 2002 - Globe magazine reports Mariah Carey has been fretting to pals that the two sisters kidnapped by Tommy Mottola's wife Thalia could have been her or her family. A pal confided, "Mariah says it makes her blood run cold to know that she or her family could easily have been targetted by kidnappers during the years she was married to Tommy. She always thought he was being paranoid and macho by having a lot of armed guards around. She's now saying Tommy was right to have been so protective of her, but most of all, Mariah wants a happy ending for him, Thalia and her sisters."

October 6, 2002 - Nikkansports.com reports that Mariah Carey's new album was previewed in Japan on October 3. Mariah commented, "I want Japanese people to hear it first," prior to the whole world. Six of the planned twelve tracks were played. Mariah plans on visiting Japan when the album is released there.

October 5, 2002 - Mariah Carey fan site MariahBuzz.com has photos of the singer arriving in Germany on Friday, getting remarkably close-up shots of Mariah's cleavage. Check them out here.

October 4, 2002 - That pricey downtown New York City condo owned by Mariah Carey that was on MTV Cribs is reportedly being prepared for sale, according to the New York Post. Carey paid over $9 million for the four-bedroom, 4.5-bath penthouse in the 17-story building, built in 1931 as the Corn Exchange Bank and redeveloped into condos two years ago. "Several brokers have been in to take a look," says one insider. "She's asked them what they thought her place is worth." Carey's people deny she's planning on moving out. Read more.

October 3, 2002 - Cindy Adams of the New York Post seems to be questioning the motivations between the hot new romance between Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, refuting talk that the couple will soon get married. An insider told her, "Please . . . they're together in one movie which is opening and there's another after that so . . . please . . . the relationship will keep going . . . but . . . please."

October 3, 2002 - Mariah Carey tells MTV News that downtime helped her get through her much publicized troubles in the past year. "You know what," she asked rhetorically, "I did actually have time to take a break, which is really what I needed. [I needed] downtime, just to sleep. And actually the writing process and working on this album has been something to immerse myself in, because I realized how that has always been my saving grace. There's a song on the album called 'My Saving Grace.' But it actually is [my saving grace], just to go into that process and really live the process of writing, recording, the whole thing, up to the main inception to the mastering of the record." Read more.

October 3, 2002 - Jamie Lynn Sigler is said to be playing the role of Mariah Carey's mother on the 'Through The Rain' video, and talked about it a bit on her official website diary on Monday. Sigler wrote, "Okay, so big, big news! Yes, I do open in a Broadway show tomorrow and I cannot wait at all but also, this week I am filming the lead character in Mariah Carey’s new video! I filmed a little this morning, and now I am going back to meet her. This is way too surreal. And the best part is that I get to wear 60’s clothes! Have a great one, and I will keep a diary of everything for you guys. Talk to you later."

October 2, 2002 - MTV's John Norris caught up with Mariah Carey in New York for Total Request Live on Tuesday, where she's filming her new video 'Through The Rain'. Telling Mariah "she's back", the diva responded, "I've been here for years, ha-ha. Working on this album has been really like something that was great to immerse myself in because I realized how that really always has been my saving grace." Read more.

October 2, 2002 - Radioandrecords.com reports that with 34 adds, Mariah Carey gains the Most Added spot at AC with her latest, 'Through The Rain.' The Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis-produced ballad, which attains New & Active status, is the first track from Carey's MonarC/IDJMG debut album, due this December. Upcoming appearances for Carey include A Tribute to Stevie Wonder (10/19), the Seventeen Magazine Showcase in N.Y. (10/25), the MTV Europe Awards (11/14) and Oprah (11/20).

October 2, 2002 - 'Scrubs' star Zach Braff was on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Tuesday, where he talked about his previous job working as a production assistant on music videos. Zach shared a few stories on how they played gags on famous people pretending they didn't know who they were, and how the Spice Girls had bodyguards carry them on the set because their feet were tired. He says one particular diva wouldn't drink the water he brought her because they only drank Evian. Zach denied it was Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Lopez, or Mariah Carey. He had worked with Mariah in the past though, saying, "She was nice, I have to say." They joked a little about Glitter as well. Read on for a transcript.

October 2, 2002 - Access Hollywood spoke with Mariah Carey on the set of her new video 'Through The Rain' in New York City. Billy Bush asked the singer if she's feeling pressure and whether she's nervous or excited about the new album. "You know what, I'm excited about the music. If I were to be nervous then I wouldn't put a record out," she said. "I am making music for myself and my true fans. It's also a healing process for me. I just got back from Capri where I spent the past couple of months. I had to come back and forth for a bit for some family stuff. It was just really relaxing. I just totally immersed myself in the writing process -- because I write all my songs -- and producing. I basically live in the studio upstairs in this little apartment in Capri. And what it did was it was really just a chance to be reflective and just focus on the music and realize like, 'Hello, it's not that deep to get so stressed out over. It's only the music business. It's only TV-land.' The things that really matter like human beings and people and family and friends -- real friends -- are the things that are important. It's great to have success, but I could retire tomorrow and already achieved far more than my goals ever were." Watch a portion of the interview and read the transcript here.

October 2, 2002 - Big Pictures has photos of Mariah Carey coming out of her trailer in Washington Heights were she is shooting a new video on Monday in New York. Check out the photos here.

October 2, 2002 - Extra TV spoke with Mariah Carey from the set of her new 'Through The Rain' video in New York City. Mariah says she's not worried about failure or criticism. Only faith in her fans and faith in the strength she found within herself to carry on. She says, "There's no reason to sit around and stress about it. What's this one going to say, what's that one going to say? Nobody can really upset me that badly by saying something anymore. I just know I have to please myself and my fans." Watch a clip of Carey here.

October 1, 2002 - Many more photos Mariah Carey shooting her new 'Through The Rain' video in New York City both Sunday and Monday in New York City have emerged. Check out pictures from Big Pictures, Getty Images, WireImage.com, LFI, MariahC.nu, and Stars2ya.com.

October 1, 2002 - Win the outfit Mariah Carey wears in her new video. Ten Runners-up will win an autographed copy of the 'Through the Rain' single. Enter now at islanddefjam.com. You must be a resident of the United States and be at least 18 years old or older as of October 31st, 2002.

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