news archives

August 30, 2003 - The Las Vegas Sun reports Elton John will reportedly be at Caesars Palace on October 21st to make the stunning announcement that he will "guest star" on approximately 150 nights a year starting in 2004 -- the nights that Celine Dion is off, collecting an estimated $54 million for two years' work, or 300 shows. On the dates when John has other commitments, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan and Jerry Seinfeld will fill in. Read more.

August 30, 2003 - Anonymous writes "I had a chance to meet Mariah Carey at the Houston meet and greet last night, and although I only had a few seconds to talk to her - I asked her if it was true that she was gonna do the new Bond theme. She looked slightly surprised, then said, "It might be true, we're still workin' on that.""

August 30, 2003 - After years of increasing hip-hop influence in Mariah Carey's music, 'Charmbracelet' focuses on the ballads with which Carey established herself as a hit-maker in the early 1990s. "It takes you back to the first album,'' Carey explains to Curtis Ross of The Tampa Tribune concerning the similarities between 'Charmbracelet' and her eponymous 1990 debut. "'My Saving Grace' [from 'Charmbracelet'] has a vibe like 'Vision of Love,'‚'' her first hit single, Carey says. "There are still songs with a strong hip-hop influence," she insists, citing rapper Jay-Z's appearance on 'You Got Me.' "There are different things, but the focus is the ballads." Read more.

August 29, 2003 - The Daily Star reports Prince has gone to several of Mariah Carey's 'Charmbracelet' tour dates and reportedly hopes to woo her. "He's got a soft spot for Mariah," a source revealed. "He's asked about coming to see her when she performs in the UK in October. He seems smitten with her."

August 28, 2003 - Thor Christensen of The Dallas Morning News was on hand for Mariah Carey's concert at NextStage in Grand Prairie on Tuesday night. Christensen says "as awkward and corny as the show was at times, it also reaffirmed her status as one of pop's most powerful vocalists." He added, "Ms. Carey might never own the stage the way Ms. Jackson or Madonna do, but then again, they'll never have a voice half as potent as hers." Read more.

August 28, 2003 - SJ writes "MariahCarey.com is giving fans a chance to win front row tickets to see Mariah Carey live at her sold-out concert in Atlantic City, NJ. Register to win here. Grand prize winner will receive travel, hotel lodging and front row tickets for Mariah's Sept. 20th concert. Five runner-ups will receive an autographed Mariah photo."

August 27, 2003 - SJ writes "The New York Post reports Jennifer Lopez's ex-manager Benny Medina, who had been fired by the demanding diva, has possibly signed Mariah Carey. Medina met with Carey on Thursday night and a spy in her's camp said, "Mariah needs to reinvent herself and she was convinced Benny was the only man to help make her over." Medina already manages R&B artists Brandy and Mya."

August 27, 2003 - Anonymous writes "My name is Robert and I'm making the fanbook for Mariah Carey on Thursday at her concert at the Woodlands Pavillion in Houston. I was wondering if some other fans would like to meet up with me before the show and perhaps sign the book and take pictures abd what not. If you would like to do so, please e-mail me. My e-mail is BOB121984@sbcglobal.net Put "Houston Meet-up" in the heading. Oh and yes...she will be receiving the book from me personally. I recieved my e-mail from MonarC, and will be picking up my Backstage/Meet & Greet passes Thursday at the concert. Let me know what's up! Love ya much!"

August 27, 2003 - SJ writes "MariahDaily.com reports that former Vi3 singer J. Roman opened for Mariah Carey in Chicago and Phoniex on her 'Charmbracelet Tour'. Check out a picture of J. Roman backstage with Mariah here."

August 25, 2003 - Theresa Cano of the Arizona Republic was on hand at Dodge Theatre Saturday night where Mariah Carey entertained a packed crowd. Cano says, "Despite a lavish stage production which included nine dancers, video snippets, oversized lounge chairs, eight costume changes, circus props and city street scene, the show never failed to showcase Carey’s famous five-octave voice first and foremost. The pop princess sounded like her hit making self of the ‘90s as she wrapped herself around one self-motivating ballad after the other. Carey’s voice was in top-notch form throughout the 100-minute plus performance." Read more.

August 25, 2003 - Marian Liu of the San Jose Mercury News caught up with Mariah Carey who talked about her attitude following her emotional breakdown in 2001. Read more.

August 23, 2003 - Star magazine reports Mariah Carey loves using Stacked Style's Scentarettes, which are long-lasting, alcohol-free perfume oils which contain jojoba oil and vitamin E and are packed in convenient travel vials that come in a small box that resemble a cigarette pack. Check them out online at StackedStyle.com.

August 23, 2003 - Gerry Gittelson of the Redlands Daily Facts reviewed Mariah Carey's concert at Universal Amphitheatre on Monday night before a sold-out crowd. Gittelson says, "Carey hit her high notes beautifully, to the delight of the mostly young, female crowd. And her between-songs banter was warm, engaging and charismatic. Carey's growth as a concert performer is especially notable because in the past, her biggest weakness might have been a mild failure to connect with audiences. However, such shyness has disappeared. Carey was in control of the room Monday -- and [Britney Spears] and company should have been there taking notes." Read more.

August 23, 2003 - SJ writes "Mariah Carey's official 2004 calendar has been officially released and it has some never-before-seen pictures in it. Check out scans from the calendar here."

August 23, 2003 - Thalia once again took a swipe at her husband Tommy Mottola's ex-wife Mariah Carey during an interview with Blink 102.7's Lizzie Grubman on Monday. "Tommy and I met in a different situation," Thalia said. "He was already famous in his own world. I was already famous in my own world. I didn't arrive with a tape in my hand saying, 'Like, could you make a career for me or could you sign me?'"

August 23, 2003 - Mariah Carey tells Extra from backstage at her U.S. tour that she knows Eminem, but the two never had any sexual encounter. Mariah says, "There's always going to be rumors about celebrities, no matter who they are. Some of them are real; some of them are going to be fake. I can't live my life worrying about that because I've been in the public eye too long and I'm used to that." Watch a video clip, which includes Mariah talking about being on the cover of Maxim magazine, and plans for her new album, 'Mariah Carey the Re-Mixes', here.

August 23, 2003 - MariahsMan writes "MariahDaily.com reports that Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland appeared on FOX-TV’s Morning Show with Jillian Barberie and praised Mariah Carey. When asked which celebrities she looked up to, she said, "I saw Mariah last night and her voice was amazing and she looked amazing. I loved her show. It was incredible. Mariah will always come out on top." Kelly also said "Her range is amazing. Last night, I heard her hit an extremely low note and then the keyboard player played the highest note and she hit the exact note perfectly. Her voice is just bananas!""

August 21, 2003 - Mariah Carey performed live on the 'Charmbracelet Tour' stop at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver, Colorado the other night. Check out pictures from LFI.

August 21, 2003 - In her interview with Maxim magazine, Mariah Carey has again denied having a sexual relationship with Eminem. "Yeah, it happened. Did I have a sexual relationship with him? No, I didn't," Carey said. "I knew him, I hung out with him a few times, but nothing sexual occurred. I'd admit it if it did, but it didn't. And that's why I was so upset about the whole thing, because I was like, 'Look, if I had an intimate relationship with the person that would be one thing, but...maybe he thought because nothing happened he'd look bad or something'." Read more.

August 21, 2003 - An eBay seller bought a lot of sterling silver charmbracelets from Silver Four jewelry shop (known as the top silver producer in China). They are auctioning replicas of Mariah Carey Charmbracelets. All are new and in good condition. Bracelet comes with the original certificate, velvet bag and paper box. Check out the auctions here.

August 19, 2003 - Nina Garin of the San Diego Union-Tribune was on hand at Mariah Carey's concert held at San Diego State University's intimate Open Air Theatre on Friday night (August 15). Garin says, "Her voice may have been the real thing but, unfortunately, Carey looked like she popped a handful of Xanax and downed it with white wine as she crooned sentimental ballads such as 'Through the Rain' and 'Can't Take That Away From Me,' the song she sang for her San Diego fan club. So she's prettier than a Barbie doll. And she looks great whether she's in a tight, gold dress that barely lets her move her legs or tiny denim shorts. But it was difficult to read any emotion through her Miss America perma-smile and eyes that never seemed to focus." Read more.

August 18, 2003 - CTV.ca has a video clip of Mariah Carey visiting the hopefuls on Canadian Idol earlier this week. Mariah talked with the Idol competitors about how she keeps her voice in top form by drinking plenty of water and using humidifiers. Watch the video clip here.

August 18, 2003 - Claims that Mariah Carey holds the world record for hitting the highest note in history and that she’s been immortalized for her vocal feat by 'The Guinness Book of World Records' are false, according to Kate Smith, spokeswoman for the record book. "It’s pure fiction. We don’t have a category for highest note by a human," Smith told the National Enquirer.

August 16, 2003 - Mariah Carey is on the cover of the new issue of Maxim magazine where she talks about her nickname Mary Poppins, gained because of her lifestyle that she insists matches the prim and propper nanny. "I know I have this image that's sexy. Bit I'm basically like Mary Poppins. That's my nickname! I'm prudish. It's like playing dress-up," Carey explained. "When you go through difficult stuff as a kid sometimes your childhood stays with you. I've hung on to that. There was a period when I was in a relationship that was confining, where I had to wear turtlenecks and long pants, and that wasn't me. So when I broke out of that - around the time of the 'Honey' video, where I jump put of the water like a secret agent - everybody was shocked. But that was the real me coming out."

August 16, 2003 - SJ writes "MariahInc.cjb.net reports "The blackout of 2003 shutdown electricity to subways, waterways, work places etc., but what you might not have heard it has shutdown many websites, including superstar Mariah Carey's official website MariahCarey.com and her official fanclub website HoneyBFly.com. There is no word on when these sites will be up and running again.""

August 15, 2003 - SJ writes "Mariahinc.cjb.net reports that Earlier this week, Mariah Carey made a suprise appearance on CTV's 'Canadian Idol' and helped the show garner its second highest audience of 2.3 million viewers. Also, a record 1.8 million votes were received via text-messaging and toll-free telephone."

August 15, 2003 - Mariah Carey performed at the Chronicle Pavilion in Concord, California on Wednesday (August 13). Check out pictures from the show at GettyImages.

August 14, 2003 - Anonymous writes "Mariah Carey will be featured on the cover of an upcoming issue of the popular men's magazine, Maxim Magazine. MariahsDiary.com has pictures from the Maxim Magazine featured on today's Access Hollywood. Check them out here."

August 13, 2003 - The Montreal Gazette caught up with Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen who defended the band's move to allow Mariah Carey to cover their hit 'Bringin' on the Heartbreak'. "You get e-mails from fans, and they go, 'It's disgusting, it's terrible.' I said, 'No - you've got to realize that she's on our side," he explained. "Someone's actually out there promoting one of our songs. You should give her all the help she can get.' Ultimately, it's just a great honour for us (if) anyone does that - and does a real genuine version, not recording the song and making fun of the band, like the Michael Jackson thing by Alien Ant Farm ('Smooth Criminal'). With Mariah it was a genuine version of our song. I actually think that's a huge compliment." Read more.

August 11, 2003 - G. Brown of the Denver Post weighed in on Mariah Carey and what he considers her musical crime: "She is a technical virtuoso, but her NutraSweet style of soul - sugary and artificial songs, crammed with hundreds of gratuitous notes - imparts nothing but self-interest." Denver blues and soul singer Hazel Miller seems to agree. "I'm opinionated because I'm old," Miller said with a laugh. "Mariah Carey does not make you feel that she believes in what she's singing. So I can't deal with it ... God love her, she has an incredible gift. But to sing that mindless 4/4-beat, R&B simply to make money and never use that amazing voice God blessed her with for anything worthy of it - to me, I'm sorry, that's a sin." Read more.

August 9, 2003 - Jason MacNeil of the Toronto Sun was on hand for Mariah Carey's concert at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Thursday (August 7). MacNeil says Carey "showed she can still deliver the goods with the one-two punch of 'Subtle Invitation' and 'My Saving Grace'. Both songs earned the loudest ovations as she dug deep to hit some notes." He added, "When Carey's tour was initially announced, arena dates were relocated to smaller theatres due to slow ticket sales. The crowd and Carey would have been better served in a theatre setting." MacNeil gave the show 3 out of 5 stars. Read more.

August 9, 2003 - Peoplenews.com reports that Mariah Carey is being tapped to sing the theme for the new James Bond flick and has "had meetings with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson," according to a source. "She was asked if she'd consider singing the theme tune for Bond 21. Mariah said she wanted a part in the new film although the story hasn't been discussed yet."

August 7, 2003 - Syndicated columnist Marilyn Beck reports that Mariah Carey is getting in training to portray a boxer in her next big-screen project, 'The Sweet Science', where she'll step into the ring with real-life women’s boxing champion Laila Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali. "At first she was going to play the part of the boxing manager but then she insisted on playing the boxer," said producer Anthony Esposito. "She’s been taking boxing lessons as part of her training." Carey will also record the soundtrack for 'The Sweet Science'.

August 7, 2003 - Anastasia Pantsios of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reviewed Mariah Carey's show at the Scene Pavilion Sunday night. Pantsios says the 18-song, nearly two-hour show featured five musicians, four backup singers, 10 dancers, eight costume changes, lots of stage props and video and, "of course, enough high notes to attract every dog in Cuyahoga County." Read more.

August 7, 2003 - Malcolm X Abram of the Beacon Journal was on hand Sunday night as Mariah Carey brought her 'Charmbracelet' tour to Scene Pavilion. Abram said, "Though many of Carey's songs are bland, her voice is able to lift the material, and her fans probably wouldn't care if she sang nursery rhymes for two hours. On her hip-hop flavored tunes, including current hit 'I Know What You Want' featuring video of rappers Busta Rhymes and Rah Digga, Carey seemed more like an afterthought. She strolled through to sing the hook and strolled off again to change outfits. Carey's career may have peaked in the last decade, but like Madonna -- another driven pop icon -- she won't be going away anytime soon, and her fans wouldn't have it any other way." Read more.

August 7, 2003 - Globe Photos has a picture of Mariah Carey cooling off in the Mediterranean in Capri, Italy on Wednesday (August 6). Check out the picture here.

August 7, 2003 - MariahsMan writes "Mariah-Carey.org reports that it was announced on Canadian Idol's Tuesday night results show that Mariah Carey would visit with the eight remaining Idols on next Tuesday's (August 12) results show. Tickets to "Canadian Idol" can be purchased at ticketmaster.ca."

August 7, 2003 - Globe magazine spoke with Janel Spiegel about her meeting with Mariah Carey in 1997 when she was 16-years-old, when at the time she was wheelchair bound after breaking her hip in a roller-skating accident at the age of 9 and developed a avascular necrosis causing her crippling arthritis. "She hugged me and started to cry," recalled Janel. "Mariah said, 'Don't cry because now I'm going to' - and she did! She was so kind." Now at the age of 22, Spiegel can walk again thanks to a total hip replacement, and she says Mariah's encourgment helped inspire her to walk again. "Mariah told me I would walk one day, and after 10 years, I finally can," she said. "I'm grateful to Mariah for caring and being such a cool person."

August 4, 2003 - Joshua Klein of the Chicago Tribune reviewed Mariah Carey's show at a reconfigured United Center on Tuesday night. Klein writes, "It's fitting that the high-pitched virtuoso squeak Carey unleashed on nearly every song sounded like a balloon losing air, since the show seemed deflated almost from the first note." He added, "The closest Carey came to something soulful was Def Leppard's 'Bringin' on the Heartbreak.' Other than that, the show was as rote and dispiriting as the ramshackle roadside circus the stage sometimes resembled. Maybe that's what once mighty Mariah gets for picking a butterfly as her personal mascot: nice to look at, but not the best harbinger of longevity." Read more.

August 4, 2003 - Anonymous writes "A replica of the charm bracelet used in the artwork and promotion for Mariah Carey's 'Charmbracelet' album has been created to commemorate Mariah’s current world tour! Only 500 charm bracelets have been minted and they are being sold exclusively at Silver Four Jewelry, an Asian chain servicing China, Hong Kong, and Japan. Several stores are displaying advertisements with Mariah’s photo on them. But with a price tag of $120 each, you might want to start saving up. For more information, check out www.silver-4.com."

August 4, 2003 - Mariah Carey again commented on Eminem in the September issue of Maxim. She admits, "I knew him, I hung out with him a few times, but nothing sexual occurred. I'd admit it if it did, but it didn't."

August 4, 2003 - Early buzz on Mariah Carey's tour wasn't good after her shows suddenly went from arenas to theaters, and Ashanti dropped off the bill. But Carey tells Kevin C. Johnson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch downsizing the tour was a good decision. "Otherwise, I have a tendency to micromanage everything, and that can be a problem, especially when you're trying to enjoy yourself as well," Carey explained. "I didn't want to have to think about the pyro stuff or the sound system. And it was the right thing to have an intimate setting. Fans would be very disappointed if they didn't get a chance to feel what's on stage. It's all about communicating with an audience." Read more.

August 1, 2003 - Globe Photos has pictures of Mariah Carey relaxing while on a vacation on the Isle of Capri, Italy on Wednesday (July 30). Check out the pictures here.

August 1, 2003 - The Chicago Sun-Times reports that a mini-skirt wearing Mariah Carey was spotted dining at Pane Caldo Tuesday night after her United Center show.

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