Ashanti cancels gig at 50th State Fair
By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Staff Writer
Chart-topping R&B artist Ashanti has pulled out of a scheduled gig to appear with rap artist Ja Rule at this weekend's I-94 FM Summer Jam concert at the 50th State Fair.
No reason for the singer's abrupt cancellation was given by a spokesman for the station. The concert's promoter, I-94 FM, had been touting Ashanti's headlining appearance for several weeks via air-promos and the radio station's Web site.
R&B singer Ashanti was heavily promoted.
A virtual musical unknown just six months ago, Ashanti surprised many in the recording industry in April when her debut CD "Ashanti" posted the largest first-week sales (503,179 units) of any first album by a female artist in history.
Later that month, Ashanti became the first music artist since The Beatles to place three singles ("Always On Time," "What's Luv?" and "Foolish") in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 simultaneously. "Foolish" has held the top spot on the Hot 100 for the past seven weeks.
In late March — still two weeks away from the release of her album — Ashanti had performed for a crowd of 4,000 under a tent on the Aloha Stadium parking lot at Sports Carnival 2002.
The Sunday evening concert at the Aloha Stadium parking lot will go on as scheduled with sometime Ashanti duet partner Ja Rule as the sole headliner.
Earlier this week, vocalist Amanda Perez also canceled her Summer Jam appearance, and is being replaced by R&B singer Tweet.
Gates will open at 4 p.m., and the concert will start at 6 p.m. Tickets are still $26.
Ticketholders wishing to obtain refunds, and people wishing to purchase tickets, should call Ticket Plus at 526-4400.
