andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

Kylie Minogue has toured all over the world during her multi-platinum, two-decade career, but never in the U.S. and Canada. That’s about to change.

The Australian pop icon has announced she will embark on her first North American tour this fall, hitting six cities including New York, Los Angeles and Toronto.

“I’ve wanted to tour in America and Canada for years, and know that fans have been waiting a long time for this,” said the Grammy Award winner in a statement. “I’m thrilled that the opportunity has finally arrived.”

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Kylie Minogue, Coldplay, Kings of Leon and Taylor Swift were among the music stars who took part in two charity concerts on Saturday night for victims of Australia’s deadly wildfires.

Tens of thousands braved heavy rain and lightning to attend the Sound Relief concerts in Sydney and Melbourne, which organizers hope will raise about $5 million Australian ($4.18 million Cdn). Last month’s wildfires in southern Victoria state left at least 210 people dead and destroyed thousands of homes.

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According to MonstersAndCritics.com, Tom Cruise will star in a special episode of the BBC hit “Doctor Who.”

The BBC is also aiming to have Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Madonna appear in one of three super-sized “Who” specials, which will be filmed in 2008 but won’t air until 2009.

According to a source of Britain’s Daily Star newspaper, “BBC producers know they can’t pay these stars what they are used to, but what they can offer is an exciting role in a real cutting-edge show. And the big stars love that kind of kudos.”

Kylie Minogue stars in this year’s “Doctor Who” Christmas special, “Voyage of the Damned,” which will take place on the doomed Titanic.

Australian singer KYLIE MINOGUE is set to return to the stage after being forced to cancel several shows earlier this week due to illness.

Last Saturday, the 38-year-old struggled to complete a concert in Manchester, England and walked off the stage after 45 minutes, citing the flu.

Doctors ordered her “not to perform in the immediate future” because of a respiratory infection.

Minogue was given a clean bill of health yesterday saying, “I am now overjoyed to announce that I have been declared fit to return to the stage on Thursday.

“Nearly all of my crew were hit by this terrible flu during the course of this tour and despite my best efforts I too succumbed last week. I was hoping to feel better as the day progressed. Unfortunately the opposite was true. I’m sorry for all those inconvenienced by the postponements.”

Minogue slammed press reports that claimed she ignored doctors’ advice of work overload when she added additional dates to the tour schedule.

She says, “I would just like to clarify the situation after seeing false reports in today’s press claiming that I had ignored doctor’s instructions. I have not, at any stage, ignored the advice of my doctors. In fact I postponed two shows this week on their advice in order to be health enough to finish the Showgirl Homecoming tour.”

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.

Pop superstar KYLIE MINOGUE was forced to abandon a concert in Manchester, England on Saturday night after being struck down with flu.

The CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY HEAD singer left the stage at the Manchester Evening News Arena after singing just nine songs, only to re-emerge ten minutes later for a duet with sister DANNII – before abandoning the gig just 45 minutes into her two hour set.

She told fans, “I’m sorry and I’ve never had to do this in my career before but I can’t sing on.”

Spokesman JOHN BILLS said, “Several members of the crew, the tour manager and Kylie have been suffering from flu but she didn’t want to let anyone down. She wanted to get through the show but had to cut it short.”

Minogue has confirmed she’ll go ahead with the remaining four dates of her Showgirl – Homecoming Tour, and she’ll be back on stage in Manchester tomorrow.

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.

Australian songstress Kylie Minogue has launched her own eau de parfum, Darling.

“Darling, it’s such a warm word. I use it with my friends, my mother uses it with me and it’s a little bit showbiz,” Minogue said, reports the West Australian.

Wearing a knee-length, black dress, Minogue unveiled Darling at a mansion in Sydney’s exclusive Vaucluse.

Apparently the perfume has the approval of her man, the sexy Oliver Martinez.

“I did ask my boyfriend as we were testing the fragrance – he likes it,” said Minogue.

Kylie Minogue tells Britain’s Sky News that her family “fell to pieces” when she was told she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

In the singer’s first interview since her diagnosis and treatment, she says although she wanted to finish her tour, her parents persuaded her to get treatment right away.

“The moment my doctor told me, I went silent. My mum and dad were with me. Then we all fell to pieces. I was saying, ‘No, dad, I’m getting a plane.’ He said, ‘No, you’re not getting a plane. You’ll sit down,’” Minogue says.

Minogue was diagnosed last May, had surgery to remove the tumour, and then had chemotherapy which ended in December. She still has treatments to keep the cancer from recurring.

Her first public appearance since the diagnosis and treatment was at Elton John’s White Tie and Tierra Ball last week.

Kylie Minogue is ready to do the Locomotion again. Her touring company announced on Thursday that Minogue will head back on the road to resume her postponed Australian Showgirl Tour in November.

The Australian pop star was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and the tour was postponed so that she could undergo breast cancer surgery and a course of chemotherapy.

Minogue’s Australian concert promoter and long-time friend Michael Gudinski told reporters, “I spent the weekend with Kylie. She’s looking great. She’s definitely through the worst of everything.”

“Obviously she has still got a few mountains to climb, but we are very very confident that the tour will be going ahead in November,” he said.

Minogue, 38, had been scheduled to kick off the Australian tour in May last year.

Gudinski added that the tour will be renamed the Showgirl Homecoming Tour, and dates would be spread out a bit more to make it easier on the singer.

“You can’t keep Kylie down. She’s actually recording in the studio and working on songs as we speak,” he said.

Kylie Minogue knows where her priorities lie.

Minogue’s promoter denies rumours she will perform at the 2006 Australian Commonwealth Games, saying she will instead focus on completing her postponed Showgirl tour.

“Any suggestions Kylie is to appear in any part of the Commonwealth Games are erroneous and misleading,” said her Australian promoter Michael Gudinski.

Minogue, 37, is currently receiving chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with breast cancer in May. She had a lump removed from her breast at Melbourne’s St Frances Xavier Cabrini Hospital.

She cancelled the Australian portion of her Showgirl tour when she was handed the news.

“Once the doctors give Kylie the ‘all clear’, her first priority will be to bring the Showgirl tour to Australian fans as promised,” said her manager Terry Blamey. “Making up stories about her performing elsewhere shows scant regard for the feelings of those fans as much as for the truth.”

Tickets for the shows remain valid, however promoters have no date set for any concerts.

“We could pull a date out of the air but that’s not fair on Kylie or her fans,” said Gudinski. “Kylie’s going to come back better than ever and we thank you for giving her the time she needs to recover.”

Minogue was photographed walking in Paris this week, wearing a polka dot headscarf, with French boyfriend Olivier Martinez.

The Sun reported she is receiving treatment at the Gustave-Roussy Institute.

People can’t get Kylie Minogue out of their heads.

The pop princess, 37, is recovering from breast cancer surgery, but still managed to find some strength to visit the cancer ward at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital yesterday.

This is her first public appearance since being diagnosed with the disease on May 17.

Since that date, Minogue has also undergone radiotherapy treatments.

She declined to comment on her experience, listening to the children and their stories instead, according to a report.

Minogue is recovering in another hospital near Melbourne and has recieved lots of well wishes and support, including greetings from Prince Charles, Sir Elton John and Robbie Williams.