When it rains, it pours. Chris Brown, the R&B/Pop star who seemingly had the world at his fingertips a year or so ago, has been on a downward spiral careerwise ever since he pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Rihanna. While his fan base has shrunken considerably, their support for the beleaguered star has become far more concentrated. Browse various articles across the web that mention Chris Brown and you'll see fans defending their "Breezy" with fervor. It's partly because of this dedication and loyalty that Chris embarked on his "Fan Appreciation Tour," which has toured across the U.S. and Latin America to satisfied (albeit smaller than what he used to play to) crowds. It was set to make its way over to Europe but...let's get to the good news first.
Good News: Chris raises lots of money for charities!
Being the explosive, energetic performer that he is, Chris Brown decided to put his entertainment prowess to good use and organize a mega concert with some of his famous friends to raise money for charities. The event was called "Virginia Stand Up! A Call to Action" and was held in his home state of Virginia last month. Though there were a few bumps in the road (like Chris snapping on a radio DJ while doing promos for the show, or a friendly magazine editor getting rudely booted and tweeting about it), the show was otherwise heralded as a success.
And now, the fruits of Chris' hard work have been borne. The singer was able to raise $50,000 dollars for both the American Red Cross and the Central Virginia Food Bank. Even more impressively, he went and delivered the checks to each organization in person. Read more about it at TheChrisBrownBlog.com. Humanitarianism does a damaged public image good.
Bad News: The UK isn't so willing to let bygones be bygones
One of the immediate responses many Chris Brown supporters will lob at critics when Chris' domestic violence history is brought up is, "THAT WAS SO LONG AGO! GOSH!" One person's year and some change is another person's century, apparently. Either way, regardless if his fans feel that the domestic violence incident is behind him, the truth is that its an indelible stain that he will likely never escape. Michael Jackson couldn't escape jokes about child molestation for the rest of his career and he was found not guilty once and settled out of court on the other case. Even with rehabilitation and the passage of time, some scandals are more lasting than a permanent marker.
And so the UK government, who has somewhat of a reputation for blocking black celebrities with a rap sheet from entering the country, has denied Chris Brown the necessary visa to carry on his "Fan Appreciation Tour" in the UK. Fans were crushed to say the least, and Chris took to Twitter to explain himself, which was then followed by an official statement. SOURCE: Neonlimelight.com
“Due to issues surrounding his work visa, Ireland and United Kingdom leg of Chris Brown’s Fan Appreciation Tour has been postponed. Chris looks forward to performing for his fans abroad in the near future and thanks them for their continued support.”
If the disappointing sales of his last album "Graffiti" weren't enough punishment to his ego, this latest blow should serve as a reminder to Chris that for some, his criminal past will always cast a shadow on his pop music future. Maybe Chris can tweet the Queen on Twitter and ask for a little leniency?
