Chris Brown Announces Tour Dates: Too Soon?

Todd Martens of the Los Angeles Times begs the question about the pending Chris Brown “Fan Appreciation” Tour - is it "Too Soon?"

October 20, 2009 2:07 P.M. Wasting no time to return to the public eye, controversial R&B singer Chris Brown has confirmed a date at the Avalon in Hollywood, promising an "intimate performance" on Nov. 18. The official announcement, oddly enough, comes on the same day that Rihanna released her new single, the stark "Russian Roulette."

In late August, Brown was sentenced to five years' probation and 180 days' community labor -- to be personally supervised by the chief of police in Richmond, Va. -- in connection with his attack on former girlfriend Rihanna.

Brown will soon see how forgiving pop audiences are of him. Tickets for his Nov. 18 performance, produced by Live Nation, will go on sale Friday via the promoter's website.The concert will promote his forthcoming release "Graffiti."

UPDATED 4:17 P.M. A statement from Jive says that the trek will be called the "Fan Appreciation" tour, and that a "portion of proceeds" will be donated to the charity Best Buddies International. The non-profit is "devoted solely to providing friendships, jobs and leadership opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities," according to the release.

In a release announcing the tour date, Brown is quoted as saying, "I wanted to change it up and really be different. Like my style nowadays, I don't try to be typical urban. I want to be like how Prince and Michael [Jackson] and Stevie Wonder were. They can cross over to any genre of music."

There's plenty of examples in pop music of artists surviving controversial pasts, including Brown's idol Jackson. R. Kelly continued to release music and dominate the charts while undergoing a prolonged trial, in which he was ultimately acquitted, on child pornography charges.

Brown will have to hope the public has a similarly short memory when it comes to his tour. His comeback single, "I Can Transform Ya," was released Sept. 29 and has hovered around No. 30 on iTunes' top-selling digital singles for much of the last week, according to data from Big Champagne.

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L.A. Times - Chris Brown announces L.A. date: Too soon?

Chris Brown “Fan Appreciation” Tour Dates

Sat 11/14/09 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
Sun 11/15/09 – Dallas, TX – Palladium
Wed 11/18/09 – Los Angeles, CA – Avalon
Thu 11/19/09 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
Sun 11/22/09 – Richmond, VA – Landmark
Wed 11/25/09 – Detroit, MI – Royal Oak
Thu 11/26/09 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues
Sun 11/29/09 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
Tue 12/01/09 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
Wed 12/02/09 – Atlanta, GA – CenterStage
Fri 12/04/09 – Washington, D.C. – Warner Theater
Sat 12/05/09 – Providence, RI – Lupo’s
Sun 12/06/09 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
Fri 12/11/09 – Baltimore, MD – Sonar
Sat 12/12/09 – Wallingford, CT – Chevrolet Theater
Sun 12/13/09 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory

main photo courtesy of Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times