Originally pencilled in as an opener on R. Kelly’s Double Up tour, one-time Las Vegan Ne-Yo was unceremoniously dumped after just two dates. He gave his side of the story in an interview with Washington, D.C., radio station WPGC:
“There’s no secret that R. Kelly is not the easiest person to deal with ... He feels that he deserves a certain amount of respect, and to a certain degree that’s absolutely true. But, for example, Columbus, Georgia, first show—the venue has seven dressing rooms, [and] this man took all seven dressing rooms for himself. I could not get one dressing room ...
“I guess that it also ain’t helpin’ matters that the first reviews from the tour people were having a lot of positive things to say about my show and not so much about his ... that might have ruffled a few feathers too.
“But that’s just my personal opinion ... I don’t got no beef with that man. ... This man is a musical genius, but as a person I might have lost a little respect for him ... But it is what it is ... I want to apologize to all my fans who wanted to see me ... There’s nothing I wanted more than to be on this tour and give you all a quality show, but it just didn’t work out that way. Holla at your boy Robert about that. Holla at him.”
R. Kelly with Keyshia Cole, J. Holiday. December 12, 7 p.m., $50.50-$103. Orleans Arena, 284-7777.