E.N.D. Tour Has Staying Power To Black Eyed Peas

Sitting in an Athens hotel room on a humid summer day in early July, Will.i.am recalls the days when he and his fellow members of the Black Eyed Peas made a collective $150 per show and were ecstatic about it.
"We would jump up and down because we got paid, even though it meant we had to split it with each other and the band, meaning about $20 a piece," he says. "Then we got paid $2,000 for a show. And then I remember the first time we got paid a million bucks for an hour. I was like, 'Wow!' That was only four years ago."
Today, Will.i.am, Fergie, Apl.de.ap and Taboo have much more to be excited about. In a tough touring climate, the Peas continue doing sellout business. While other marquee acts are canceling shows and suffering from poor ticket sales this summer, the Black Eyed Peas are in the midst of their most ambitious concert outing yet, the E.N.D. world tour, promoting the album of the same name.
Through the end of June, the E.N.D. tour has grossed $47.7 million and drawn 740,000 fans to 54 shows, including 53 sellouts, according to Billboard Boxscore. North American summer shows will further boost those numbers, assuring that the E.N.D. run will rank as one of the most successful tours of this year.
CONTAGIOUS 'FEELING'The "E.N.D." album, released in June 2009 on Interscope Records, has sold 2.6 million copies domestically, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and 4 million outside the United States, according to Tom Land, international marketing director at Universal Music Group International. It has yielded a run of Billboard Hot 100 hits including "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling," which commanded the top of the Hot 100 for half of the 2009 chart year.
Although the Peas have a wealth of hit singles internationally, "I Gotta Feeling" emerged as their signature tune for this campaign, according to Land. The track broke a U.K. record last month by becoming the first download to sell 1 million copies, according to the Official Charts Co. It peaked at No. 1 in Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. It also went top five in Germany, the Netherlands and Japan.

Leaving Black Eyed Peas Rumors and Fergie Laughs Off Pregnancy

When it comes to rumors about baby bumps and career changes, Fergie still has her sense of humor.
“Obviously I’ve left (The Black Eyed Peas.) I’m gone.” Fergie joked with Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson at the 2010 BET Awards on Sunday..
The singer also addressed reports that she and husband Josh Duhamel are expecting.
“I’m already pregnant,” she continued. “The baby is on its way tonight.”
Fergie’s band mate, will.i.am, urged their fans not to believe everything they read on Twitter.
“We can’t believe all the (Tweets.),” he told Shaun. “You don’t know if it was a twit that wrote that!”
Fergie, 35, said Josh was even fooled by the false reports.
“I was actually organizing a room with my mom, trying on old clothes, trying to purge and cleanse and Josh came in. He’s like, ‘I just got these Google alerts. It says you’re leaving the Peas and we’re having a baby,’” Fergie recalled.
Despite the online rumors of the pair’s split, Peas member Taboo, said, “Next week, we leave to Europe to do our festivals.”

Black Eyed Peas' Fergie admits to fancying Cheryl Cole

Bisexual Black Eyed Peas' singer Fergie says she fancies Cheryl Cole. Speaking about the Girls Aloud singer, she said: "I'd take her on a date and she knows it", before adding that whoever does end up with Cole "will be lucky". This comes despite continued rumours that Cole is involved romantically with Fergie's Black Eyed Peas' bandmate will.i.am (The Sun).
From the papers:
Noel Gallagher dined out at posh London eaterie Zuma with his missus Sara MacDonald and Russell Brand (various).
Kele Okereke says he's switched partying for keeping fit while on tour (The Sun).
Alan McGee says he thinks Oasis will reform within five years because the money they stand to get is too great to ignore (Daily Record).
Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint sang Beastie Boys' '(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)' at the launch party for the new film in Florida (The Sun).

Song I Gotta Feeling set to be first million-selling download Black Eyed Peas

The Black Eyed Peas hit single I Gotta Feeling is on course to become the first ever million-selling download in Britain.

The record is expected to pass the milestone by the end of the coming week.
The pop band have sold more downloads - some 3.3 million - than any other group in British chart history, according to the Official Charts Company.
Fergie, one of the band's singers, said: ''It's exhilarating to know we are so connected to our Peabodies.
''Hopefully the good vibes from that song will continue to brighten people's lives.''
The feat is another triumph for the group, which has notched up eleven Top 10 singles - including four number ones - and three Top 5 albums in Britain.
They have sold some 35 million albums and 41 million singles worldwide.
Official Charts Company figures show less than 1% of all Top 40 singles in chart history go on to break the million selling mark.

Children and work don’t mix, Black-eyed peas singer Fergie says

The lead singer Black Eyed Peas has admitted that when she decides to start a family, she’ll be bowing out of the musical arena. Speaking to OK! Magazine, Fergie said she would feel “too guilty” to continue her career as a mum.
“In my schedule there's no room to have a child. Even if I wanted to get pregnant, there’s no way I could perform on stage and be pregnant, I would feel too guilty,” the 35 year old said.
Fergie, who married Josh Duhamel last year, has hinted that she wants to try for a baby later this year when her tour finishes.
The star explained, “It’s kind of interesting now with the media, the way it’s getting to look all these women have careers…but also have babies. Once I have children, the kids come first”.

Cheryl Cole talks at the World Music Awards about how she "can't wait" to see Will.I.Am

Where there’s a Will, there’s a way to get to Cheryl Cole.
Black Eyed Peas star Will.i.am, 35, chartered a helicopter from the World Music Awards in Monte Carlo to nearby Cannes – just so he’d be in time to catch her solo set.
He was determined to be there for Cheryl’s 1am performance at the Eden Roc resort on Tuesday– and he took us along for the ride.
Sidling up to us at 10pm, Will grinned: “Hey girls, Cheryl is singing tonight. I’ve got to get to her so I’m going to meet her halfway and go to her gig. Will you come? I’ve got to support my girl.
“That’s my chick, right there.”
Oh, is she really?
Naturally, we were only too happy to help out. And it meant we didn’t miss a minute of Cheryl’s stomping show at the De Grisogono party at the Hotel Du Cap either.

Peasy does it for Cheryl

SEEING CHERYL COLE decked out like this almost every night, it's no surprise that both WILL.I.AM and FERGIE are so smitten.
The Black Eyed Peas pair probably sat drooling by the stage as Chezza belted out her set before their main show.

Both performers have recently declared their love for the X Factor judge, who is supporting the Peas on their The E.N.D World Tour.
Last night they were in Berlin and Cheryl and her wardrobe team did not disappoint.
The Geordie singer's gold sequined costume was revealed in all its glory once she'd disbanded her baggy camouflage trousers.
That particular move must have won more than a few salutes.