With only a small break after her European tour, R&B singer Alicia Keys is gearing up to take on the U.S. footprint. The journey, which features “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks in the opening slot, is due to kick off April 19 in Hampton, VA, and visit arenas all over the US and a couple in Canada through mid-June. The grand finale is set for June 18 at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Since last check, shows have been added in Memphis and the California cities of Anaheim and Sacramento. Also, gigs in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit and the Chicago area have been moved to new dates. Previously announced performances in Phoenix and Cincinnati have been removed from the calendar. An updated itinerary is listed below. Keys is supporting her third studio album, “As I Am,” which was released in November. The disc spent several non-consecutive weeks atop The Billboard 200 and has scored triple-platinum status. So far, the set has spawned hit singles “No One” and “Like You’ll Never See Me Again,” which have made waves across several different radio formats. The album earned Keys two Grammy Awards at February’s ceremony: Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “No One.” Shortly thereafter, she snagged four more honors at the NAACP Image Awards and was recognized at Black Entertainment Television’s first BET Honors ceremony. Since her 2001 debut, “Songs in A Minor,” Keys has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide and scored 11 Grammy Awards. The star is currently furthering her acting career, starring in a micro-series on MTV called “Fresh Takes,” which premiered earlier this week. The program, created by skin-care company Dove, follows three girlfriends as they juggle the pressures of being in their 20s. It will air in five three-minute episodes during the MTV show “The Hills.” “I hope the series inspires other 20-somethings to get a fresh take on the pressures in their lives and start enjoying the ride,” Keys said in a press release. Buy tickets at Tickmaster April 2008 19 – Hampton, VA – Hampton Coliseum 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Liacouras Center 22 – Pittsburgh, PA – Peterson Events Center 24 – Cleveland, OH – Wolstein Center at Cleveland State 26 – Columbus, OH – Value City Arena at Schottenstein Center 27 – St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center 30 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center May 2008 1 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center 4 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center 5 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center 7 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Sports Arena 9 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena 10 – San Jose, CA – HP Pavilion at San Jose 11 – Sacramento, CA – Arco Arena 14 – Grand Prairie, TX – Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie 15 – Memphis, TN – FedEx Forum 18 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center 22 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Arena 24 – Tampa, FL – St. Pete Times Forum 25 – Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena 28 – Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena 30 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum 31 – Atlantic City, NJ – Mark G. Etess Arena June 2008 3 – Montreal, Quebec – Bell Centre 5 – Toronto, Ontario – Air Canada Centre 6 – Auburn Hills, MI – Palace 7 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena 11 – Boston, MA – TD Banknorth Garden 13 – Washington, DC – Verizon Center 15 – Baltimore, MD – 1st Mariner Arena 17 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center 18 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden Buy tickets at Tickmaster
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