J.Lo's New Tour, Keys's New Honors

By Stephen M. Silverman

Wednesday November 14, 2001 05:05 PM EST

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Yahoo Buzz
• E-mail

ANNOUNCED: Jennifer Lopez plans to expand her profile overseas by launching a European tour, her record label has announced. "J.Lo is huge in the United States but not as big in Europe. That's why she's embarking upon this promotion tour, starting with Sweden which is a key market," Katrin Persson, spokeswoman at Sony Music Sweden, told Reuters. A party set for Nov. 20 is expected to attract the rock band Roxette and Swedish princesses Victoria and Madeleine. It will also include the premiere of a TV film featuring Lopez in her family's native Puerto Rico. Last week, J.Lo won the MTV Europe Music Award for best singer . . . NOMINATED: Alicia Keys leads the American Music Award nominations with five, including favorite new pop/rock artist and favorite soul/R&B album. Other nominees announced Tuesday include Tim McGraw for favorite male country artist and country album, and the late Aaliyah for favorite female soul/R&B artist and soul/R&B album. The awards ceremony will be broadcast Jan. 9 on ABC from L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium (8 p.m. live ET/tape-delayed PT) . . . DISCHARGED: The judge in R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck's air-rage trial dismissed the jury on Tuesday, and hasn't set a date for a retrial. Buck had been charged with assault and drunken behavior aboard a British Airways flight from Seattle to London in April. But on the second day of the trial at London's Isleworth Crown Court, Judge John Crocker told jurors, "matters have arisen which necessitate that this trial cannot proceed at the moment. I can tell you no more, I am afraid," Crocker said. "It happens sometimes in court. All I can do is thank you for your patience. I am discharging you from bringing in verdicts in this case" . . . SCHEDULED: "Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones" will definitely open May 16, which is a Thursday and a week before the Memorial Day weekend, the traditional opening slot for the previous four "Star Wars" movies. "The main reason for a Thursday opening is to have a worldwide simultaneous release," says Bruce Snyder, head of distribution for 20th Century Fox. A new trailer will premiere online at starwars.com Thursday and at most showings of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," opening Friday.