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The Police win Billboard top tour
11/15/2007 10:00 PM, Reuters
The reunion of rock trio The Police
for their first concerts in more than 20 years was named the
top grossing and top ticket selling tour of 2007 on Thursday at
the 4th annual Billboard Touring Awards.
Singer/bass player Sting, drummer Stewart Copeland and
guitarist Andy Summers began the tour in May and it is due to
end early next year, after traveling through North America,
Europe, Latin America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
According to Billboard data up to September 30, The Police
have so far grossed more than $171 million from 53 shows seen
by more than 1.5 million people.
Arthur Fogel, chairman of music for concert touring company
Live Nation Inc who produced The Police tour, told the
Billboard Touring Conference that the potential success of the
tour was not taken for granted.
"Clearly there was pent-up demand from 20 plus years of
them not touring and the fact that they were, when they split
up in the mid-80s, ... at their peak and they were very
prolific and very successful," he said.
But none of those factors could be taken for granted and
that "from day one" it was determined that a high-profile
launch was needed to ensure the tour was successful, said
Fogel, who has produced 10 of the top 15 money-making tours of
all time, according to Billboard.
The Police launched their tour in February at the famed
Whisky A Go Go nightclub in West Hollywood with a news
conference and mini-concert.
The top package award went to the country tour of Kenny
Chesney with Sugarland, Pat Green, Brooks & Dunn, Sara Evans,
which grossed more than $71.2 million from 55 shows seen by
more than 1.1 million people.
Chesney was also awarded the top Country Music Association
award for "Entertainer of the Year" last week.
Former Mouseketeer-turned-pop star Justin Timberlake took
out the breakthrough award with his "Futuresex/Loveshow" tour,
which grossed more than $115.8 million from 100 shows seen by
more than 1.5 million people.
The Download Festival at Donington Castle in Britain was
named top festival, and Madison Square Garden in New York City
was named the top arena.
(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
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