Chris Brown is finally coming to Tucson.
Last spring, the R&B singer was in talks to headline the first concert at Arizona Stadium in 30 years.
But the appearance was nixed after Brown was charged with assaulting his then-girlfriend, pop star Rihanna.
The Association of Students of the University of Arizona booked Jay-Z to headline the show instead, and ended up losing nearly $1 million, thanks in part to poorer than expected ticket sales.
Now Brown is lined up to perform at the Tucson Arena as the headliner at the 11th annual Hot 98.3-FM Sunday Nite Slow Jams Live.
Sunday Night Slow Jams host R Dub, aka Randy Williams, says he isn't worried that Brown's legal problems will hinder ticket sales. In fact, he says the show is well on its way to selling out.
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"We've never sold this many tickets this fast," Williams says.
Williams, 33, says he doesn't view Brown as a role model, but the singer's arrest doesn't keep Williams from enjoying his music.
"Unfortunately, when it comes to booking concerts, if we had to take into account every artists' personal life and run-ins with the law, there wouldn't be many people left to choose from."
Brown seems to be taking his career rehabilitation seriously.
Last week, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg praised Brown, saying he hasn't missed a session of domestic-violence counseling and has done 32 days of hard labor in his home state of Virginia.
She also cleared the 20-year-old R&B star to travel out of the United States in May and June for concerts.
Brown's new album, "Graffiti," was universally panned by critics but has sold reasonably well. It was released in December and debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, selling 102,489 copies in its opening week.
The song "I Can Transform Ya" is so far the album's only successful single. Featuring Lil Wayne and Swizz Beatz, it peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Entertainment Weekly ripped "Graffiti," saying, "A clutch of throwaway midtempo tracks don't seem to justify Brown's hasty return, and 'Graffiti' hits a few genuinely cringe-y notes - among them, the icky female-orgasm outro on 'Take My Time,' a lecherous slow jam better suited to low-rent lotharios like Pretty Ricky."
As luck would have it, Pretty Ricky, an R&B group made up of Diamond "Baby Blue" Smith, Spectacular Smith, Corey "Slick 'em" Mathis and Emanuel "Lingerie" DeAnda, will also appear at Slow Jams Live.
Other performers at the event include New Boyz, Dru Hill, All-4-One, Omarion, Iyaz.
Williams says he's looking forward to Dru Hill's performance.
"Every year I'm able to pluck one of my personal favorites to do the show," he says. "We'd never been able to bring in Dru Hill, because of scheduling. But this year we did."
Williams was 16 when he organized the first Slow Jams Live concert.
Since then, the show has grown tremendously.
The first concert featured three bands and was at New West, a country bar that has since given way to Bedroxx Bowling.
"There was hay on the ground and cow heads on the walls," Williams says.
Concertgoers at Slow Jams Live should keep their eyes out for a special surprise.
"A couple years ago we brought an artist named MC Magic onstage and didn't tell anyone," Williams says. "He was an AZ native with a huge base in Tucson."
If you go
• What: Sunday Night Slow Jams Live with Chris Brown, Omarion, Pretty Ricky, New Boyz, Iyaz, All-4-One and Dru Hill.
• When: 7 p.m. Sunday.
• Where: Tucson Arena, 260 S. Church Ave.
• Cost: $25-$150.
• Details: slowjams.com.
