Beyonce says she was prepared for marriage

Beyonce says she was prepared for marriage

NEW YORK — Beyonce says her parents prepared her for the hard work of marriage.

In an interview in the latest issue of Giant, the 27-year-old singer talks about getting hitched to Jay-Z. She says she doesn’t have a fantasy view of marriage. That’s because she’s seen her parents, Matthew and Tina Knowles, struggle but stick through it.

Says Beyonce : “My parents are tighter now than ever, but they’ve been through it all. There were times when they were together, times when they were apart. I learned that it’s a lot of hard work, that it’s more than a dress.”

Beyonce and Jay-Z married in a private ceremony earlier this year.

Kanye West: New album was a risk that paid off

LOS ANGELES — Kanye West says he’s not concerned about whether his new album is a blockbuster, because he’s made “great art” — and he feels really good about it.

West’s new CD, “808s & Heartbreak,” was released Monday. It’s a departure for the 31-year-old rapper because it mostly features him singing.

West says he was ready to take a risk and he thinks it paid off.

Says West: “You know people sometimes don’t understand great art when they first hear it, but I am very confident in it. Whether it sells as much as the last one, or way more, I feel like I am just successful in doing something I felt really good about.”

Russian conductor feels insulted, cancels

BOSTON — An eminent Russian conductor has pulled out of a series of concerts with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, saying he felt insulted by the way his appearances were marketed.

The Boston Globe reported that Gennady Rozhdestvensky left town on Saturday, fuming over the disrespect he said the BSO showed him.

The 77-year-old maestro was scheduled to conduct four concerts, starting Thursday and running through Tuesday.

Rozhdestvensky said the trouble started when he noticed the week’s soloist, cellist Lynn Harrell, got top billing on a promotional poster.

He later learned the BSO’s season brochure didn’t list him in its “Distinguished Conductors” section, mentioning him only in connection with Harrell.

The BSO’s managing director, Mark Volpe, said the orchestra greatly admires Rozhdestvensky and regrets he canceled his concerts.

Today’s birthdays

Impressionist Rich Little is 70. Singer Tina Turner is 69. Singer Jean Terrell (replaced Diana Ross in the Supremes) is 64. Bassist John McVie of Fleetwood Mac is 63. Country singer Linda Davis is 46. Actress Maia Campbell (“In the House”) is 32. Singer Natasha Bedingfield is 27. Singer Lil Fizz of B2K is 23. Singer Aubrey Collins (Trick Pony) is 21.