Jackson Chef: Children Formed Prayer Circle As Pop Star Died
"Dr. Murray runs down the steps and screams, 'Go get Prince!'"
Associated Press
4:04 PM PDT, July 29, 2009
LOS ANGELES -- Michael Jackson's personal chef is recounting how events unfolded the day the pop star died.
Kai Chase, says her first hint of something amiss was when his doctor didn't come downstairs to get the juices and granola he routinely brought the King of Pop for breakfast each morning.
Chase, a professionally trained chef hired by Jackson to maintain a healthy food regimen, recalled the singer's final days in an interview with The Associated Press.
She also spoke about the role of his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, who is now the focus of a manslaughter investigation.
Chase said Tuesday that she had gotten used to seeing Murray coming and going from the mansion.
The doctor usually arrived about 9 or 9:30 p.m. and would go upstairs to Jackson's room, and she said she would not see him again before she left - sometimes late in the evening - but understood he was staying the night.
In the morning, when she arrived for work, Chase said she would see the doctor coming down the steps carrying oxygen tanks. When Murray didn't come downstairs the morning of June 25, "I thought maybe Mr. Jackson is sleeping late," Chase said.
"I started preparing the lunch and then I looked at my cell phone and it was noon.
About 12:05 or 12:10 Dr. Murray runs down the steps and screams, 'Go get Prince!' He's screaming very loud. I run into the den where the kids are playing. Prince (Jackson's oldest son) runs to meet Dr. Murray and from that point on you could feel the energy in the house change.
"I walked into the hall and I saw the children there. The daughter was crying. I saw paramedics running up the stairs."
At that point, Chase said, the small group that was gathered - the children, their nanny, a housekeeper and Chase - held hands and began to pray.
As paramedics raced up to the room, Chase recalls, "We were all praying, 'Help Mr. Jackson be O.K.'
"Then everyone was very quiet."
At about 1:30 p.m. she said security guards told her and other staff to leave the property because "Mr. Jackson was being taken to the hospital."
When she came outside, she said, ambulances were in the courtyard and a crowd had gathered.
Chase, 37, who has cooked for other celebrities and comes from a show-business family, was hired by Jackson in March, let go in May, then returned on June 2. She said the pop star's focus was on fresh, healthy food for him and the children.
She said she prepared meals for the family and occasionally for Murray. She said Jackson was in training for his upcoming shows in London and told her: "You have to take care of me."
On most days, she said, Murray would bring Jackson the special fruit juice drinks Chase prepared for him, followed by granola with almond milk. For lunch, Jackson would eat with the children from a menu that included such things as spinach salad and chicken.
Murray sometimes joined them for dinner, which might be a seared ahi tuna. She said the doctor conferred with her about the 50-year-old pop singer's food and made sure that he ate.
The only oddity was the oxygen tanks. Chase said she never asked about the purpose of the oxygen and she saw no sign that Jackson was on drugs or was in failing health.
Kai Chase (Courtesy: KaiChase.com)
Related links
Report: Jackson's Doctor Had Money Problems
Feds Search Office, Home of Jackson Doctor Video
Manslaughter Investigation Targets Jackson Doc Video
"Normally in the morning, he would bring oxygen tanks from upstairs downstairs, one in each hand," she said.
Authorities searched Murray's Las Vegas home and medical office Tuesday as part of an investigation that included raids last week of his clinic and storage in Houston.
With toxicology reports pending, investigators are working under the theory that the powerful anesthetic propofol caused Jackson's heart to stop, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. Murray told investigators he regularly administered the drug to help Jackson sleep, and had done so sometime in the early morning of June 25, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.
Propofol is supposed to be administered only in monitored medical settings by trained personnel; the official told AP that Murray left the bedroom and returned to find the star unresponsive.
Police have said Murray is cooperating and have not labeled him a suspect, and his lawyer, Edward Chernoff, has said the doctor "didn't prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Michael Jackson."
Like Murray, Chase said she was hired to accompany Jackson to London for his comeback concerts and the request was personally made to her by his 12-year-old son, Prince Michael II.
"Prince said, 'Daddy wants me to tell you he wants you to go to London with us,"' she recalled. "I said, 'Tell your daddy that I'm pleased and honored."
She said she had already filled out paperwork and submitted a copy of her passport to the Jackson staff and expected to leave for London on July 3.
On June 23, she said Jackson told her: "I'm packed and I'm ready to go." Two days later, he was dead.
It was the end of her dream job and an idyllic time in Chase's life, a time that had begun in March with a call from Jackson's assistant, Michael Williams. She was told that "a client" wanted her services as personal chef but she was not told the client was Jackson until she was hired.
"I couldn't believe it," she said. "I asked him if I was on 'Candid Camera.' I said, 'Am I being punked?"'
She said Jackson had seen her resume which included jobs cooking for Macy Gray and Jamie Fox as well as catering a fund raiser for President Barack Obama. She said he also knew she was from a multiracial background and her godfather was Redd Foxx.
But before she started she had to pass muster with three other people: the Jackson children.
"I came to the house and the first people I met were the kids.
They started interviewing me," she said. "They told me: 'We're into healthy eating."'
When they approved her, she went to work and "we developed a really great bond."
Most days, she said, Jackson made a point of having both lunch and dinner with the children, Prince, 11-year-old Paris and 7-year-old Prince Michael II, known as Blanket, and each meal was preceded by Paris saying grace. After weeks of healthy food, she said she wrote Jackson a note with a suggestion:
"I said, 'What about doing comfort-food Saturdays? We could do barbecued chicken and corn on the cob, maybe Mexican food or soul food."' She said he loved the idea, but as the concerts approached, healthy eating returned full time.
"He said, 'I'm a dancer,' and he wanted food that would not make him cramp up while he was dancing."
She now treasures little notes she received from the children and from Jackson and a present he gave her.
"One day he handed me a little gift bag and said, 'This is for you from me and the children.' He had given me an iPod Touch because the children told him I still had a Walkman. It had the 25th anniversary 'Thriller' album loaded on it."
She said she has visited with the children since Jackson's death and they are doing well. "They have so many cousins to play with."
As for Chase's future, she said Jackson encouraged her to write a cookbook and she has written one tentatively titled, "Fit for a King." It includes recipes she cooked for Jackson and the story of the time she worked for him.
"He was an inspiration to me," she said.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Michael Jackson children to get £300m in royalties from final show footage
http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/07/21/michael-jackson-children-to-get-300m-in-royalties-from-final-show-footage-115875-21536575/
Michael Jackson's children will net a £300million windfall from footage of the rehearsals for his final shows.
A £30million film featuring unseen film of Jacko's last days is already in the pipeline.
Once it has been sold around the world, tour promoter AEG expects to bank £200million.
A soundtrack album to accompany the film will also be a likely bestseller.
Aeg boss Randy Phillips said Jackson's kids Prince, 12, Paris, 11 and Blanket, seven, will get "the lion's share" of royalties.
While his company shot the footage, Jacko's estate owns the rights to his name and likeness.
Mr Phillips added: "Michael was our partner in life and now he's our partner in death."
Aeg also wants at least £5million for the sole US TV rights to a behind-the-scenes documentary special.
It will feature interviews with the superstar just hours before his death and be shown in September to promote the movie.
A 10-track album of songs recorded by Jacko last year is likely to be snapped up for £25million by a record label.
Aeg is also selling TV rights to a London tribute concert on August 29, Jackson's birthday.
Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and others will perform the songs he had planned.
The £30million movie will be made by Sony Pictures.
It will have access to more than 80 hours of footage from the star's Staples Center rehearsals.
Hollywood is buzzing with rumours it could be in cinemas in time for Christmas.
Michael Jackson's children will net a £300million windfall from footage of the rehearsals for his final shows.
A £30million film featuring unseen film of Jacko's last days is already in the pipeline.
Once it has been sold around the world, tour promoter AEG expects to bank £200million.
A soundtrack album to accompany the film will also be a likely bestseller.
Aeg boss Randy Phillips said Jackson's kids Prince, 12, Paris, 11 and Blanket, seven, will get "the lion's share" of royalties.
While his company shot the footage, Jacko's estate owns the rights to his name and likeness.
Mr Phillips added: "Michael was our partner in life and now he's our partner in death."
Aeg also wants at least £5million for the sole US TV rights to a behind-the-scenes documentary special.
It will feature interviews with the superstar just hours before his death and be shown in September to promote the movie.
A 10-track album of songs recorded by Jacko last year is likely to be snapped up for £25million by a record label.
Aeg is also selling TV rights to a London tribute concert on August 29, Jackson's birthday.
Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and others will perform the songs he had planned.
The £30million movie will be made by Sony Pictures.
It will have access to more than 80 hours of footage from the star's Staples Center rehearsals.
Hollywood is buzzing with rumours it could be in cinemas in time for Christmas.
Diamond company LifeGem turning lock of Michael Jackson's hair into jewels
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/michael_jackson/2009/07/27/2009-07-27_jewelry_company_lifegem_turning_michael_jacksons_hair_into_diamondsby_.html
Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray administered drug that killed King of Pop, official says
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/michael_jackson/2009/07/27/2009-07-27_michael_jacksons_doctor_gave_him_drug_that_killed_him.html
LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson's personal doctor administered a powerful anesthetic to help him sleep, and authorities believe the drug is what killed the pop singer, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Monday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said Jackson regularly received propofol to sleep, a practice far outside the drug's intended purpose. On June 25, the day Jackson died, Dr. Conrad Murray gave him the drug sometime after midnight, the official said.
Though toxicology reports are pending, investigators are working under the theory that propofol caused Jackson's heart to stop, the official said.
Murray, 51, has been identified in court papers as the subject of a manslaughter investigation and authorities last week raided his office and a storage unit in Houston. Police say Murray is cooperating and have not labeled him a suspect.
Murray's lawyer, Edward Chernoff, has said the doctor "didn't prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Michael Jackson." When asked Monday about the law enforcement official's statements he said: "We will not be commenting on rumors, innuendo or unnamed sources."
Murray became Jackson's personal physician in May and was to accompany him to London for a series of concerts starting in July. He was staying with Jackson in a rented Los Angeles mansion and, according to Chernoff, found an unconscious Jackson in the pop star's bedroom the morning of June 25. Murray attempted to revive him but could not.
Police searching Jackson's home after his death found propofol and other drugs, an IV line and three tanks of oxygen in Jackson's bedroom, and 15 more oxygen tanks in a security guard's shack.
Propofol can depress breathing and lower heart rates and blood pressure. Because of the risks, propofol is only supposed to be administered in hospitals. Instructions on the drug's package warn that patients must be continuously monitored, and that equipment to maintain breathing, to provide artificial ventilation, and to administer oxygen if needed "must be immediately available."
Jackson had trouble sleeping and the official said he enlisted various doctors to administer propofol, relying on the drug like an alarm clock. He would decide what time he wanted to awaken and at the appointed hour a doctor would stop the intravenous drip that delivered the drug, the official said.
LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson's personal doctor administered a powerful anesthetic to help him sleep, and authorities believe the drug is what killed the pop singer, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Monday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said Jackson regularly received propofol to sleep, a practice far outside the drug's intended purpose. On June 25, the day Jackson died, Dr. Conrad Murray gave him the drug sometime after midnight, the official said.
Though toxicology reports are pending, investigators are working under the theory that propofol caused Jackson's heart to stop, the official said.
Murray, 51, has been identified in court papers as the subject of a manslaughter investigation and authorities last week raided his office and a storage unit in Houston. Police say Murray is cooperating and have not labeled him a suspect.
Murray's lawyer, Edward Chernoff, has said the doctor "didn't prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Michael Jackson." When asked Monday about the law enforcement official's statements he said: "We will not be commenting on rumors, innuendo or unnamed sources."
Murray became Jackson's personal physician in May and was to accompany him to London for a series of concerts starting in July. He was staying with Jackson in a rented Los Angeles mansion and, according to Chernoff, found an unconscious Jackson in the pop star's bedroom the morning of June 25. Murray attempted to revive him but could not.
Police searching Jackson's home after his death found propofol and other drugs, an IV line and three tanks of oxygen in Jackson's bedroom, and 15 more oxygen tanks in a security guard's shack.
Propofol can depress breathing and lower heart rates and blood pressure. Because of the risks, propofol is only supposed to be administered in hospitals. Instructions on the drug's package warn that patients must be continuously monitored, and that equipment to maintain breathing, to provide artificial ventilation, and to administer oxygen if needed "must be immediately available."
Jackson had trouble sleeping and the official said he enlisted various doctors to administer propofol, relying on the drug like an alarm clock. He would decide what time he wanted to awaken and at the appointed hour a doctor would stop the intravenous drip that delivered the drug, the official said.
Michael Jackson's Doctor Gave Him Drug That Killed Him
http://www.usmagazine.com/news/michael-jacksons-doctor-gave-him-drugs-that-killed-him-2009277
Michael Jackson's personal doctor gave the late pop star the drug that killed him, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the singer's death investigation told the Associated Press.
See how Michael Jackson's pill addiction began.
The official, who requested anonymity because the probe is ongoing, told The Associated Press on Monday that Jackson regularly received the anesthetic propofol to go to sleep. The source also said that Dr. Conrad Murrayadministered the powerful drug on the last night of the 50-year-old's life.
Murray was with Jackson when he died on June 25. Last week, his Houston-based medical clinic and public storage unitt was raided by the police and he was identified as the target of a manslaughter investigation in court records.
See 32 photos from inside Michael Jackson's Staples Center memorial.
According to the warrant filed in Harris County District Court, authorities were looking for "items constituting evidence of the offense of manslaughter that tend to show that Dr. Conrad Murray committed the said criminal offense."
Despite authorities' claims, Murray's lawyer, Ed Chernoff, has said the doctor didn't prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Jackson.
See how Michael Jackson's face has changed over the years.
Murray, Chernoff has said, "was the last doctor standing when Michael Jackson died and it seems all the fury is directed toward him. Dr. Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports, he has to walk around 24-7 with a bodyguard. He can't operate his practice. He can’t go to work because he is harassed no matter where he goes."
Michael Jackson's personal doctor gave the late pop star the drug that killed him, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the singer's death investigation told the Associated Press.
See how Michael Jackson's pill addiction began.
The official, who requested anonymity because the probe is ongoing, told The Associated Press on Monday that Jackson regularly received the anesthetic propofol to go to sleep. The source also said that Dr. Conrad Murrayadministered the powerful drug on the last night of the 50-year-old's life.
Murray was with Jackson when he died on June 25. Last week, his Houston-based medical clinic and public storage unitt was raided by the police and he was identified as the target of a manslaughter investigation in court records.
See 32 photos from inside Michael Jackson's Staples Center memorial.
According to the warrant filed in Harris County District Court, authorities were looking for "items constituting evidence of the offense of manslaughter that tend to show that Dr. Conrad Murray committed the said criminal offense."
Despite authorities' claims, Murray's lawyer, Ed Chernoff, has said the doctor didn't prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Jackson.
See how Michael Jackson's face has changed over the years.
Murray, Chernoff has said, "was the last doctor standing when Michael Jackson died and it seems all the fury is directed toward him. Dr. Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports, he has to walk around 24-7 with a bodyguard. He can't operate his practice. He can’t go to work because he is harassed no matter where he goes."
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Paramedics: Jackson Dead When We Arrived
http://www.tmz.com/2009/07/26/paramedics-jackson-dead-when-we-arrived/
Posted Jul 26th 2009 2:00AM by TMZ Staff
Law enforcement sources tell us when paramedics arrived at Michael Jackson's house he was already dead ... and it took them a while to even realize the victim was the famous singer.
Our sources say when paramedics got to Jackson's home he was flatlined. There was no electrical activity in his heart and Jackson showed no sign of life.
Multiple sources say paramedics wanted to pronounce Jackson dead at the scene but Dr. Conrad Murray insisted that the singer be transported to the hospital. Dr. Murray -- as a higher medical authority than the EMTs -- had the power to overrule them.
Paramedics didn't realize for nearly 10 minutes the victim was Michael Jackson. As one emergency worker put it: "It just looked like a frail, old, sickly man."
Posted Jul 26th 2009 2:00AM by TMZ Staff
Law enforcement sources tell us when paramedics arrived at Michael Jackson's house he was already dead ... and it took them a while to even realize the victim was the famous singer.
Our sources say when paramedics got to Jackson's home he was flatlined. There was no electrical activity in his heart and Jackson showed no sign of life.
Multiple sources say paramedics wanted to pronounce Jackson dead at the scene but Dr. Conrad Murray insisted that the singer be transported to the hospital. Dr. Murray -- as a higher medical authority than the EMTs -- had the power to overrule them.
Paramedics didn't realize for nearly 10 minutes the victim was Michael Jackson. As one emergency worker put it: "It just looked like a frail, old, sickly man."
Jackson advisor says he turned over $5.5 million
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090725/ap_on_en_mu/us_michael_jackson_estate_13
By LINDA DEUTSCH and ANTHONY McCARTNEY, Associated Press Writers Linda Deutsch And Anthony Mccartney, Associated Press Writers – Sat Jul 25, 12:02 pm ET
LOS ANGELES – A former financial advisor to Michael Jackson said Friday that he was the person who recently turned over to executors $5.5 million, which had been "a secret between Michael and me."
Dr. Tohme Tohme responded to an inquiry from The Associated Press about documents in which administrators of the estate said they had recovered $5.5 million and substantial amounts of personal property from an unnamed former financial adviser.
"It was not recovered," he said. "I had the money and I gave it to them. It was a secret between Michael and me."
He said the money, which came from recording residuals, was earmarked by Jackson for the purchase of what was to be his "dream home" in Las Vegas. He said he was in negotiations for the home when Jackson died.
"He said, 'Don't tell anyone about this money,'" Tohme recalled. "But when he passed away I told them I had this money, and I gave it to them."
He said he also turned over a large number of items from Jackson's Neverland estate that were once scheduled to be auctioned. When Jackson decided to call off the auction, Tohme said he had everything put into storage. He said he turned over that personal property to the executors as well.
Tohme is the financier who advised Jackson during the last year and half of his life and was instrumental in saving Neverland from foreclosure. He also was a key figure in negotiating the contracts for Jackson to do a series of comeback concerts in London.
The estate's receipt of the money was revealed in court documents released Friday.
Attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain are serving as temporary administrators as spelled out in the King of Pop's will. The men are finishing several deals that they expect will generate "tens of millions of dollars of revenues."
They expect to submit those deals for court approval within the next week, the filings state.
The revelations were included in two motions requesting allowances for Jackson's three children and his mother, Katherine. The petitions state that Jackson was the primary source of income for his children and his mother, who receives some money from Social Security.
Katherine Jackson currently has custody of the three children, 12-year-old Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael; 11-year-old Paris Michael Katherine Jackson; and 7-year-old Prince Michael II, known as Blanket. The children and Jackson's mother are the only members of Jackson's family eligible to receive support from the estate, according to the court filings.
The monthly stipends that Branca and McClain hope to provide the Jacksons were redacted from the court records released Friday.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff refused to grant the allowances on Thursday, opting instead to consider them at a hearing on Aug. 3. The judge did allow the administrators to enter into deals that will bring reprints of Michael Jackson's 1988 autobiography, "Moonwalk" back to booksellers.
Branca and McClain "believe that the projected cash flow and the assets of the estate are more than sufficient to cover the payment of this amount as a family allowance for the benefit of the minor children."
Jackson paid for the expenses at the Jackson family home in the San Fernando Valley, the court filings state. The administrators plan to keep that arrangement, even though some of the expenses may go to other Jackson family members who also live at the home.
Jackson's children will receive Social Security benefits, which have been applied for but payments have not yet started. Their monthly stipends from the estate may be reduced, depending on much money they receive from Social Security, the filings state.
By LINDA DEUTSCH and ANTHONY McCARTNEY, Associated Press Writers Linda Deutsch And Anthony Mccartney, Associated Press Writers – Sat Jul 25, 12:02 pm ET
LOS ANGELES – A former financial advisor to Michael Jackson said Friday that he was the person who recently turned over to executors $5.5 million, which had been "a secret between Michael and me."
Dr. Tohme Tohme responded to an inquiry from The Associated Press about documents in which administrators of the estate said they had recovered $5.5 million and substantial amounts of personal property from an unnamed former financial adviser.
"It was not recovered," he said. "I had the money and I gave it to them. It was a secret between Michael and me."
He said the money, which came from recording residuals, was earmarked by Jackson for the purchase of what was to be his "dream home" in Las Vegas. He said he was in negotiations for the home when Jackson died.
"He said, 'Don't tell anyone about this money,'" Tohme recalled. "But when he passed away I told them I had this money, and I gave it to them."
He said he also turned over a large number of items from Jackson's Neverland estate that were once scheduled to be auctioned. When Jackson decided to call off the auction, Tohme said he had everything put into storage. He said he turned over that personal property to the executors as well.
Tohme is the financier who advised Jackson during the last year and half of his life and was instrumental in saving Neverland from foreclosure. He also was a key figure in negotiating the contracts for Jackson to do a series of comeback concerts in London.
The estate's receipt of the money was revealed in court documents released Friday.
Attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain are serving as temporary administrators as spelled out in the King of Pop's will. The men are finishing several deals that they expect will generate "tens of millions of dollars of revenues."
They expect to submit those deals for court approval within the next week, the filings state.
The revelations were included in two motions requesting allowances for Jackson's three children and his mother, Katherine. The petitions state that Jackson was the primary source of income for his children and his mother, who receives some money from Social Security.
Katherine Jackson currently has custody of the three children, 12-year-old Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael; 11-year-old Paris Michael Katherine Jackson; and 7-year-old Prince Michael II, known as Blanket. The children and Jackson's mother are the only members of Jackson's family eligible to receive support from the estate, according to the court filings.
The monthly stipends that Branca and McClain hope to provide the Jacksons were redacted from the court records released Friday.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff refused to grant the allowances on Thursday, opting instead to consider them at a hearing on Aug. 3. The judge did allow the administrators to enter into deals that will bring reprints of Michael Jackson's 1988 autobiography, "Moonwalk" back to booksellers.
Branca and McClain "believe that the projected cash flow and the assets of the estate are more than sufficient to cover the payment of this amount as a family allowance for the benefit of the minor children."
Jackson paid for the expenses at the Jackson family home in the San Fernando Valley, the court filings state. The administrators plan to keep that arrangement, even though some of the expenses may go to other Jackson family members who also live at the home.
Jackson's children will receive Social Security benefits, which have been applied for but payments have not yet started. Their monthly stipends from the estate may be reduced, depending on much money they receive from Social Security, the filings state.
Michael Jackson estate 'to support mother'
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090726/en_afp/entertainmentusmusicjacksonmother_20090726110918
Sun Jul 26, 7:09 am ET
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Executors of Michael Jackson's estate said the late pop star had provided full financial support to his mother when he was alive and his estate should continue to do so after his death, The Los Angeles reported Sunday.
The daily newspaper said that in court papers filed Thursday, the administrators of the estate asked for approval to pay a monthly allowance to Katherine Jackson, 79.
The specific amount requested was not disclosed, the report said.
"The special administrators are informed and believe that Mrs. Jackson has no other sources of income currently available other than Social Security income," lawyers for administrators John Branca and John McClain wrote in the filing, according to the paper.
Jackson's mother is caring for her son's three children, and the administrators requested an additional monthly allowance for them.
According to the court papers, the Jackson children are beneficiaries of an insurance policy "but the insurance proceeds have not yet been collected," the Times said.
The allowances are among the issues Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff is to take up at a hearing August 3, said the paper.
Sun Jul 26, 7:09 am ET
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Executors of Michael Jackson's estate said the late pop star had provided full financial support to his mother when he was alive and his estate should continue to do so after his death, The Los Angeles reported Sunday.
The daily newspaper said that in court papers filed Thursday, the administrators of the estate asked for approval to pay a monthly allowance to Katherine Jackson, 79.
The specific amount requested was not disclosed, the report said.
"The special administrators are informed and believe that Mrs. Jackson has no other sources of income currently available other than Social Security income," lawyers for administrators John Branca and John McClain wrote in the filing, according to the paper.
Jackson's mother is caring for her son's three children, and the administrators requested an additional monthly allowance for them.
According to the court papers, the Jackson children are beneficiaries of an insurance policy "but the insurance proceeds have not yet been collected," the Times said.
The allowances are among the issues Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff is to take up at a hearing August 3, said the paper.
Michael Jackson's nose was missing
Michael Jackson's nose was missing as he lay in state claims an eyewitness.
The eyewitness claims he saw the Beat It singer's body on an autopsy table of a Los Angeles morgue with part of his face completely disappeared.
The witness said: "The prosthesis he normally attached to his damaged nose was missing, revealing bits of cartilage surrounding a small dark hole."
Jackson, who died a month ago of a suspected cardiac arrest, was believed to have had a number of surgical operations change the shape of his nose, which eventually eroded it away. He was also thought to be obsessed with plastic surgery and altering his appearance.
The witness added: "Jackson's face, which he had so painfully reworked and concealed from the public for decades now, lay out in the open undisguised under the harsh lights."
One of the King Of Pop's former housekeepers has previously told how the singer kept a number of false noses, which he applied using plasters and glue.
Adrian McManus said: "In his closet he had a jar of fake noses and stage glue, which he told me he used for disguises. But some were similar to his real nose, just without the hole."
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Reasons for Jackson's fascination with surgery are unclear, though he has hinted it was because he was bullied as a child. Other sources said he was desperate not to look like his father, Joe Jackson, whom he had accused of hitting him as a youngster and making fun of his appearance.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles police have named the pop legend's personal doctor, Conrad Murray as a manslaughter suspect in a probe into the star's death.
Although toxicology reports have not confirmed the exact cause of Jackson's death, it is believed he had dangerous levels of intravenously administered anaesthetic drug Propofol in his body at the time of his passing.
Murray was with the singer when he died and also made an attempt to revive him.
A warrant issued by police allowed officers to search Murray's assets for: "Property or items constituting evidence of the offence of manslaughter that tend to show Dr Conrad Murray committed the said criminal offence." Murray denies involvement in the singer's death.
The eyewitness claims he saw the Beat It singer's body on an autopsy table of a Los Angeles morgue with part of his face completely disappeared.
The witness said: "The prosthesis he normally attached to his damaged nose was missing, revealing bits of cartilage surrounding a small dark hole."
Jackson, who died a month ago of a suspected cardiac arrest, was believed to have had a number of surgical operations change the shape of his nose, which eventually eroded it away. He was also thought to be obsessed with plastic surgery and altering his appearance.
The witness added: "Jackson's face, which he had so painfully reworked and concealed from the public for decades now, lay out in the open undisguised under the harsh lights."
One of the King Of Pop's former housekeepers has previously told how the singer kept a number of false noses, which he applied using plasters and glue.
Adrian McManus said: "In his closet he had a jar of fake noses and stage glue, which he told me he used for disguises. But some were similar to his real nose, just without the hole."
Advertisement
Reasons for Jackson's fascination with surgery are unclear, though he has hinted it was because he was bullied as a child. Other sources said he was desperate not to look like his father, Joe Jackson, whom he had accused of hitting him as a youngster and making fun of his appearance.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles police have named the pop legend's personal doctor, Conrad Murray as a manslaughter suspect in a probe into the star's death.
Although toxicology reports have not confirmed the exact cause of Jackson's death, it is believed he had dangerous levels of intravenously administered anaesthetic drug Propofol in his body at the time of his passing.
Murray was with the singer when he died and also made an attempt to revive him.
A warrant issued by police allowed officers to search Murray's assets for: "Property or items constituting evidence of the offence of manslaughter that tend to show Dr Conrad Murray committed the said criminal offence." Murray denies involvement in the singer's death.
'Michael Jackson was not my father,' says man at centre of lovechild rumours
http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/07/26/michael-jackson-was-not-my-father-says-man-at-centre-of-lovechild-rumours-115875-21547640/
Omer Bhatti has revealed how Jackson feted him as an honorary son after inviting him and his family to move in with him.
Omer, 25, from Norway, who lived with Jackson at his Neverland ranch for eight years, hails the tragic pop legend as his “best friend”.
But he says there is no biological link between him and Jackson, despite widespread rumours he is the King of Pop’s illegitimate child, fathered during an alleged fling with Omer’s mum in 1983.
Omer, who lives in Norway, has revealed Jackson always used to say that he was like a son to him and he thinks that that must be the reason for all the rumours.
Confiding in a close friend from Oslo, Omer said: “Michael is not my father. He and I were just very, very close. He was my best friend.”
Omer was a guest of honour at Jackson’s memorial event in Los Angeles two weeks ago – sitting alongside the legend’s closest relatives in the front row.
“Michael always used to say I was like a son to him,” he told the friend. “But my true parents are here in Norway. The reason I was asked to sit with his family at the memorial service is because I was Michael’s closest friend – not because I am his son.”
He also confided in a girl pal: “Michael was such a special person to me and I cannot believe he is gone, I am in total shock. I have lost weight because I cannot eat anything. All I can think about is Michael and how he died.”
Omer moved to Neverland in 1996 after Jackson had met him and his parents in Tunisia where 12-year-old Omer had been on holiday.
Jackson was so taken with Omer that he had the boy, his mother, father and sister move to LA with him immediately.
He gave Omer’s mum Pia a job as a nanny for his son Prince Michael and employed dad Huayoun as a driver. Meanwhile, another of Omer’s friends, Ricky Harlow, also reveals today how Omer’s bond with Jackson grew so strong that he shared the star’s bed – while his family stayed in a cottage in a different part of Neverland.
The sleepovers took place at a time when Jackson was still reeling from allegations that he had molested 13-year-old Jordan Chandler.
Ricky, now 25 and living in Hollywood, told the Sunday Mirror in an exclusive interview: “I never got the vibe anything inappropriate was going on.
“Omer would sleep over at Michael’s. They would hang out and watch movies and all that kind of stuff. His parents and his sister stayed in a cottage in a different part of the ranch.”
Ricky added: “Omer sleeping in Michael’s bed would not have been a big deal. It would have been innocent.”
Jackson landed himself in huge controversy when he admitted during a 2003 TV interview with British journalist Martin Bashir that he shared his bed with a young friend.
That 13-year-old boy, Gavin Arvizo, later accused the star of sexual abuse – allegations that led to the major court case which almost ruined the superstar’s career. Jackson was found innocent of all charges.
Now, it can be revealed that Omer was also at times sleeping in the same room as the Thriller star. Ricky said the sleepovers took place before the Arvizo case.
Ricky, who was at that time singing with three other teenagers in a boy band called No Authority, added: “There was a real bond between Omer and Michael.
“Michael was very protective of him and wanted to mentor him.”
Ricky moved back to Norway after Jackson was hit by financial problems in 2004.
They forced him to cut back on his massive retinue and spending.
Omer had been such a part of Jackson’s inner-circle that he appeared alongside him at his birthday bash and starred in a home video opening Christmas presents on American TV.
Omer is currently in hiding in Norway, where has been confiding in his female friend, who first met him at a small dance school just yards from his house in a run-down estate in Holmlia on the outskirts of Oslo.
The friend told the Sunday Mirror of Omer’s reaction to Jackson’s death.
“He looked so pale and thin, I have never seen him look so depressed,” he told her.
“Omer is usually the life and soul of the party, but he said he had never felt so down.
“He had told me that, although he hadn’t seen Michael for a while, he had been really looking forward to his concerts in England because he was going to go over and spend some time with him. He told me he had planned to go to all 50 shows.”
Omer’s friend also revealed that he has had a girlfriend called Feven for the last two years. Before that, he was with another girl for more than three years.
She said: “Omer told me that his girlfriend has been offering him a lot of support since Michael’s death, she has really been there for him and is helping him get through it.”
Omer’s mum Pia also confirmed how hard her son was taking the tragedy, saying: “He has been totally crushed by Michael’s death.”
Persistent rumours that Jackson had fathered Omer, following a one-night-stand with his mother in 1983, have been circulating since 2004. They appeared to have acquired new currency after the memorial service, which was beamed around the globe to an audience of millions.
And the rumours grew further still when the superstar’s brother Jermaine fuelled speculation by saying he would welcome Omer into the Jackson clan, if it were confirmed that he was Michael’s son.
There were even reports that Omer had been seeking a DNA test to try to prove he is Michael’s son.
But now Omer has spoken out categorically to deny reports in the latest chapter of the still-unravelling Jackson saga that has gripped the world.
will.payne@sundaymirror.co.uk
Omer Bhatti has revealed how Jackson feted him as an honorary son after inviting him and his family to move in with him.
Omer, 25, from Norway, who lived with Jackson at his Neverland ranch for eight years, hails the tragic pop legend as his “best friend”.
But he says there is no biological link between him and Jackson, despite widespread rumours he is the King of Pop’s illegitimate child, fathered during an alleged fling with Omer’s mum in 1983.
Omer, who lives in Norway, has revealed Jackson always used to say that he was like a son to him and he thinks that that must be the reason for all the rumours.
Confiding in a close friend from Oslo, Omer said: “Michael is not my father. He and I were just very, very close. He was my best friend.”
Omer was a guest of honour at Jackson’s memorial event in Los Angeles two weeks ago – sitting alongside the legend’s closest relatives in the front row.
“Michael always used to say I was like a son to him,” he told the friend. “But my true parents are here in Norway. The reason I was asked to sit with his family at the memorial service is because I was Michael’s closest friend – not because I am his son.”
He also confided in a girl pal: “Michael was such a special person to me and I cannot believe he is gone, I am in total shock. I have lost weight because I cannot eat anything. All I can think about is Michael and how he died.”
Omer moved to Neverland in 1996 after Jackson had met him and his parents in Tunisia where 12-year-old Omer had been on holiday.
Jackson was so taken with Omer that he had the boy, his mother, father and sister move to LA with him immediately.
He gave Omer’s mum Pia a job as a nanny for his son Prince Michael and employed dad Huayoun as a driver. Meanwhile, another of Omer’s friends, Ricky Harlow, also reveals today how Omer’s bond with Jackson grew so strong that he shared the star’s bed – while his family stayed in a cottage in a different part of Neverland.
The sleepovers took place at a time when Jackson was still reeling from allegations that he had molested 13-year-old Jordan Chandler.
Ricky, now 25 and living in Hollywood, told the Sunday Mirror in an exclusive interview: “I never got the vibe anything inappropriate was going on.
“Omer would sleep over at Michael’s. They would hang out and watch movies and all that kind of stuff. His parents and his sister stayed in a cottage in a different part of the ranch.”
Ricky added: “Omer sleeping in Michael’s bed would not have been a big deal. It would have been innocent.”
Jackson landed himself in huge controversy when he admitted during a 2003 TV interview with British journalist Martin Bashir that he shared his bed with a young friend.
That 13-year-old boy, Gavin Arvizo, later accused the star of sexual abuse – allegations that led to the major court case which almost ruined the superstar’s career. Jackson was found innocent of all charges.
Now, it can be revealed that Omer was also at times sleeping in the same room as the Thriller star. Ricky said the sleepovers took place before the Arvizo case.
Ricky, who was at that time singing with three other teenagers in a boy band called No Authority, added: “There was a real bond between Omer and Michael.
“Michael was very protective of him and wanted to mentor him.”
Ricky moved back to Norway after Jackson was hit by financial problems in 2004.
They forced him to cut back on his massive retinue and spending.
Omer had been such a part of Jackson’s inner-circle that he appeared alongside him at his birthday bash and starred in a home video opening Christmas presents on American TV.
Omer is currently in hiding in Norway, where has been confiding in his female friend, who first met him at a small dance school just yards from his house in a run-down estate in Holmlia on the outskirts of Oslo.
The friend told the Sunday Mirror of Omer’s reaction to Jackson’s death.
“He looked so pale and thin, I have never seen him look so depressed,” he told her.
“Omer is usually the life and soul of the party, but he said he had never felt so down.
“He had told me that, although he hadn’t seen Michael for a while, he had been really looking forward to his concerts in England because he was going to go over and spend some time with him. He told me he had planned to go to all 50 shows.”
Omer’s friend also revealed that he has had a girlfriend called Feven for the last two years. Before that, he was with another girl for more than three years.
She said: “Omer told me that his girlfriend has been offering him a lot of support since Michael’s death, she has really been there for him and is helping him get through it.”
Omer’s mum Pia also confirmed how hard her son was taking the tragedy, saying: “He has been totally crushed by Michael’s death.”
Persistent rumours that Jackson had fathered Omer, following a one-night-stand with his mother in 1983, have been circulating since 2004. They appeared to have acquired new currency after the memorial service, which was beamed around the globe to an audience of millions.
And the rumours grew further still when the superstar’s brother Jermaine fuelled speculation by saying he would welcome Omer into the Jackson clan, if it were confirmed that he was Michael’s son.
There were even reports that Omer had been seeking a DNA test to try to prove he is Michael’s son.
But now Omer has spoken out categorically to deny reports in the latest chapter of the still-unravelling Jackson saga that has gripped the world.
will.payne@sundaymirror.co.uk
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Michael Jackson got his children 'married': Report
LONDON: It may appear bizarre, but 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson got his own children married in a mock ceremony, a media report said on Wednesday.
The pop icon staged the "ceremony" with his daughter Paris playing the bride, dressed in a flowing white wedding gown. And the groom was his son Prince Michael, who was decked out in posh black suit, the 'Daily Star' reported.
The youngsters posed for photos hand in hand, like a mini pair of real-life newly-weds. And they were even snapped puckering up to kiss each other on the lips, according to the extraordinary never-before-seen photos in 'OK!' magazine.
The magazine has called the mock marriage "a strange but intimate fairytale wedding ceremony" straight out of the Jackson family album, the report said.
Friends of the troubled superstar have always insisted that Jackson, despite his own fame, did everything to bring up his children like any normal youngsters.
British actor Mark Lester, one of Jacko's oldest pals, was quoted as saying: "They (the children)were brought up like ordinary kids. They squabble and bicker and have a great sense of mischief -- which Michael encouraged."
The pop icon staged the "ceremony" with his daughter Paris playing the bride, dressed in a flowing white wedding gown. And the groom was his son Prince Michael, who was decked out in posh black suit, the 'Daily Star' reported.
The youngsters posed for photos hand in hand, like a mini pair of real-life newly-weds. And they were even snapped puckering up to kiss each other on the lips, according to the extraordinary never-before-seen photos in 'OK!' magazine.
The magazine has called the mock marriage "a strange but intimate fairytale wedding ceremony" straight out of the Jackson family album, the report said.
Friends of the troubled superstar have always insisted that Jackson, despite his own fame, did everything to bring up his children like any normal youngsters.
British actor Mark Lester, one of Jacko's oldest pals, was quoted as saying: "They (the children)were brought up like ordinary kids. They squabble and bicker and have a great sense of mischief -- which Michael encouraged."
Michael Jackson got his children 'married': Report
LONDON: It may appear bizarre, but 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson got his own children married in a mock ceremony, a media report said on Wednesday.
The pop icon staged the "ceremony" with his daughter Paris playing the bride, dressed in a flowing white wedding gown. And the groom was his son Prince Michael, who was decked out in posh black suit, the 'Daily Star' reported.
The youngsters posed for photos hand in hand, like a mini pair of real-life newly-weds. And they were even snapped puckering up to kiss each other on the lips, according to the extraordinary never-before-seen photos in 'OK!' magazine.
The magazine has called the mock marriage "a strange but intimate fairytale wedding ceremony" straight out of the Jackson family album, the report said.
Friends of the troubled superstar have always insisted that Jackson, despite his own fame, did everything to bring up his children like any normal youngsters.
British actor Mark Lester, one of Jacko's oldest pals, was quoted as saying: "They (the children)were brought up like ordinary kids. They squabble and bicker and have a great sense of mischief -- which Michael encouraged."
The pop icon staged the "ceremony" with his daughter Paris playing the bride, dressed in a flowing white wedding gown. And the groom was his son Prince Michael, who was decked out in posh black suit, the 'Daily Star' reported.
The youngsters posed for photos hand in hand, like a mini pair of real-life newly-weds. And they were even snapped puckering up to kiss each other on the lips, according to the extraordinary never-before-seen photos in 'OK!' magazine.
The magazine has called the mock marriage "a strange but intimate fairytale wedding ceremony" straight out of the Jackson family album, the report said.
Friends of the troubled superstar have always insisted that Jackson, despite his own fame, did everything to bring up his children like any normal youngsters.
British actor Mark Lester, one of Jacko's oldest pals, was quoted as saying: "They (the children)were brought up like ordinary kids. They squabble and bicker and have a great sense of mischief -- which Michael encouraged."
McCartney Talks About Jackson To David Letterman
McCartney Talks About Jackson To David Letterman
Posted Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:25am PDT by Michael Rovner in Musictoob
Former Beatle Paul McCartney drew huge laughs from the studio audience and his host, David Letterman, last night in New York, while reminiscing about how his relationship somewhat soured with Michael Jackson.
After collaborating together on such early '80s chart-topping hits as "Say Say Say" and "The Girl is Mine," Jackson apparently asked his fab friend for financial advice.
McCartney responded by suggesting that the King Of Pop invest in music publishing, to which Jackson responded that he would indeed...and that he would start by purchasing the rights to the Beatles catalog.
Naturally, Paul thought he was kidding, only to learn later that Michael was quite serious.
The good-humored Beatle said that ultimately he took it in stride--that someone had to buy them, and it might as well have been Michael, though that sentiment wasn't said without a wince.
Posted Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:25am PDT by Michael Rovner in Musictoob
Former Beatle Paul McCartney drew huge laughs from the studio audience and his host, David Letterman, last night in New York, while reminiscing about how his relationship somewhat soured with Michael Jackson.
After collaborating together on such early '80s chart-topping hits as "Say Say Say" and "The Girl is Mine," Jackson apparently asked his fab friend for financial advice.
McCartney responded by suggesting that the King Of Pop invest in music publishing, to which Jackson responded that he would indeed...and that he would start by purchasing the rights to the Beatles catalog.
Naturally, Paul thought he was kidding, only to learn later that Michael was quite serious.
The good-humored Beatle said that ultimately he took it in stride--that someone had to buy them, and it might as well have been Michael, though that sentiment wasn't said without a wince.
Jackson Sings About Escapism On Previously Unreleased Song
Jackson Sings About Escapism On Previously Unreleased Song
Posted Thu Jul 16, 2009 4:17pm PDT by Billy Johnson, Jr. in Hip-Hop Media Training
A clip of a previously unreleased Michael Jackson song has hit the net, and it feels eerie.
In the song "A Place With No Name," the late King of Pop sings about his desire to travel to a mysterious locale: "Take me to a place without no name."
It is not clear when the song was recorded or if it is referring to a heaven-like utopia or a remote getaway.
The 25-second snippet obtained by TMZ is an interpolation of America's song "A Horse With No Name" that reached Number 1 on The Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972.
Years ago, America's manager reportedly approved Michael's "A Place With No Name."
Jim Morey, America's current manager who also represented Michael in the late '80s and early '90s, told TMZ that the band supported Michael's rendition. "The band was honored that Michael chose to do their song and they hope it becomes available for all Michael's fans to hear."
Posted Thu Jul 16, 2009 4:17pm PDT by Billy Johnson, Jr. in Hip-Hop Media Training
A clip of a previously unreleased Michael Jackson song has hit the net, and it feels eerie.
In the song "A Place With No Name," the late King of Pop sings about his desire to travel to a mysterious locale: "Take me to a place without no name."
It is not clear when the song was recorded or if it is referring to a heaven-like utopia or a remote getaway.
The 25-second snippet obtained by TMZ is an interpolation of America's song "A Horse With No Name" that reached Number 1 on The Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972.
Years ago, America's manager reportedly approved Michael's "A Place With No Name."
Jim Morey, America's current manager who also represented Michael in the late '80s and early '90s, told TMZ that the band supported Michael's rendition. "The band was honored that Michael chose to do their song and they hope it becomes available for all Michael's fans to hear."
Will new Michael Jackson music be released?
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/16/jackson.music.unreleased/index.html?section=cnn_latest
(CNN) -- Michael Jackson's songs and albums went to the top of the charts in the days and weeks following his death --and there may be plenty more hits to come, if his rumored plethora of unreleased songs find their way to the public.
Rumors are swirling that new Michael Jackson material could soon be released
Since his death, rumors have surfaced about a mountain of unpublished material from the King of Pop, including recent collaborations with artists such as will.i.am and Akon, as well as unused tracks from studio sessions dating back to the 1980s.
Jackson was known to have over-recorded during his sessions, former Sony Music CEO Tommy Mottola told Time magazine. (Sony's subsidiary Epic was Jackson's label from the late '70s on, and Sony owns the distribution rights to much of Jackson's music.) He noted Jackson "absolutely" over-recorded while in the studio for his most famous albums, and that "dozens" of new albums in a variety of formats could come to fruition.
"Let's say 12 or 13 songs end up on the album; Michael could have possibly recorded 15, 20 or 30 songs," Mottola told Time. "This would probably go for every album he recorded and probably pre-dating [Sony] to his Motown days."
Mottola also said he thought some of the unreleased material made during the height of Jackson's success could be some of the star's "best work."
In addition to the material recorded years ago, Jackson also had been creating new material.
The King of Pop was working recently with will.i.am, Ne-Yo and Akon -- the Senegalese rapper who collaborated with Jackson on a remix of "Wanna Be Startin' Something," and the new song "Hold My Hand." The latter was leaked on the Internet in 2008.
"We were working on a lot of ideas," Akon told Billboard after Jackson's death. "A lot of the songs that were done were all ideas; they weren't really complete songs. He was the kind of person that wanted to lay all the ideas down [first]."
Brian May, Queen's lead guitarist, wrote on his Web site that Jackson and Freddie Mercury recorded a couple of tracks together at Jackson's house in the mid-'80s. (Mercury died in 1991.)
"Amusingly, after Freddie and Michael had spent some time together recording, Freddie came back and played us the work in progress, and he remarked that Michael had come up with a great album title ... BAD," May wrote. "A little later, Freddie smiled his wicked little conspiratorial smile, and said ... 'I have a perfect idea for our album title -- you may love it or hate it ... but think about it ... we can call it ... wait for it ... GOOD!'"
Those tracks, May said, "have never seen the light of day," though a purported song of the two has made the rounds on YouTube.
May responded to the "music thieves" but never gave a clear-cut answer as to whether the song was indeed a Mercury-Jackson finished collaboration.
"Well, there is much to be said about these 'leaked' tracks, but I'm not going to get into it right now," May wrote.
There are some reports of a secret library of 100 songs meant for his children as a personal legacy, according to Jackson biographer Ian Halperin. There has also been speculation about what could be Jackson's latest video project, called "Dome Project," which is believed to include a cemetery similar to the one in "Thriller."
That unreleased material doesn't even take into account the two albums Jackson is rumored to have been working on before his death, including a classical album with composer David Michael Frank, who told CNN that Jackson had "the tunes pretty much worked out."
So far, no details have emerged about what will become of the unreleased songs. But if his recent sales are any indiciation, music labels will seize the opportunity to release any material they have.
In the past two and a half weeks, since Jackson's death, more than 2.3 million Jackson albums have been sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Jackson certainly wouldn't be the first to find posthumous music success.
In 1970, after Jimi Hendrix died, unfinished tracks, demos, outtakes and a partially completed album were left behind. Tracks by Tupac Shakur and his rival Notorious B.I.G. hit the airwaves after their deaths in the form of reimagined songs, verses and freestyles paired with beats.
And, of course, Elvis Presley's music had dramatic success after his death. One song, a remixed version of the 1968 cut "A Little Less Conversation," hit No. 1 in Britain in 2002, 25 years after Presley died in 1977.
But Jackson's legacy may eventually emerge victorious in this battle of music Kings. Mottola told The Associated Press that Jackson could by far have the most extensive collection, with enough music that releases "could go on for years and years, even more than Elvis."
(CNN) -- Michael Jackson's songs and albums went to the top of the charts in the days and weeks following his death --and there may be plenty more hits to come, if his rumored plethora of unreleased songs find their way to the public.
Rumors are swirling that new Michael Jackson material could soon be released
Since his death, rumors have surfaced about a mountain of unpublished material from the King of Pop, including recent collaborations with artists such as will.i.am and Akon, as well as unused tracks from studio sessions dating back to the 1980s.
Jackson was known to have over-recorded during his sessions, former Sony Music CEO Tommy Mottola told Time magazine. (Sony's subsidiary Epic was Jackson's label from the late '70s on, and Sony owns the distribution rights to much of Jackson's music.) He noted Jackson "absolutely" over-recorded while in the studio for his most famous albums, and that "dozens" of new albums in a variety of formats could come to fruition.
"Let's say 12 or 13 songs end up on the album; Michael could have possibly recorded 15, 20 or 30 songs," Mottola told Time. "This would probably go for every album he recorded and probably pre-dating [Sony] to his Motown days."
Mottola also said he thought some of the unreleased material made during the height of Jackson's success could be some of the star's "best work."
In addition to the material recorded years ago, Jackson also had been creating new material.
The King of Pop was working recently with will.i.am, Ne-Yo and Akon -- the Senegalese rapper who collaborated with Jackson on a remix of "Wanna Be Startin' Something," and the new song "Hold My Hand." The latter was leaked on the Internet in 2008.
"We were working on a lot of ideas," Akon told Billboard after Jackson's death. "A lot of the songs that were done were all ideas; they weren't really complete songs. He was the kind of person that wanted to lay all the ideas down [first]."
Brian May, Queen's lead guitarist, wrote on his Web site that Jackson and Freddie Mercury recorded a couple of tracks together at Jackson's house in the mid-'80s. (Mercury died in 1991.)
"Amusingly, after Freddie and Michael had spent some time together recording, Freddie came back and played us the work in progress, and he remarked that Michael had come up with a great album title ... BAD," May wrote. "A little later, Freddie smiled his wicked little conspiratorial smile, and said ... 'I have a perfect idea for our album title -- you may love it or hate it ... but think about it ... we can call it ... wait for it ... GOOD!'"
Those tracks, May said, "have never seen the light of day," though a purported song of the two has made the rounds on YouTube.
May responded to the "music thieves" but never gave a clear-cut answer as to whether the song was indeed a Mercury-Jackson finished collaboration.
"Well, there is much to be said about these 'leaked' tracks, but I'm not going to get into it right now," May wrote.
There are some reports of a secret library of 100 songs meant for his children as a personal legacy, according to Jackson biographer Ian Halperin. There has also been speculation about what could be Jackson's latest video project, called "Dome Project," which is believed to include a cemetery similar to the one in "Thriller."
That unreleased material doesn't even take into account the two albums Jackson is rumored to have been working on before his death, including a classical album with composer David Michael Frank, who told CNN that Jackson had "the tunes pretty much worked out."
So far, no details have emerged about what will become of the unreleased songs. But if his recent sales are any indiciation, music labels will seize the opportunity to release any material they have.
In the past two and a half weeks, since Jackson's death, more than 2.3 million Jackson albums have been sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Jackson certainly wouldn't be the first to find posthumous music success.
In 1970, after Jimi Hendrix died, unfinished tracks, demos, outtakes and a partially completed album were left behind. Tracks by Tupac Shakur and his rival Notorious B.I.G. hit the airwaves after their deaths in the form of reimagined songs, verses and freestyles paired with beats.
And, of course, Elvis Presley's music had dramatic success after his death. One song, a remixed version of the 1968 cut "A Little Less Conversation," hit No. 1 in Britain in 2002, 25 years after Presley died in 1977.
But Jackson's legacy may eventually emerge victorious in this battle of music Kings. Mottola told The Associated Press that Jackson could by far have the most extensive collection, with enough music that releases "could go on for years and years, even more than Elvis."
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Michael Jackson's record sales top 9 million since his death
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-jackson-album-sales16-2009jul16,0,7847156.story
As Jackson mania continues, CDs, MP3s and jukebox plays continue and King of Pop-themed acts book tours.
By Chris Lee and Randy Lewis
July 16, 2009
The surge in sales of Michael Jackson's music catalog continued Wednesday with the announcement that his albums dominated the pop charts for the third consecutive week, and a source told The Times that more than 9 million of Jackson's solo recordings have been sold worldwide since his death June 25.
Nielsen SoundScan said Jackson's albums sold 1.1 million copies over the last seven days and had combined to sell an impressive 2.3 million in the U.S. in the nearly three weeks since he died.
Sony Music, which controls the catalog of his solo recordings, declines as a policy to comment on sales issues, but a spokeswoman for the label did not dispute the accuracy of the 9-million figure. Jackson's music has also topped the pop charts in countries including France, Germany, Australia and the U.K. during the same period.
The dramatic influx of income for the singer's estate illustrates what's at stake in the legal battle to name an executor for Jackson's will.
This month, lawyers for the singer's mother, Katherine Jackson, 79, filed court papers asking that she oversee his estate. Days later, two of Jackson's longtime associates -- entertainment attorney John Branca and veteran music industry executive John McClain -- filed a will the performer signed in 2002 naming them executors. A hearing on the matter of an executor is scheduled for Aug. 3 in Los Angeles.
Although Jackson was about $400 million in debt to various financial institutions, people with knowledge of the singer's business holdings say his assets outweigh his debt by at least $200 million -- and those assets are only increasing with the tremendous record sales.
In the meantime, the popularity of Jackson's music, memorabilia and even performances inspired by his body of work shows no sign of diminishing.
"We're seeing a real outpouring from fans and consumers who are looking to connect and get past what's happened -- the tragedy of his death -- through attaching themselves to his music," said Gary Arnold, senior entertainment officer for the national music retailer Best Buy.
Sales of Jackson's music have remained "exceedingly strong" in the weeks since his death, Arnold said. "They're buying a pretty broad spectrum of his work; they aren't just buying 'Thriller' but a broad range of titles from throughout Michael's career. Realistically we expect to see people connecting at unprecedented levels through Christmas."
Amazon.com typically doesn't discuss sales figures, but in the wake of Jackson's death company spokesman Andrew Herdener said "the customer response to Michael Jackson's death has been staggering and unprecedented -- we took more orders for Jackson CDs and MP3s in the first 24 hours after his death than we did in the previous 11 years of the Amazon music store."
There were other manifestations of the insatiable appetite for all things Jackson. The performer's songs were punched up just shy of 1 million times on the 38,000 jukeboxes operated by TouchTunes, the nation's leading jukebox supplier. Thirteen of his songs, either solo or with the Jackson 5, were in the company's Top 100 songs for the period, and his recordings occupied half the slots in the Top 10.
Maximizing on the Jackson mania that has sent fans into mourning worldwide, producers of the U.K. stage musical "Thriller Live" announced that they were taking the show on the road this month.
The musical -- a two-hour tribute concert using Jackson impersonators to showcase many of the singer's best-known songs -- will begin traveling across Europe on Tuesday and will be performed in several U.S. cities at some point in the next 12 months, an announcement said.
The six-member, North Carolina-based Jackson tribute group Who's Bad seized the zeitgeist by booking a North American tour July 9 that will send the band members traveling coast to coast through November.
"With Michael Jackson gone, Who’s Bad is, right now, the closest thing to hearing and seeing him perform," the band's leader Vamsi Tadepalli says in a statement on its website. "We only seek to keep those memories alive."
chris.lee@latimes.com
randy.lewis@latimes.com
Times staff writer Claudia Eller contributed to this report.
As Jackson mania continues, CDs, MP3s and jukebox plays continue and King of Pop-themed acts book tours.
By Chris Lee and Randy Lewis
July 16, 2009
The surge in sales of Michael Jackson's music catalog continued Wednesday with the announcement that his albums dominated the pop charts for the third consecutive week, and a source told The Times that more than 9 million of Jackson's solo recordings have been sold worldwide since his death June 25.
Nielsen SoundScan said Jackson's albums sold 1.1 million copies over the last seven days and had combined to sell an impressive 2.3 million in the U.S. in the nearly three weeks since he died.
Sony Music, which controls the catalog of his solo recordings, declines as a policy to comment on sales issues, but a spokeswoman for the label did not dispute the accuracy of the 9-million figure. Jackson's music has also topped the pop charts in countries including France, Germany, Australia and the U.K. during the same period.
The dramatic influx of income for the singer's estate illustrates what's at stake in the legal battle to name an executor for Jackson's will.
This month, lawyers for the singer's mother, Katherine Jackson, 79, filed court papers asking that she oversee his estate. Days later, two of Jackson's longtime associates -- entertainment attorney John Branca and veteran music industry executive John McClain -- filed a will the performer signed in 2002 naming them executors. A hearing on the matter of an executor is scheduled for Aug. 3 in Los Angeles.
Although Jackson was about $400 million in debt to various financial institutions, people with knowledge of the singer's business holdings say his assets outweigh his debt by at least $200 million -- and those assets are only increasing with the tremendous record sales.
In the meantime, the popularity of Jackson's music, memorabilia and even performances inspired by his body of work shows no sign of diminishing.
"We're seeing a real outpouring from fans and consumers who are looking to connect and get past what's happened -- the tragedy of his death -- through attaching themselves to his music," said Gary Arnold, senior entertainment officer for the national music retailer Best Buy.
Sales of Jackson's music have remained "exceedingly strong" in the weeks since his death, Arnold said. "They're buying a pretty broad spectrum of his work; they aren't just buying 'Thriller' but a broad range of titles from throughout Michael's career. Realistically we expect to see people connecting at unprecedented levels through Christmas."
Amazon.com typically doesn't discuss sales figures, but in the wake of Jackson's death company spokesman Andrew Herdener said "the customer response to Michael Jackson's death has been staggering and unprecedented -- we took more orders for Jackson CDs and MP3s in the first 24 hours after his death than we did in the previous 11 years of the Amazon music store."
There were other manifestations of the insatiable appetite for all things Jackson. The performer's songs were punched up just shy of 1 million times on the 38,000 jukeboxes operated by TouchTunes, the nation's leading jukebox supplier. Thirteen of his songs, either solo or with the Jackson 5, were in the company's Top 100 songs for the period, and his recordings occupied half the slots in the Top 10.
Maximizing on the Jackson mania that has sent fans into mourning worldwide, producers of the U.K. stage musical "Thriller Live" announced that they were taking the show on the road this month.
The musical -- a two-hour tribute concert using Jackson impersonators to showcase many of the singer's best-known songs -- will begin traveling across Europe on Tuesday and will be performed in several U.S. cities at some point in the next 12 months, an announcement said.
The six-member, North Carolina-based Jackson tribute group Who's Bad seized the zeitgeist by booking a North American tour July 9 that will send the band members traveling coast to coast through November.
"With Michael Jackson gone, Who’s Bad is, right now, the closest thing to hearing and seeing him perform," the band's leader Vamsi Tadepalli says in a statement on its website. "We only seek to keep those memories alive."
chris.lee@latimes.com
randy.lewis@latimes.com
Times staff writer Claudia Eller contributed to this report.
Which God did the King of Pop believe in?
http://www.bild.de/BILD/news/bild-english/celebrity-gossip/2009/07/14/michael-jackson-religion-mystery/which-god-did-the-king-of-pop-believe-in.html
For millions of fans, Michael Jackson was a god - but the King of Pop was himself searching for a religion throughout his life.
Whilst his father Joseph Jackson (79) trained his children with an iron fist for a music career, mom Katherine (79) took care of their religious upbringing.
She raised Michael († 50), LaToya (53) and Janet (43) as Jehovah's Witnesses after she was converted to the denomination in 1966.
But in 1987 she broke with them after they criticised Michael’s music and appearance.
After that Michael Jackson was left searching for a god.
When he married Lisa Marie Presley (41) in 1994, it was rumoured that he would follow her and join the Scientology sect, but Jacko denied the rumours a year later in a TV interview.
In June 2005, the King of Pop was spotted wearing a thin red wrist band – the symbol of the Kabbalah sect of Judaism. It was speculated that he had joined the controversial religious group as they helped him deal with the child abuse accusations made against him.
When Jermaine Jackson (54) converted to Islam in February 2007, there were further rumours that Jacko would follow his big brother.
In November 2008 ‘The Sun’ wrote that Jacko had attended a ceremony in a friend’s house who converted to Islam. The friend allegedly convinced him to join.
Jacko’s acquaintance supposedly belonged to the ‘Nation of Islam’ – a political, religious organisation which believes white people are ‘devils’.
The ‘Nation of Islam’ was said to have converted Jacko as early as 2003. They wanted to protect him from “evil whites” and their bodyguards accompanied him from then on.
But one of Jacko’s friends told 'BILD': “They wanted to isolate him, control him and misuse him as a trophy.
"Jackson never converted to Islam. He died in a bed with a big cross on the wall. He believed in a loving God who watches over all of us.”
For millions of fans, Michael Jackson was a god - but the King of Pop was himself searching for a religion throughout his life.
Whilst his father Joseph Jackson (79) trained his children with an iron fist for a music career, mom Katherine (79) took care of their religious upbringing.
She raised Michael († 50), LaToya (53) and Janet (43) as Jehovah's Witnesses after she was converted to the denomination in 1966.
But in 1987 she broke with them after they criticised Michael’s music and appearance.
After that Michael Jackson was left searching for a god.
When he married Lisa Marie Presley (41) in 1994, it was rumoured that he would follow her and join the Scientology sect, but Jacko denied the rumours a year later in a TV interview.
In June 2005, the King of Pop was spotted wearing a thin red wrist band – the symbol of the Kabbalah sect of Judaism. It was speculated that he had joined the controversial religious group as they helped him deal with the child abuse accusations made against him.
When Jermaine Jackson (54) converted to Islam in February 2007, there were further rumours that Jacko would follow his big brother.
In November 2008 ‘The Sun’ wrote that Jacko had attended a ceremony in a friend’s house who converted to Islam. The friend allegedly convinced him to join.
Jacko’s acquaintance supposedly belonged to the ‘Nation of Islam’ – a political, religious organisation which believes white people are ‘devils’.
The ‘Nation of Islam’ was said to have converted Jacko as early as 2003. They wanted to protect him from “evil whites” and their bodyguards accompanied him from then on.
But one of Jacko’s friends told 'BILD': “They wanted to isolate him, control him and misuse him as a trophy.
"Jackson never converted to Islam. He died in a bed with a big cross on the wall. He believed in a loving God who watches over all of us.”
Michael Jackson rules pop charts for 3rd week
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090715/music_nm/us_jackson_charts_3
By Steve Gorman Steve Gorman – 1 hr 59 mins ago
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Michael Jackson's memorial proved to be good for business, sparking another nostalgic frenzy for his music that continues to put the King of Pop atop music charts since his sudden death three weeks ago.
Jackson's catalog of solo albums sold 1.1 million U.S. copies in the week ended July 12, and his greatest-hits set "Number Ones" ranked as the top-selling album for a third straight week, Nielsen SoundScan reported on Wednesday.
Physical CDs, rather than Internet downloads, accounted for 90 percent of the business as music stores rushed to restock their Jackson inventory. Downloads had dominated sales immediately after his death.
The bulk of last week's sales came in the days following a two-hour-plus memorial salute to Jackson, which was televised live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles last Tuesday and featured numerous recording stars performing musical tributes.
The 1.1 million tally marked a 37 percent increase from the week before, when 800,000 Jackson albums sold, which in turn almost doubled the previous sales week, 422,000 units, ending just three days after his June 25 death.
By comparison, Jackson's entire catalog sold fewer than 10,000 albums the week before he died, and the last time he had a top-selling album while alive was his last studio release, "Invincible," which debuted at No. 1 with 366,000 copies sold in 2001.
Jackson's post-mortem sales total has now reached 2.3 million copies, led by "Number Ones," the first catalog album in SoundScan history to best a newly debuting album, a feat achieved for three weeks in a row.
"We never thought that could happen, and it turns out that the only person who could ever do it was Michael Jackson,' said Billboard magazine chart editor Keith Caulfield.
Ironically, "Number Ones" climbed no higher in the charts than No. 13 when it first came out in 2003.
This past week, it sold 349,000 copies to eclipse R&B star Maxwell's "BLACKsummer's Night," the No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart of new releases with 316,000 units sold.
In fact, Jackson had six of the top 10 bestsellers last week, including his 1982 blockbuster "Thriller," "The Essential Michael Jackson," "Off the Wall," "Bad" and "Dangerous." All saw sharp increases over the previous week.
Five of Jackson's solo albums reached No. 1 in the charts during his lifetime -- "Thriller," "Bad," "Dangerous," "HIStory" and "Invincible."
All-time sales for "Number Ones" now stand at 2.6 million copies, and it also ranks as the eighth-best-selling album so far this year. If sales remain robust through the year, it could eventually even surpass the reigning No. 1 album, Taylor Swift's "Fearless."
(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
By Steve Gorman Steve Gorman – 1 hr 59 mins ago
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Michael Jackson's memorial proved to be good for business, sparking another nostalgic frenzy for his music that continues to put the King of Pop atop music charts since his sudden death three weeks ago.
Jackson's catalog of solo albums sold 1.1 million U.S. copies in the week ended July 12, and his greatest-hits set "Number Ones" ranked as the top-selling album for a third straight week, Nielsen SoundScan reported on Wednesday.
Physical CDs, rather than Internet downloads, accounted for 90 percent of the business as music stores rushed to restock their Jackson inventory. Downloads had dominated sales immediately after his death.
The bulk of last week's sales came in the days following a two-hour-plus memorial salute to Jackson, which was televised live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles last Tuesday and featured numerous recording stars performing musical tributes.
The 1.1 million tally marked a 37 percent increase from the week before, when 800,000 Jackson albums sold, which in turn almost doubled the previous sales week, 422,000 units, ending just three days after his June 25 death.
By comparison, Jackson's entire catalog sold fewer than 10,000 albums the week before he died, and the last time he had a top-selling album while alive was his last studio release, "Invincible," which debuted at No. 1 with 366,000 copies sold in 2001.
Jackson's post-mortem sales total has now reached 2.3 million copies, led by "Number Ones," the first catalog album in SoundScan history to best a newly debuting album, a feat achieved for three weeks in a row.
"We never thought that could happen, and it turns out that the only person who could ever do it was Michael Jackson,' said Billboard magazine chart editor Keith Caulfield.
Ironically, "Number Ones" climbed no higher in the charts than No. 13 when it first came out in 2003.
This past week, it sold 349,000 copies to eclipse R&B star Maxwell's "BLACKsummer's Night," the No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart of new releases with 316,000 units sold.
In fact, Jackson had six of the top 10 bestsellers last week, including his 1982 blockbuster "Thriller," "The Essential Michael Jackson," "Off the Wall," "Bad" and "Dangerous." All saw sharp increases over the previous week.
Five of Jackson's solo albums reached No. 1 in the charts during his lifetime -- "Thriller," "Bad," "Dangerous," "HIStory" and "Invincible."
All-time sales for "Number Ones" now stand at 2.6 million copies, and it also ranks as the eighth-best-selling album so far this year. If sales remain robust through the year, it could eventually even surpass the reigning No. 1 album, Taylor Swift's "Fearless."
(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Michael Jackson Was All About the Naked Celebs
http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/20090715/en_celeb_eo/134312
Whitney English and Natalie Finn Whitney English And Natalie Finn – 37 mins ago
Los Angeles (E! Online) – Apparently the King of Pop also wanted to be the Sultan of Skin.
The owner of an extensive collection of photographs featuring nude celebrities—enough to open a "nudeseum"!—exclusively tells E! News that Michael Jackson had been negotiating to purchase his assortment of racy pics before he died.
Website and magazine owner Celebrity Sleuth (that's what he goes by) says that he was alerted to Jackson's interest in the photos by Jack Wishna, the Las Vegas businessman who facilitated Jackson's return to the U.S. from overseas and was trying to organize a comeback engagement for the beleaguered artist in 2006 and 2007.
Turns out Wishna has been working with Sleuth on the nudeseum concept as well, according to the celebrity-skin aficionado.
"Michael was one of the people to show the most interest right away and, up until literally the day before he died, I had an email from Jack saying 'M.J. wants to do this' and so forth," says Sleuth.
He would not reveal the exact amount Jackson was offering, but says it was "eight figures."
Sleuth has amassed memorabilia and photos taken by private photographers dating back to the 1920s. He said that they aren't all of glam-style celebs, but of other public figures as well, such as Adolf Hitler's mistress, Eva Braun.
Where he got this stuff, we can only begin to imagine.
"This goes back to the '20s and the '30s and the '40s," says Sleuth. "They're pictures that I've collected, bought, been given, been given by the celebrities themselves over the years. I'm the only one that has these nudes because I've been able to recognize them so I've been able to go back and find them."
Sleuth says that while some of his photos have been online or published in his magazine, Jackson wanted to buy a never-before-seen collection that had been destined for his Sin City nudeseum.
To avoid legal troubles, Sleuth refused to name the living celebrities in his collection, but revealed that he had pictures of Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Bonnie Parker, of Bonnie-and-Clyde fame. He says that he has pictures of just about every current famous actress as well, most of them shots taken before they became famous.
"If you can think of their name and they're famous, then they're in the collection," Sleuth says. "I would say nobody in the last 65 years who is a female celebrity is not in the collection."
Sleuth and Wishna are still currently trying to make a deal with a Vegas casino or private buyer to purchase the secret collection.
Lordy, we're blushing just thinking about it.
Whitney English and Natalie Finn Whitney English And Natalie Finn – 37 mins ago
Los Angeles (E! Online) – Apparently the King of Pop also wanted to be the Sultan of Skin.
The owner of an extensive collection of photographs featuring nude celebrities—enough to open a "nudeseum"!—exclusively tells E! News that Michael Jackson had been negotiating to purchase his assortment of racy pics before he died.
Website and magazine owner Celebrity Sleuth (that's what he goes by) says that he was alerted to Jackson's interest in the photos by Jack Wishna, the Las Vegas businessman who facilitated Jackson's return to the U.S. from overseas and was trying to organize a comeback engagement for the beleaguered artist in 2006 and 2007.
Turns out Wishna has been working with Sleuth on the nudeseum concept as well, according to the celebrity-skin aficionado.
"Michael was one of the people to show the most interest right away and, up until literally the day before he died, I had an email from Jack saying 'M.J. wants to do this' and so forth," says Sleuth.
He would not reveal the exact amount Jackson was offering, but says it was "eight figures."
Sleuth has amassed memorabilia and photos taken by private photographers dating back to the 1920s. He said that they aren't all of glam-style celebs, but of other public figures as well, such as Adolf Hitler's mistress, Eva Braun.
Where he got this stuff, we can only begin to imagine.
"This goes back to the '20s and the '30s and the '40s," says Sleuth. "They're pictures that I've collected, bought, been given, been given by the celebrities themselves over the years. I'm the only one that has these nudes because I've been able to recognize them so I've been able to go back and find them."
Sleuth says that while some of his photos have been online or published in his magazine, Jackson wanted to buy a never-before-seen collection that had been destined for his Sin City nudeseum.
To avoid legal troubles, Sleuth refused to name the living celebrities in his collection, but revealed that he had pictures of Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Bonnie Parker, of Bonnie-and-Clyde fame. He says that he has pictures of just about every current famous actress as well, most of them shots taken before they became famous.
"If you can think of their name and they're famous, then they're in the collection," Sleuth says. "I would say nobody in the last 65 years who is a female celebrity is not in the collection."
Sleuth and Wishna are still currently trying to make a deal with a Vegas casino or private buyer to purchase the secret collection.
Lordy, we're blushing just thinking about it.
PARIS WRITES LETTERS TO DEAD DAD EVERY DAY
PARIS WRITES LETTERS TO DEAD DAD EVERY DAY
MICHAEL JACKSON's daughter PARIS is so devastated about her father's death she has been writing him letters every day since he died.
The 11 year old, who broke hearts when she teared up as spoke at her late father's memorial service in front of millions of viewers on Tuesday (07Jul09), has decorated her room with images of her dad and written him daily notes since his death last month (25Jun09).
Jackson's sister La Toya says, "She wears Michael T-shirts every day and the walls of her room are covered with posters and pictures of her daddy. She still writes him letters every day, sweet lovely letters about how much she loves him. Her letters are brilliant. When you read them you cry."
The late star's 53-year-old sibling also revealed his daughter bought him a 'mood' chain that she placed in his coffin before he was buried.
The necklace had a metal heart on it that changes colour when it touches someone's skin - and Paris has kept half of it so she can wear it "forever".
La Toya adds, "The heart is in two pieces. Paris told me, 'I want one half to go to daddy and I will wear the other half forever'. She carefully wrapped it around his wrist. She said, 'Daddy, this is for you'... I put one of his sequined gloves in there. And a pair of his favourite sunglasses."
12 July 2009 22:56
MICHAEL JACKSON's daughter PARIS is so devastated about her father's death she has been writing him letters every day since he died.
The 11 year old, who broke hearts when she teared up as spoke at her late father's memorial service in front of millions of viewers on Tuesday (07Jul09), has decorated her room with images of her dad and written him daily notes since his death last month (25Jun09).
Jackson's sister La Toya says, "She wears Michael T-shirts every day and the walls of her room are covered with posters and pictures of her daddy. She still writes him letters every day, sweet lovely letters about how much she loves him. Her letters are brilliant. When you read them you cry."
The late star's 53-year-old sibling also revealed his daughter bought him a 'mood' chain that she placed in his coffin before he was buried.
The necklace had a metal heart on it that changes colour when it touches someone's skin - and Paris has kept half of it so she can wear it "forever".
La Toya adds, "The heart is in two pieces. Paris told me, 'I want one half to go to daddy and I will wear the other half forever'. She carefully wrapped it around his wrist. She said, 'Daddy, this is for you'... I put one of his sequined gloves in there. And a pair of his favourite sunglasses."
12 July 2009 22:56
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
JACKSON COMPUTER GAME ON ITS WAY
JACKSON COMPUTER GAME ON ITS WAY
MICHAEL JACKSON is set to be immortalised in a new video game.
The King of Pop, who died on 25 June (09), had been working on a computer game for "several months" leading up to his untimely passing and had even recorded vocals for the project.
Executives at his company, MJJ Productions, have decided to press ahead with Jackson's vision and are confident fans will get to see the finished product soon.
A representative for the firm says, "I am sure it will still be released. Michael loved games."
Jackson has dabbled with computer game technology in the past - he appeared in pixelated form in the Sega Genesis release Moonwalker in 1990, lent his likeness and voice to dance game Space Channel 5 in 1999 and its sequel in 2002, and also featured in Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Round 2 in 2000.
14 July 2009 22:03
MICHAEL JACKSON is set to be immortalised in a new video game.
The King of Pop, who died on 25 June (09), had been working on a computer game for "several months" leading up to his untimely passing and had even recorded vocals for the project.
Executives at his company, MJJ Productions, have decided to press ahead with Jackson's vision and are confident fans will get to see the finished product soon.
A representative for the firm says, "I am sure it will still be released. Michael loved games."
Jackson has dabbled with computer game technology in the past - he appeared in pixelated form in the Sega Genesis release Moonwalker in 1990, lent his likeness and voice to dance game Space Channel 5 in 1999 and its sequel in 2002, and also featured in Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Round 2 in 2000.
14 July 2009 22:03
MICHAEL JACKSON 'INSATIABLE' FOR GAY SEX
MICHAEL JACKSON 'INSATIABLE' FOR GAY SEX
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/michael-jackson-insatiable-for-gay-sex_1109558
Michael Jackson used to seduce gay lovers with the line 'The King of Pop is going to lick your lollipop', it has been claimed.
Michael Jackson had an "insatiable" appetite for gay sex, it has been claimed.
The late 'Beat It' singer's unofficial biographer Ian Halperin claims to have spoken to two of the star's male lovers, including an actor named only as Lawrence.
Lawrence told the author: "He was very shy. But when he started to have sex, he was insatiable."
According to Halperin - who makes the allegations in his book 'Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson' - "virtually everyone" around the singer knew he was gay and he used to meet lovers in a run-down motel dressed as a woman.
One alleged lover said: "The very first time he had sex with me he said, 'The King of Pop's going to lick your lollipop.' I still laugh thinking about that."
Jackson moved to Los Angeles in 2007 and barely left his home, except to meet one of his lovers for secret liaisons.
A source told Halperin: "He met a construction worker and fell madly in love with him. Michael would leave the house in disguise, often dressed as a woman, and would go to meet his boyfriend at a motel that was one of Vegas' grungiest dives. Michael was broke. He struggled to put food on the table for his children. It was all he could afford then."
Halperin added: "A close aide of Jackson who confirmed the affair to me said that he had no knowledge of what went on behind closed doors at the motel.
"But the aide said Jackson would dress as a woman after midnight to meet a worker employed by the city of Las Vegas."
Meanwhile, toxicology tests carried out on the singer's body reportedly showed lethal levels of the painkillers Demerol and heroin substitute Methadone in his system before he died.
Preliminary toxicology reports submitted to the Los Angeles county coroner's office also showed high levels of anti-anxiety drug Xanax, "significant" amounts of painkiller Dilaudid, lower levels of Propofol - allegedly used by the singer as a sleeping aid - plus "therapeutic" levels of strong painkillers Fentanyl and Vicodin, anti-anxiety tablet Valium and sleeping drug Ambien.
A source said: "Michael Jackson was a walking drug store when he died - he never stood a chance.
The body can build up extreme tolerances to huge doses of drugs but eventually it overloads and just shuts down. That is what happened to Michael."
The levels of drugs in his system were so high, police may turn the enquiry into his death into a manslaughter investigation.
The source added: "This is sure to increase pressure on police to establish exactly how one man obtained so many prescription medications - and which doctors were responsible.
"There is increasing talk of manslaughter charges if it can be shown he was given drugs without proper regard for his safety."
Police Chief William Bratton is waiting for the final toxicology reports before deciding whether to pursue an investigation.
He said: "Based on those, we will have an idea what we are dealing with. Are we dealing with a homicide or are we dealing with accidental overdose?"
13 July 2009 12:42:11 PM
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/michael-jackson-insatiable-for-gay-sex_1109558
Michael Jackson used to seduce gay lovers with the line 'The King of Pop is going to lick your lollipop', it has been claimed.
Michael Jackson had an "insatiable" appetite for gay sex, it has been claimed.
The late 'Beat It' singer's unofficial biographer Ian Halperin claims to have spoken to two of the star's male lovers, including an actor named only as Lawrence.
Lawrence told the author: "He was very shy. But when he started to have sex, he was insatiable."
According to Halperin - who makes the allegations in his book 'Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson' - "virtually everyone" around the singer knew he was gay and he used to meet lovers in a run-down motel dressed as a woman.
One alleged lover said: "The very first time he had sex with me he said, 'The King of Pop's going to lick your lollipop.' I still laugh thinking about that."
Jackson moved to Los Angeles in 2007 and barely left his home, except to meet one of his lovers for secret liaisons.
A source told Halperin: "He met a construction worker and fell madly in love with him. Michael would leave the house in disguise, often dressed as a woman, and would go to meet his boyfriend at a motel that was one of Vegas' grungiest dives. Michael was broke. He struggled to put food on the table for his children. It was all he could afford then."
Halperin added: "A close aide of Jackson who confirmed the affair to me said that he had no knowledge of what went on behind closed doors at the motel.
"But the aide said Jackson would dress as a woman after midnight to meet a worker employed by the city of Las Vegas."
Meanwhile, toxicology tests carried out on the singer's body reportedly showed lethal levels of the painkillers Demerol and heroin substitute Methadone in his system before he died.
Preliminary toxicology reports submitted to the Los Angeles county coroner's office also showed high levels of anti-anxiety drug Xanax, "significant" amounts of painkiller Dilaudid, lower levels of Propofol - allegedly used by the singer as a sleeping aid - plus "therapeutic" levels of strong painkillers Fentanyl and Vicodin, anti-anxiety tablet Valium and sleeping drug Ambien.
A source said: "Michael Jackson was a walking drug store when he died - he never stood a chance.
The body can build up extreme tolerances to huge doses of drugs but eventually it overloads and just shuts down. That is what happened to Michael."
The levels of drugs in his system were so high, police may turn the enquiry into his death into a manslaughter investigation.
The source added: "This is sure to increase pressure on police to establish exactly how one man obtained so many prescription medications - and which doctors were responsible.
"There is increasing talk of manslaughter charges if it can be shown he was given drugs without proper regard for his safety."
Police Chief William Bratton is waiting for the final toxicology reports before deciding whether to pursue an investigation.
He said: "Based on those, we will have an idea what we are dealing with. Are we dealing with a homicide or are we dealing with accidental overdose?"
13 July 2009 12:42:11 PM
JANET JACKSON WANTS MICHAEL'S KIDS
JANET JACKSON WANTS MICHAEL'S KIDS
Michael Jackson's sister Janet wants to care for the late pop superstar's three children.
Janet Jackson wants custody of Michael Jackson's three children.
The late 'Man in the Mirror' star had reportedly discussed his wishes for his kids - Prince Michael I, 12, Paris, 11, and Prince Michael II, seven, known as 'Blanket' - in the event of his death and was even planning to draft a new will to amend custody details.
A source said: "There was a lot of rifts in the family, but Janet was the one person he spoke to regularly and he made sure the children kept in touch with her too.
"Ultimately, he wanted Janet to look after the children, with help from his mother Katherine, and was planning to draft a new will to reflect those wishes. He trusted Janet implicitly.
"When he had health concerns, he had a talk with Janet about how much she meant to him and the children, and how if anything happened to him, he wanted her to make sure the children would be loved and cared for in the same way he was raising them. She told him of course she would."
Michael's most recent will, written in 2002, named Katherine as the children's guardian but Janet - who accompanied the children to their family home to retrieve their belongings after the singer's death last month - has the support of her siblings in taking over as primary carer.
The source added to Britain's Grazia magazine: "The family think this could be a great idea - they are supportive of Katherine, but although she is in good health, she is nearly 80 and they are worried she is not up to the task.
"Janet is blossoming into a woman with tremendous untapped maternal instincts. The children automatically turn to her for comfort and direction."
14 July 2009 12:30:06 PM
Michael Jackson's sister Janet wants to care for the late pop superstar's three children.
Janet Jackson wants custody of Michael Jackson's three children.
The late 'Man in the Mirror' star had reportedly discussed his wishes for his kids - Prince Michael I, 12, Paris, 11, and Prince Michael II, seven, known as 'Blanket' - in the event of his death and was even planning to draft a new will to amend custody details.
A source said: "There was a lot of rifts in the family, but Janet was the one person he spoke to regularly and he made sure the children kept in touch with her too.
"Ultimately, he wanted Janet to look after the children, with help from his mother Katherine, and was planning to draft a new will to reflect those wishes. He trusted Janet implicitly.
"When he had health concerns, he had a talk with Janet about how much she meant to him and the children, and how if anything happened to him, he wanted her to make sure the children would be loved and cared for in the same way he was raising them. She told him of course she would."
Michael's most recent will, written in 2002, named Katherine as the children's guardian but Janet - who accompanied the children to their family home to retrieve their belongings after the singer's death last month - has the support of her siblings in taking over as primary carer.
The source added to Britain's Grazia magazine: "The family think this could be a great idea - they are supportive of Katherine, but although she is in good health, she is nearly 80 and they are worried she is not up to the task.
"Janet is blossoming into a woman with tremendous untapped maternal instincts. The children automatically turn to her for comfort and direction."
14 July 2009 12:30:06 PM
Paris Jackson left trinket for dad
Paris Jackson left trinket for dad
Monday, July 13 11:00 am
Michael Jackson's grieving daughter wrapped a heart necklace around his wrist as his body lay in an open coffin.
Related photos / videos Enlarge photo Paris Jackson, 11, wanted to give the piece of jewellery to her late father when she visited him at Los Angeles' Forest Lawn Cemetery last Monday (06.07.09) as she wanted to make sure he always had something to remind him of her.
Michael's elder sister La Toya, who witnessed the heartbreaking act during the family's private viewing, said: "Paris told me, 'The heart is in two pieces. I want one half to go to daddy and I will wear the other half forever.'
"She carefully wrapped it around his wrist and said, 'Daddy this is for you. On daddy, it will be blue because he is cold. On me, it's purple. He's so cold, he is so cold.' "
Paris bought the necklace - which changes colour according to temperature - after Michael died of a suspected cardiac arrest last month and she wore it when she made her emotional tribute to him at his memorial service last Tuesday (07.07.09).
As well as the jewellery, Paris also got some coloured stones to decorate her dad's body with.
La Toya - who has claimed Michael was murdered by the "shadowy entourage" he surrounded himself - also recalled the moment she first saw Paris and her brothers, Prince Michael I and Prince Michael II, also known as 'Blanket', after the 'Thriller' singer's death.
She said: "When I got to the hospital my mother was crying and the kids were crying. I screamed, 'Is it true?' and my mother said, 'Yes, he's gone.' I couldn't stop crying. I'm screaming and the kids are screaming. My mother was sitting there with all three of them on her lap, just crying."
La Toya also revealed Michael was not the biological father of 'Blanket', revealing the youngster was conceived via artificial insemination.
She said: "Michael didn't want to know who the biological parents were. They took eggs from a donor and I believe the sperm came from one of five donors picked from a book.
"I don't know who carried the child or if the surrogate knew whose child she was carrying. Those children were his greatest joy. He was a superstar but the only people who loved him unconditionally were the children."
(C) BANG Media International
Monday, July 13 11:00 am
Michael Jackson's grieving daughter wrapped a heart necklace around his wrist as his body lay in an open coffin.
Related photos / videos Enlarge photo Paris Jackson, 11, wanted to give the piece of jewellery to her late father when she visited him at Los Angeles' Forest Lawn Cemetery last Monday (06.07.09) as she wanted to make sure he always had something to remind him of her.
Michael's elder sister La Toya, who witnessed the heartbreaking act during the family's private viewing, said: "Paris told me, 'The heart is in two pieces. I want one half to go to daddy and I will wear the other half forever.'
"She carefully wrapped it around his wrist and said, 'Daddy this is for you. On daddy, it will be blue because he is cold. On me, it's purple. He's so cold, he is so cold.' "
Paris bought the necklace - which changes colour according to temperature - after Michael died of a suspected cardiac arrest last month and she wore it when she made her emotional tribute to him at his memorial service last Tuesday (07.07.09).
As well as the jewellery, Paris also got some coloured stones to decorate her dad's body with.
La Toya - who has claimed Michael was murdered by the "shadowy entourage" he surrounded himself - also recalled the moment she first saw Paris and her brothers, Prince Michael I and Prince Michael II, also known as 'Blanket', after the 'Thriller' singer's death.
She said: "When I got to the hospital my mother was crying and the kids were crying. I screamed, 'Is it true?' and my mother said, 'Yes, he's gone.' I couldn't stop crying. I'm screaming and the kids are screaming. My mother was sitting there with all three of them on her lap, just crying."
La Toya also revealed Michael was not the biological father of 'Blanket', revealing the youngster was conceived via artificial insemination.
She said: "Michael didn't want to know who the biological parents were. They took eggs from a donor and I believe the sperm came from one of five donors picked from a book.
"I don't know who carried the child or if the surrogate knew whose child she was carrying. Those children were his greatest joy. He was a superstar but the only people who loved him unconditionally were the children."
(C) BANG Media International
Monday, July 13, 2009
Michael Jackson concert merchandise for sale
Michael Jackson concert merchandise for sale
1 hr 59 mins ago
LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson's comeback concerts will never happen, but you can still get the T-shirt.
Merchandise from Jackson's "This Is It" tour, which was scheduled to begin Monday in London, will be available online and at retailers across the United States.
Jackson helped design the concert T-shirts and other show souvenirs, said Peter LoFrumento, a spokesman for the merchandising company, Bravado.
"Michael was very adamant about not just doing T-shirts and posters and key chains," he said. "He wanted to do something special and make it really innovative and different, things that were functional and fun and that his fans would like."
Among the items for sale: T-shirts commemorating the first and second nights of the concerts at London's O2 arena, belt buckles, caps, sunglasses and mugs. A varsity jacket modeled after the one Jackson wore in the "Thriller" video will also be available.
Jackson died June 25 in Los Angeles while preparing for the 50-date concert tour.
1 hr 59 mins ago
LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson's comeback concerts will never happen, but you can still get the T-shirt.
Merchandise from Jackson's "This Is It" tour, which was scheduled to begin Monday in London, will be available online and at retailers across the United States.
Jackson helped design the concert T-shirts and other show souvenirs, said Peter LoFrumento, a spokesman for the merchandising company, Bravado.
"Michael was very adamant about not just doing T-shirts and posters and key chains," he said. "He wanted to do something special and make it really innovative and different, things that were functional and fun and that his fans would like."
Among the items for sale: T-shirts commemorating the first and second nights of the concerts at London's O2 arena, belt buckles, caps, sunglasses and mugs. A varsity jacket modeled after the one Jackson wore in the "Thriller" video will also be available.
Jackson died June 25 in Los Angeles while preparing for the 50-date concert tour.
Book: Jackson told daughter he was dying
Book: Jackson told daughter he was dying
The star had become skeletal, and some thought he was anorexic
TODAY books
updated 1:56 p.m. ET July 13, 2009
"Unmasked" by Ian Halperin is a sympathetic portrait of Michael Jackson that explores Jackson’s prescription drug use, ties to Scientology, multiple plastic surgeries, skin bleaching, sexual identity and the lineage of his three children. In this excerpt, Halperin writes about Jackson's waning health in the months leading up to his death.
Before long, however, 10 concerts had turned into 50 and the potential revenues had skyrocketed. But those who knew Jackson best knew he was in no shape to perform 10 shows, let alone 50. “We knew it was a disaster waiting to happen,” said one aide. “I don’t think anybody predicted it would actually kill him but literally nobody believed he would end up performing.” Their doubts were underscored when Jackson collapsed during only his second rehearsal. “Collapse might be overstating it,” said the aide. “He needed medical attention and couldn’t go on. Not sure what caused it.”
Meanwhile, everybody around him noticed that Jackson had lost an astonishing amount of weight in the months leading up to the London concerts. His medical team even believed he had become anorexic. “He goes days at a time hardly eating a thing and at one point his doctor was asking people around him if he had been throwing up after meals,” one staff member told me in May. “He suspected bulimia but when we said he hardly eats any meals, the doc thought it’s probably anorexia nervosa. He seemed alarmed and at one point said, ‘People die from that all the time. You’ve got to get him to eat.’” Indeed, one of the known consequences of anorexia is cardiac arrest. This is what killed another iconic pop singer, Karen Carpenter, who admitted to suffering from anorexia shortly before her death in 1983.
After spotting him leave one of his rehearsals, Fox News reported that “Michael Jackson’s skeletal physique is so bad that he might not be able to moonwalk anymore.”
“I never saw anybody weigh him, but he couldn’t have weighed more than [100 pounds] in the last month,” says one member of his L.A. staff who saw him every day. At Jackson’s official height of five foot ten inches, that represents a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 14.3 which, according to the National Eating Disorders Association, may indicate anorexia. The normal BMI for somebody Jackson’s height is between 18.5 and 24.9, meaning Jackson is at least 25% under the normal weight for a healthy male. Anything over 15% falls within the category of a potential anorexic. Although eating disorders such as anorexia are much more prevalent in women and girls than men, according to the association, as many as one million men suffer from the disease, which, curiously, is twice as prevalent in gay men. By any definition, Jackson’s rapid weight loss clearly indicated something was wrong.
For the first time, those in Jackson’s inner circle began to urge him to cancel the shows, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
“There was just too much money at stake,” recalls one aide. “The people who had his ear told him he would be a laughingstock if he cancelled. They had to have known he was in no shape to go on, he was so frail, he kept canceling rehearsals. We wondered if somebody was going to cash in whether or not he performed. It just didn’t make any sense. I know his family was concerned, especially his brother Jermaine, but Michael was kept very isolated during those last weeks.”
One of Jackson’s closest friends claimed a month before Jackson died that Michael told his daughter Paris he only had weeks to live. “He called her into his room and told her not to get mad at him if he didn’t make it to Father’s Day. He had a premonition that his days were numbered. He felt extremely ill. Unfortunately, no one wanted to help him. His closest advisers tried to control him with medication, drugs and false hopes. They wanted to make sure he didn’t bail on the O2 gigs and that they would not be paid the money Jackson owed them.”
The friend said that Jackson spent the final months of his life writing extensively. He thinks it was a long farewell, and not that Jackson simply wanted to write to his fans. “He’d hole himself up in his room for hours, sometimes days and not move,” the source said. “I asked him if he was writing a novel. He replied ‘just some thoughts on my journey on this earth. I want to leave something to my children.’” This alarmed the friend. “After he told me that, I was concerned Michael was suicidal and that he was writing a long note to say farewell. His emotions during his last few weeks were completely erratic; I had never seen him more depressed. He knew he could not comeback because of his failing health and that he wouldn’t be able to pay all his debts. He told me three times that he felt like dying. At first I thought he was joking. Michael always liked to play the victim and convince people he was terminally ill. This time he was serious, he seemed to be convinced that he was dying. I wish I had taken him more seriously and tried to get him help. Unfortunately, Michael was like the boy who cried wolf — anytime he complained there was always doubt about his authenticity. He had spent years and years fooling people.”
Although the financial details of his arrangement with AEG won’t fully emerge until the estate is settled in 2010 and beyond, most of Jackson’s long-time inner circle suspect that the people who had the most to benefit from the London concert were those associated with the complex web of businesses associated with Tohme, including the giant real estate firm Colony Capital LLC. Colony Capital had saved Neverland from foreclosure more than a year earlier by purchasing a $23.5 million credit note in a deal brokered by Tohme. Somehow this action allowed Jackson to retain his prized estate.
On May 20, 2009 concert organizers suddenly announced that the first London concerts had been delayed for five days while the remainder have been pushed back until March 2010. At the time, they denied that the postponements were health-related, explaining that they needed more time to mount the complex technical production, though skepticism immediately erupted among ticketholders. Their doubts were well placed.
Behind the scenes, Jackson’s mental and physical health was rapidly deteriorating. According to a member of his household staff, he was “terrified” at the prospect of the London concerts:
He wasn’t eating, he wasn’t sleeping and when he did sleep, he had nightmares that he was going to be murdered. He was deeply worried that he was going to disappoint his fans. He even said something that made me briefly think he was suicidal. He said he was worried that he was going to end up like Elvis. He was always comparing himself to Elvis as long as I knew him, but there was something in his tone that made me think that he wanted to die, he was tired of life. He gave up. His voice and dance moves weren't there anymore. I think maybe he wanted to die rather than embarrassing himself onstage.
The most obvious comparison between the King of Pop and the King of Rock and Roll was their all-consuming prescription drug habit, which in Jackson’s case had significantly intensified in his final months and is almost certain to be a factor in his death when the autopsy results come in. “He is surrounded by enablers,” said one aide who labeled himself in this category two months before his death. “We should be stopping him before he kills himself, but we just sit by and watch him medicate himself into oblivion.”
Like his long-time idol, Elvis, Jackson could count on an array of doctors to write him prescriptions on a whim with little regard to medical necessity, though Jackson would always cite "pain" as the basis for his drug-taking, which also provided the enabling physicians an excuse not to ask too many questions. Among the many drugs for which he developed a fondness in recent years was OxyContin, often nicknamed "Hillbilly Heroin.” It had become quite fashionable among musicians and Hollywood stars for its instantaneous and powerful high. But, although members of his entourage witnessed Jackson receiving injections from doctors on a regular basis, they all insisted that the singer never used heroin itself or any other illegal drugs.
"He always had a prescription or a doctor giving him what he wanted," said a member of his staff who witnessed Jackson's long-standing addiction escalate since the Arvizo trial. "As far as I know the drugs were always legal, unfortunately."
In fact, in late 2003, shortly after he appeared on 60 Minutes to discuss the Arvizo scandal, Jackson overdosed on prescription drugs and had to be revived by a doctor who had been treating his brother, Randy. The doctor was summoned to Michael's rented Beverly Hills home in the middle of the night. After the doctor revived him, he advised that Jackson should enter a rehab clinic to treat his addiction, advice the singer ignored. On other occasions, the children's nanny, Grace Rwaramba, reportedly had to pump Jackson's stomach on a number of occasions after he took an excessive amount of drugs.
According to the aide, painkillers aren’t the only drugs that Jackson took on a regular basis. “He pops Demerol and morphine, sure, apparently going back to the time when he burned himself during the Pepsi commercial, but there’s also some kind of psychiatric medication, anti-anxiety or something like that. One of his brothers once told me that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was younger, so it may be to treat that.”
His aides apparently weren’t the only ones who recognized that the prospect of a 50-concert run was foolhardy. In May, Jackson himself reportedly addressed a group of fans as he left his Burbank rehearsal studio. "Thank you for your love and support,” he told them. “I want you guys to know I love you very much. I don't know how I'm going to do 50 shows. I'm not a big eater. I need to put some weight on. I’m really angry with them booking me up to do 50 shows. I only wanted to do 10.” One of his former employees was particularly struck by Jackson’s wording that day: “The way he was talking, it’s like he’s not in control over his own life anymore,” she told me in early June. “It sounds like somebody else is pulling his strings and telling him what to do. Someone wants him dead. They keep feeding him pills like candy. They are trying to push him over the edge. He needs serious help. The people around him will kill him.”
"It's like he was being kept away from his family," said an aide. "His family used to be the only people he could trust and I know for a fact that they were very concerned with his health, but it's like he was being kept isolated from them. I think he spoke to his mother occasionally on the phone, but his brothers were being kept at a distance. I think if they had been around and seen what Michael had been reduced to, they would have put a stop to the concerts. Maybe that's why they were being kept away." He revealed that various members of the Nation of Islam seemed to be in control of the singer's affairs and kept a very tight grip over Jackson's every move:
They were scary people, very intimidating. I'm not sure why Michael was so in thrall to the Nation. There were rumors that he had secretly converted to Islam and that he was one of them, but I never saw him praying to Mecca. His brother Jermaine was a devout Muslim, but I never saw any sign that Michael himself had converted. Yet the Nation of Islam seemed to be controlling his life. We couldn't figure it out.
The above echoes charges made by Jackson’s former close friend and publicist, Stuart Backerman, who left the singer’s employ in 2004 after the Nation first entered Jackson’s domain. “They basically took over Michael’s business and isolated everybody,” Backerman complained. As the first London concerts approached, something was clearly wrong. Jackson had vowed to travel to the UK in order to obtain a house and acclimatize himself at least eight weeks before his 50-show residency, but he kept putting it off. First, he said he was worried about Swine Flu. Then, when that abated, a new series of excuses followed. Few who knew him were buying it. "For some reason, he didn't want to leave for England," stated one aide. "The bigwigs were getting nervous that he was going to back out of the London concerts." “To be honest, I never thought Michael would set foot on a concert stage ever again,” said another aide, choking back tears on the evening of his death. “This was not only predictable, this was inevitable.”
The star had become skeletal, and some thought he was anorexic
TODAY books
updated 1:56 p.m. ET July 13, 2009
"Unmasked" by Ian Halperin is a sympathetic portrait of Michael Jackson that explores Jackson’s prescription drug use, ties to Scientology, multiple plastic surgeries, skin bleaching, sexual identity and the lineage of his three children. In this excerpt, Halperin writes about Jackson's waning health in the months leading up to his death.
Before long, however, 10 concerts had turned into 50 and the potential revenues had skyrocketed. But those who knew Jackson best knew he was in no shape to perform 10 shows, let alone 50. “We knew it was a disaster waiting to happen,” said one aide. “I don’t think anybody predicted it would actually kill him but literally nobody believed he would end up performing.” Their doubts were underscored when Jackson collapsed during only his second rehearsal. “Collapse might be overstating it,” said the aide. “He needed medical attention and couldn’t go on. Not sure what caused it.”
Meanwhile, everybody around him noticed that Jackson had lost an astonishing amount of weight in the months leading up to the London concerts. His medical team even believed he had become anorexic. “He goes days at a time hardly eating a thing and at one point his doctor was asking people around him if he had been throwing up after meals,” one staff member told me in May. “He suspected bulimia but when we said he hardly eats any meals, the doc thought it’s probably anorexia nervosa. He seemed alarmed and at one point said, ‘People die from that all the time. You’ve got to get him to eat.’” Indeed, one of the known consequences of anorexia is cardiac arrest. This is what killed another iconic pop singer, Karen Carpenter, who admitted to suffering from anorexia shortly before her death in 1983.
After spotting him leave one of his rehearsals, Fox News reported that “Michael Jackson’s skeletal physique is so bad that he might not be able to moonwalk anymore.”
“I never saw anybody weigh him, but he couldn’t have weighed more than [100 pounds] in the last month,” says one member of his L.A. staff who saw him every day. At Jackson’s official height of five foot ten inches, that represents a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 14.3 which, according to the National Eating Disorders Association, may indicate anorexia. The normal BMI for somebody Jackson’s height is between 18.5 and 24.9, meaning Jackson is at least 25% under the normal weight for a healthy male. Anything over 15% falls within the category of a potential anorexic. Although eating disorders such as anorexia are much more prevalent in women and girls than men, according to the association, as many as one million men suffer from the disease, which, curiously, is twice as prevalent in gay men. By any definition, Jackson’s rapid weight loss clearly indicated something was wrong.
For the first time, those in Jackson’s inner circle began to urge him to cancel the shows, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
“There was just too much money at stake,” recalls one aide. “The people who had his ear told him he would be a laughingstock if he cancelled. They had to have known he was in no shape to go on, he was so frail, he kept canceling rehearsals. We wondered if somebody was going to cash in whether or not he performed. It just didn’t make any sense. I know his family was concerned, especially his brother Jermaine, but Michael was kept very isolated during those last weeks.”
One of Jackson’s closest friends claimed a month before Jackson died that Michael told his daughter Paris he only had weeks to live. “He called her into his room and told her not to get mad at him if he didn’t make it to Father’s Day. He had a premonition that his days were numbered. He felt extremely ill. Unfortunately, no one wanted to help him. His closest advisers tried to control him with medication, drugs and false hopes. They wanted to make sure he didn’t bail on the O2 gigs and that they would not be paid the money Jackson owed them.”
The friend said that Jackson spent the final months of his life writing extensively. He thinks it was a long farewell, and not that Jackson simply wanted to write to his fans. “He’d hole himself up in his room for hours, sometimes days and not move,” the source said. “I asked him if he was writing a novel. He replied ‘just some thoughts on my journey on this earth. I want to leave something to my children.’” This alarmed the friend. “After he told me that, I was concerned Michael was suicidal and that he was writing a long note to say farewell. His emotions during his last few weeks were completely erratic; I had never seen him more depressed. He knew he could not comeback because of his failing health and that he wouldn’t be able to pay all his debts. He told me three times that he felt like dying. At first I thought he was joking. Michael always liked to play the victim and convince people he was terminally ill. This time he was serious, he seemed to be convinced that he was dying. I wish I had taken him more seriously and tried to get him help. Unfortunately, Michael was like the boy who cried wolf — anytime he complained there was always doubt about his authenticity. He had spent years and years fooling people.”
Although the financial details of his arrangement with AEG won’t fully emerge until the estate is settled in 2010 and beyond, most of Jackson’s long-time inner circle suspect that the people who had the most to benefit from the London concert were those associated with the complex web of businesses associated with Tohme, including the giant real estate firm Colony Capital LLC. Colony Capital had saved Neverland from foreclosure more than a year earlier by purchasing a $23.5 million credit note in a deal brokered by Tohme. Somehow this action allowed Jackson to retain his prized estate.
On May 20, 2009 concert organizers suddenly announced that the first London concerts had been delayed for five days while the remainder have been pushed back until March 2010. At the time, they denied that the postponements were health-related, explaining that they needed more time to mount the complex technical production, though skepticism immediately erupted among ticketholders. Their doubts were well placed.
Behind the scenes, Jackson’s mental and physical health was rapidly deteriorating. According to a member of his household staff, he was “terrified” at the prospect of the London concerts:
He wasn’t eating, he wasn’t sleeping and when he did sleep, he had nightmares that he was going to be murdered. He was deeply worried that he was going to disappoint his fans. He even said something that made me briefly think he was suicidal. He said he was worried that he was going to end up like Elvis. He was always comparing himself to Elvis as long as I knew him, but there was something in his tone that made me think that he wanted to die, he was tired of life. He gave up. His voice and dance moves weren't there anymore. I think maybe he wanted to die rather than embarrassing himself onstage.
The most obvious comparison between the King of Pop and the King of Rock and Roll was their all-consuming prescription drug habit, which in Jackson’s case had significantly intensified in his final months and is almost certain to be a factor in his death when the autopsy results come in. “He is surrounded by enablers,” said one aide who labeled himself in this category two months before his death. “We should be stopping him before he kills himself, but we just sit by and watch him medicate himself into oblivion.”
Like his long-time idol, Elvis, Jackson could count on an array of doctors to write him prescriptions on a whim with little regard to medical necessity, though Jackson would always cite "pain" as the basis for his drug-taking, which also provided the enabling physicians an excuse not to ask too many questions. Among the many drugs for which he developed a fondness in recent years was OxyContin, often nicknamed "Hillbilly Heroin.” It had become quite fashionable among musicians and Hollywood stars for its instantaneous and powerful high. But, although members of his entourage witnessed Jackson receiving injections from doctors on a regular basis, they all insisted that the singer never used heroin itself or any other illegal drugs.
"He always had a prescription or a doctor giving him what he wanted," said a member of his staff who witnessed Jackson's long-standing addiction escalate since the Arvizo trial. "As far as I know the drugs were always legal, unfortunately."
In fact, in late 2003, shortly after he appeared on 60 Minutes to discuss the Arvizo scandal, Jackson overdosed on prescription drugs and had to be revived by a doctor who had been treating his brother, Randy. The doctor was summoned to Michael's rented Beverly Hills home in the middle of the night. After the doctor revived him, he advised that Jackson should enter a rehab clinic to treat his addiction, advice the singer ignored. On other occasions, the children's nanny, Grace Rwaramba, reportedly had to pump Jackson's stomach on a number of occasions after he took an excessive amount of drugs.
According to the aide, painkillers aren’t the only drugs that Jackson took on a regular basis. “He pops Demerol and morphine, sure, apparently going back to the time when he burned himself during the Pepsi commercial, but there’s also some kind of psychiatric medication, anti-anxiety or something like that. One of his brothers once told me that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was younger, so it may be to treat that.”
His aides apparently weren’t the only ones who recognized that the prospect of a 50-concert run was foolhardy. In May, Jackson himself reportedly addressed a group of fans as he left his Burbank rehearsal studio. "Thank you for your love and support,” he told them. “I want you guys to know I love you very much. I don't know how I'm going to do 50 shows. I'm not a big eater. I need to put some weight on. I’m really angry with them booking me up to do 50 shows. I only wanted to do 10.” One of his former employees was particularly struck by Jackson’s wording that day: “The way he was talking, it’s like he’s not in control over his own life anymore,” she told me in early June. “It sounds like somebody else is pulling his strings and telling him what to do. Someone wants him dead. They keep feeding him pills like candy. They are trying to push him over the edge. He needs serious help. The people around him will kill him.”
"It's like he was being kept away from his family," said an aide. "His family used to be the only people he could trust and I know for a fact that they were very concerned with his health, but it's like he was being kept isolated from them. I think he spoke to his mother occasionally on the phone, but his brothers were being kept at a distance. I think if they had been around and seen what Michael had been reduced to, they would have put a stop to the concerts. Maybe that's why they were being kept away." He revealed that various members of the Nation of Islam seemed to be in control of the singer's affairs and kept a very tight grip over Jackson's every move:
They were scary people, very intimidating. I'm not sure why Michael was so in thrall to the Nation. There were rumors that he had secretly converted to Islam and that he was one of them, but I never saw him praying to Mecca. His brother Jermaine was a devout Muslim, but I never saw any sign that Michael himself had converted. Yet the Nation of Islam seemed to be controlling his life. We couldn't figure it out.
The above echoes charges made by Jackson’s former close friend and publicist, Stuart Backerman, who left the singer’s employ in 2004 after the Nation first entered Jackson’s domain. “They basically took over Michael’s business and isolated everybody,” Backerman complained. As the first London concerts approached, something was clearly wrong. Jackson had vowed to travel to the UK in order to obtain a house and acclimatize himself at least eight weeks before his 50-show residency, but he kept putting it off. First, he said he was worried about Swine Flu. Then, when that abated, a new series of excuses followed. Few who knew him were buying it. "For some reason, he didn't want to leave for England," stated one aide. "The bigwigs were getting nervous that he was going to back out of the London concerts." “To be honest, I never thought Michael would set foot on a concert stage ever again,” said another aide, choking back tears on the evening of his death. “This was not only predictable, this was inevitable.”
Fans gather in London where Jackson was to perform
2 hrs 24 mins ago
LONDON (Reuters) – Hundreds of Michael Jackson fans gathered outside London's O2 Arena on Monday to pay their respects to the entertainer on the day he was to have opened a run of 50 concerts at the venue.
Jackson died on June 25, just weeks ahead of his eagerly awaited comeback following years of living as a virtual recluse.
The London concerts sold out in record time and some of the 750,000 tickets sold traded hands at hugely inflated prices on the Internet.
Underlining fans' devotion to the "King of Pop", hundreds turned up to the venue anyway, determined to celebrate their favorite musician.
"This was going to be the best summer of my life," said fan Michael. "I was going to go to five shows altogether, it would have been fantastic. I can't believe rather than coming here to see him perform I'm here to mourn ... It's devastating, it really is."
Some fans sat quietly beneath a large screen with a picture of Jackson and the words "Michael Jackson 1958-2009" reflecting on what might have been.
Others, including several Jackson impersonators, led sing-a-longs of his greatest hits.
Will, another fan, said: "We've come here today even if there's no gig tonight. We're making our own gig, our own carnival atmosphere, we're making this what it would have been if Michael had been here."
The man behind chart-topping songs like "Thriller," "Billie Jean" and "Man in the Mirror" has been mourned the world over since his sudden death at the age of 50, and sales of his records have soared.
AEG Live, promoters of Jackson's planned comeback "residency" in London, have offered fans either full refunds for the canceled shows or the option of keeping their commemorative tickets as keepsakes.
Jackson died while rehearsing for the concerts, and AEG has said it hopes to stage a tribute including elements of the This Is It spectacle. Several reports have said organizers are aiming for a date in late August.
(Reporting by Mirja Spernal; writing by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Jill Serjeant)
LONDON (Reuters) – Hundreds of Michael Jackson fans gathered outside London's O2 Arena on Monday to pay their respects to the entertainer on the day he was to have opened a run of 50 concerts at the venue.
Jackson died on June 25, just weeks ahead of his eagerly awaited comeback following years of living as a virtual recluse.
The London concerts sold out in record time and some of the 750,000 tickets sold traded hands at hugely inflated prices on the Internet.
Underlining fans' devotion to the "King of Pop", hundreds turned up to the venue anyway, determined to celebrate their favorite musician.
"This was going to be the best summer of my life," said fan Michael. "I was going to go to five shows altogether, it would have been fantastic. I can't believe rather than coming here to see him perform I'm here to mourn ... It's devastating, it really is."
Some fans sat quietly beneath a large screen with a picture of Jackson and the words "Michael Jackson 1958-2009" reflecting on what might have been.
Others, including several Jackson impersonators, led sing-a-longs of his greatest hits.
Will, another fan, said: "We've come here today even if there's no gig tonight. We're making our own gig, our own carnival atmosphere, we're making this what it would have been if Michael had been here."
The man behind chart-topping songs like "Thriller," "Billie Jean" and "Man in the Mirror" has been mourned the world over since his sudden death at the age of 50, and sales of his records have soared.
AEG Live, promoters of Jackson's planned comeback "residency" in London, have offered fans either full refunds for the canceled shows or the option of keeping their commemorative tickets as keepsakes.
Jackson died while rehearsing for the concerts, and AEG has said it hopes to stage a tribute including elements of the This Is It spectacle. Several reports have said organizers are aiming for a date in late August.
(Reporting by Mirja Spernal; writing by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Jill Serjeant)
"It's Going to Be a Disaster": Associate Says Jackson Was Too Weak for Major Comeback
http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/20090711/en_top_eo/133691
Whitney English and Natalie Finn Whitney English And Natalie Finn – Sat Jul 11, 1:28 pm ET
Los Angeles (E! Online) – One of the dreamers who tried to reboot Michael Jackson's career says the late King of Pop wasn't fit enough to hit the stage for the "greatest comeback show ever" two years ago, let alone this summer.
"It would have happened had I assessed that Michael was capable mentally, emotionally, vocally to do it. At the end of it, we decided no, he wasn't," Jack Wishna, president of consultancy CPAmerica and the orchestrator of Jackson's return to the U.S. after a year spent living abroad, exclusively tells E! News.
The idea that they danced around from mid-2006 to mid-2007, and again earlier this year, was to have Jackson in residence at a Las Vegas hotel, where he'd star in a concert spectacular called Michael Jackson Presents that would also feature guest appearances by the latest R&B hitmakers.
"Michael says, 'I have this huge statue of me in full regalia, moon boots,'" Wishna recalled. "I want the hotel to encase it in the wall and the nights I'm in performance the statue comes out to the center of the strip so the world knows that I'm here," Jackson said, according to Wishna. "It would come out on a conveyor belt."
But though concert promoter AEG Live said that Jackson passed a physical with flying colors earlier this year, Wishna maintains that the 50-year-old artist had been in a "weakened state" and wasn't able to do three shows a month in 2007, much less maintain a more rigorous schedule now.
"He would get hurt if he had to do a regimen of performances," Wishna said. "You really have to be fit to go up on stage to do that."
So, earlier this year, he and Jackson instead discussed creating a show in the guise of LOVE, Cirque du Soleil's ode to the Beatles, that the King of Pop would not actually be in.
But then, Wishna said, he found out Jackson had hooked up with AEG for his London engagement.
"He said it should be fine," Wishna recalled. "In my heart I knew he didn't get better from the time I was with him. He was thin and weak. It's going to be a disaster. I would never put him into a show that way. I don't know who the doctor is that certified him for it. I didn't think [Jackson] was capable of doing it."
Wishna said he never saw Jackson using drugs, but that he wouldn't have had any trouble obtaining whatever he wanted—oftentimes from people who didn't have his best interests at heart.
"There were so many people around him that were enablers," the exec said. "It was one thing after another that just made it very bizarre."
"Michael has a lot of people around him that cut deals and sometimes Michael doesn't even know what those deals are," he added. "So many people have been around him. At every turn it's like he's his worst enemy because of the people that are around him."
"If you opened your mouth he'd alienate them and get rid of them," Wishna said of the members of Jackson's entourage who failed to acquiesce to his demands. "Nobody told him 'don't do this, don't do that.'"
Sadly, Jackson isn't around to tell anyone to do anything on his behalf anymore. But Wishna feels that he knows what the Thriller purveyor would say about one thing.
"In Ireland, when I spoke to Michael, I said, 'Come back and go back to Neverland.'" And Jackson said, "I never, never, never want to go back to Neverland. Never."
"My thought is if someone buries him in Neverland he will come up out of the ground like in Thriller and strangle them," Wishna said, referring to rumors that Jackson's family is still considering a bid to inter Jackson on the grounds of his once-beloved ranch.
"I tried to get rid of Neverland for him. He would never set foot back on Neverland. He never wanted to go there, never wanted to sleep there— never, never."
Whitney English and Natalie Finn Whitney English And Natalie Finn – Sat Jul 11, 1:28 pm ET
Los Angeles (E! Online) – One of the dreamers who tried to reboot Michael Jackson's career says the late King of Pop wasn't fit enough to hit the stage for the "greatest comeback show ever" two years ago, let alone this summer.
"It would have happened had I assessed that Michael was capable mentally, emotionally, vocally to do it. At the end of it, we decided no, he wasn't," Jack Wishna, president of consultancy CPAmerica and the orchestrator of Jackson's return to the U.S. after a year spent living abroad, exclusively tells E! News.
The idea that they danced around from mid-2006 to mid-2007, and again earlier this year, was to have Jackson in residence at a Las Vegas hotel, where he'd star in a concert spectacular called Michael Jackson Presents that would also feature guest appearances by the latest R&B hitmakers.
"Michael says, 'I have this huge statue of me in full regalia, moon boots,'" Wishna recalled. "I want the hotel to encase it in the wall and the nights I'm in performance the statue comes out to the center of the strip so the world knows that I'm here," Jackson said, according to Wishna. "It would come out on a conveyor belt."
But though concert promoter AEG Live said that Jackson passed a physical with flying colors earlier this year, Wishna maintains that the 50-year-old artist had been in a "weakened state" and wasn't able to do three shows a month in 2007, much less maintain a more rigorous schedule now.
"He would get hurt if he had to do a regimen of performances," Wishna said. "You really have to be fit to go up on stage to do that."
So, earlier this year, he and Jackson instead discussed creating a show in the guise of LOVE, Cirque du Soleil's ode to the Beatles, that the King of Pop would not actually be in.
But then, Wishna said, he found out Jackson had hooked up with AEG for his London engagement.
"He said it should be fine," Wishna recalled. "In my heart I knew he didn't get better from the time I was with him. He was thin and weak. It's going to be a disaster. I would never put him into a show that way. I don't know who the doctor is that certified him for it. I didn't think [Jackson] was capable of doing it."
Wishna said he never saw Jackson using drugs, but that he wouldn't have had any trouble obtaining whatever he wanted—oftentimes from people who didn't have his best interests at heart.
"There were so many people around him that were enablers," the exec said. "It was one thing after another that just made it very bizarre."
"Michael has a lot of people around him that cut deals and sometimes Michael doesn't even know what those deals are," he added. "So many people have been around him. At every turn it's like he's his worst enemy because of the people that are around him."
"If you opened your mouth he'd alienate them and get rid of them," Wishna said of the members of Jackson's entourage who failed to acquiesce to his demands. "Nobody told him 'don't do this, don't do that.'"
Sadly, Jackson isn't around to tell anyone to do anything on his behalf anymore. But Wishna feels that he knows what the Thriller purveyor would say about one thing.
"In Ireland, when I spoke to Michael, I said, 'Come back and go back to Neverland.'" And Jackson said, "I never, never, never want to go back to Neverland. Never."
"My thought is if someone buries him in Neverland he will come up out of the ground like in Thriller and strangle them," Wishna said, referring to rumors that Jackson's family is still considering a bid to inter Jackson on the grounds of his once-beloved ranch.
"I tried to get rid of Neverland for him. He would never set foot back on Neverland. He never wanted to go there, never wanted to sleep there— never, never."
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Jackson retains his chart crown
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8146723.stm
Michael Jackson has held on at the top of the UK album chart for the third straight week, according to the Official Charts Company.
The Essential, Jackson's greatest hits album, is at number one for the second week. Number Ones spent a week at the top directly after the singer's death.
Lungs by Florence and the Machine claimed the number two slot, with the biggest debut album so far this year.
It is the only album in the top five not featuring Jackson.
The 22-year-old newcomer picked up this year's prestigious Critics Choice BRIT Award.
The remainder of the top five is made up by Jackson's albums, Off The Wall, Thriller and The Motown Years.
In the last week, Jackson releases have accounted for almost another 600,000 sales, which brings the total number of Jackson singles and albums sold since his death to around 1.5 million.
New entries
In the singles chart, Euro-dance act Cascada held the number one slot with their eighth hit single Evacuate The Dancefloor. The new album, which shares the same title, entered the chart at eight.
La Roux's Bulletproof is this week's number two, and Jackson's Man In The Mirror dropped one place to number three.
The highest new entry in the singles chart was Diamond Rings by Chipmunk featuring Emeli Sande at number six.
Michael Jackson has held on at the top of the UK album chart for the third straight week, according to the Official Charts Company.
The Essential, Jackson's greatest hits album, is at number one for the second week. Number Ones spent a week at the top directly after the singer's death.
Lungs by Florence and the Machine claimed the number two slot, with the biggest debut album so far this year.
It is the only album in the top five not featuring Jackson.
The 22-year-old newcomer picked up this year's prestigious Critics Choice BRIT Award.
The remainder of the top five is made up by Jackson's albums, Off The Wall, Thriller and The Motown Years.
In the last week, Jackson releases have accounted for almost another 600,000 sales, which brings the total number of Jackson singles and albums sold since his death to around 1.5 million.
New entries
In the singles chart, Euro-dance act Cascada held the number one slot with their eighth hit single Evacuate The Dancefloor. The new album, which shares the same title, entered the chart at eight.
La Roux's Bulletproof is this week's number two, and Jackson's Man In The Mirror dropped one place to number three.
The highest new entry in the singles chart was Diamond Rings by Chipmunk featuring Emeli Sande at number six.
LaToya Jackson: 'Michael Was Murdered'
http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20287787_20289401,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines
Originally posted Sunday July 12, 2009 03:45 PM EDT
Speaking out for the first time since Michael Jackson's sudden death on June 25, the singer's sister LaToya Jackson, 53, is raising alarming allegations.
"Michael was murdered," LaToya claims in an exclusive interview with London newspaper the News of the World.
“We don't think just one person was involved in the murder," she added, refusing to name the people she believes are responsible for the death during her four-hour interview in L.A. “It was a conspiracy to get Michael's money."
According to LaToya, Jackson himself always feared for his life. "A couple of years ago Michael told me he was worried that people were out to get him,” she told the paper. "He said, 'They're gonna kill me for my publishing. They want my catalogues and they're gonna kill me for these.' "
In the months leading up to his London performances, Jackson told his sister that he was on a six-month detox to prepare for his comeback, but LaToya says she had other suspicions.
"Michael was being inappropriately treated by people who got him hooked on drugs,” she told the News of the World. "He had many needle marks on his neck and on his arms, and more about those will emerge in the next few weeks. But nothing has changed my mind that this was murder.”
And despite the family’s best efforts to reach out to Jackson recently, LaToya claims that those plotting against Jackson “tried to keep the family away at all times.”
LaToya is not the only family member who believes there was a conspiracy to take Jackson’s life. The family patriarch, Joe Jackson, echoed his daughter’s sentiments, telling ABC News on Friday, “I do believe it was foul play. I do believe that."
But while the tragedy has left the Jackson clan broken-hearted, "this has united the family," LaToya told the News. "We're all in pain and suffering the loss of Michael ... but we're also determined to get to the bottom of what happened to him."
Originally posted Sunday July 12, 2009 03:45 PM EDT
Speaking out for the first time since Michael Jackson's sudden death on June 25, the singer's sister LaToya Jackson, 53, is raising alarming allegations.
"Michael was murdered," LaToya claims in an exclusive interview with London newspaper the News of the World.
“We don't think just one person was involved in the murder," she added, refusing to name the people she believes are responsible for the death during her four-hour interview in L.A. “It was a conspiracy to get Michael's money."
According to LaToya, Jackson himself always feared for his life. "A couple of years ago Michael told me he was worried that people were out to get him,” she told the paper. "He said, 'They're gonna kill me for my publishing. They want my catalogues and they're gonna kill me for these.' "
In the months leading up to his London performances, Jackson told his sister that he was on a six-month detox to prepare for his comeback, but LaToya says she had other suspicions.
"Michael was being inappropriately treated by people who got him hooked on drugs,” she told the News of the World. "He had many needle marks on his neck and on his arms, and more about those will emerge in the next few weeks. But nothing has changed my mind that this was murder.”
And despite the family’s best efforts to reach out to Jackson recently, LaToya claims that those plotting against Jackson “tried to keep the family away at all times.”
LaToya is not the only family member who believes there was a conspiracy to take Jackson’s life. The family patriarch, Joe Jackson, echoed his daughter’s sentiments, telling ABC News on Friday, “I do believe it was foul play. I do believe that."
But while the tragedy has left the Jackson clan broken-hearted, "this has united the family," LaToya told the News. "We're all in pain and suffering the loss of Michael ... but we're also determined to get to the bottom of what happened to him."
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Jackson children were well prepared for spotlight
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY – 3 hours ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Even Michael Jackson knew the masks and veils would have to come off one day.
After a lifetime of hiding from the media glare at the insistence of their impossibly famous father, Jackson's children are front and center. Though their inevitable debut came a way no one could have predicted, those close to Jackson and the family say his three kids may be better prepared for the onslaught of attention than anyone could expect.
"They are going to grow up in the limelight," said Al Malnik, a former Jackson financial adviser and friend, "but I think because they way that Michael has brought them up and that they have the capacity to deal with it."
They are also — for now at least — being cared for by Katherine Jackson, who has raised a whole family in the public eye.
"If anyone knew how to deal with the scrutiny and the whole culture of paparazzi, it was the Jacksons," said Rev. Al Sharpton, a confidant of the Jackson family. "It is not new to them."
The lives of Michael Jackson's children never qualified as normal. They had no mother, wore masks to conceal their faces and traveled the world while being raised by one of the planet's most famous figures.
But by all accounts from those who have watched and been close to the children, Prince Michael, 12, Paris-Michael Katherine, 11, and Blanket (Prince Michael II), 7, are not only normal, but model children: unaffected by fame, sweet, polite and very smart.
"Those kids are exceptionally bright. They really have the capacity and understanding," said Malnik of Jackson's kids, who were home-schooled.
Whether they will retain those qualities following the death of their father, a potential custody fight and the enormous media scrutiny that they have been placed remains to be seen. Already, they have been on the covers of magazines and tabloids, their images endlessly replayed on television — ABC this week devoted an entire hour in prime-time to an expose on their lives.
"Michael just having passed away, it's difficult enough to deal with privately, much less publicly and making statements about it," said Malnik.
But Sharpton says that Katherine Jackson, 79, and the rest of the Jackson clan are working hard to provide some semblance of normalcy as they grieve.
"The kids are at the compound," said Sharpton of the Jacksons' Encino, Calif., home. "The days that I was there, they would play with their cousins and were very familiar with them and their aunts and uncles. ... That's the only family they knew."
Katherine Jackson, who Michael named as his choice of caretaker in case of his death, was named by a judge as the temporary guardian of Jackson's children, and they have been with her and the entire Jackson clan ever since his June 25 death. Their longtime nanny, Grace Rwaramba, has also been with the children, according to a source close to the family who is not authorized to speak for the family and requested anonymity.
While the Jackson family has long been perceived as dysfunctional — their battles have played out famously on the public stage — what struck many people at Jackson's memorial service on Tuesday was their display of unity.
Paris-Michael clutched grandmother Katherine during the service, while Prince Michael held onto his Aunt Janet as his sister made her tear-jerking testament of love about her father. Blanket hid behind a phalanx of Jacksons siblings onstage, and when Michael's brother Marlon broke down while addressing the Staples Center crowd, the entire Jackson family, including the children, embraced in one powerful group hug.
"The family is much closer than one wanted to perceive," said Sharpton, who acknowledged that Paris' speech was spontaneous. "People far overestimate and embellish any perceived differences in that family."
The public images of a Jackson family united in grief may help Katherine Jackson as she heads into Monday custodial hearing involving Mrs. Jackson and the biological mother of Jackson's two oldest children, Deborah Rowe. Rowe, who was previously married to Jackson, has not had a relationship with Prince or Paris-Michael, but since Jackson's death has expressed interest in raising not only her two biological children, but Blanket as well, to whom she has no relation (the mother of Blanket, born to a surrogate, has never been revealed).
It is unclear if a custody battle will develop. Rowe's attorney said she has not decided it she plans to seek custody, and people close to interactions with both camps, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, said both sides have been gracious and cordial, not contentious.
Sharpton said the Jacksons haven't been anticipating a battle, but when asked about the best interests of the kids, said: "They ought to be around the people they are most familiar with. This is not the beginning of their relationship (with the Jacksons)."
Still, some have expressed concern that the Jackson's kids may suffer by being placed with their extended family. Michael's father Joe has been roundly criticized for promoting a record label on television in the days after his death, and Michael had long described him as physically and emotionally abusive. Katherine's age has led to questions about her ability to look after adolescent children.
Dr. Arnold Klein, Jackson's longtime dermatologist and friend, told "Larry King Live" on Wednesday night he feared that the performing family might turn Jacksons' kids into "The Jackson 3, their intelligence dancing away — because these children are bright."
But Sharpton dismissed the idea that the Jacksons would seek to exploit the children or take them on a path other than the one Michael Jackson had intended for them.
"For the life of me I don't now why people would assume based on no evidence at all why the Jacksons wouldn't have their own grandchildren and niece and nephews at heart," he said. "It is the most ridiculous notion I've heard."
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Even Michael Jackson knew the masks and veils would have to come off one day.
After a lifetime of hiding from the media glare at the insistence of their impossibly famous father, Jackson's children are front and center. Though their inevitable debut came a way no one could have predicted, those close to Jackson and the family say his three kids may be better prepared for the onslaught of attention than anyone could expect.
"They are going to grow up in the limelight," said Al Malnik, a former Jackson financial adviser and friend, "but I think because they way that Michael has brought them up and that they have the capacity to deal with it."
They are also — for now at least — being cared for by Katherine Jackson, who has raised a whole family in the public eye.
"If anyone knew how to deal with the scrutiny and the whole culture of paparazzi, it was the Jacksons," said Rev. Al Sharpton, a confidant of the Jackson family. "It is not new to them."
The lives of Michael Jackson's children never qualified as normal. They had no mother, wore masks to conceal their faces and traveled the world while being raised by one of the planet's most famous figures.
But by all accounts from those who have watched and been close to the children, Prince Michael, 12, Paris-Michael Katherine, 11, and Blanket (Prince Michael II), 7, are not only normal, but model children: unaffected by fame, sweet, polite and very smart.
"Those kids are exceptionally bright. They really have the capacity and understanding," said Malnik of Jackson's kids, who were home-schooled.
Whether they will retain those qualities following the death of their father, a potential custody fight and the enormous media scrutiny that they have been placed remains to be seen. Already, they have been on the covers of magazines and tabloids, their images endlessly replayed on television — ABC this week devoted an entire hour in prime-time to an expose on their lives.
"Michael just having passed away, it's difficult enough to deal with privately, much less publicly and making statements about it," said Malnik.
But Sharpton says that Katherine Jackson, 79, and the rest of the Jackson clan are working hard to provide some semblance of normalcy as they grieve.
"The kids are at the compound," said Sharpton of the Jacksons' Encino, Calif., home. "The days that I was there, they would play with their cousins and were very familiar with them and their aunts and uncles. ... That's the only family they knew."
Katherine Jackson, who Michael named as his choice of caretaker in case of his death, was named by a judge as the temporary guardian of Jackson's children, and they have been with her and the entire Jackson clan ever since his June 25 death. Their longtime nanny, Grace Rwaramba, has also been with the children, according to a source close to the family who is not authorized to speak for the family and requested anonymity.
While the Jackson family has long been perceived as dysfunctional — their battles have played out famously on the public stage — what struck many people at Jackson's memorial service on Tuesday was their display of unity.
Paris-Michael clutched grandmother Katherine during the service, while Prince Michael held onto his Aunt Janet as his sister made her tear-jerking testament of love about her father. Blanket hid behind a phalanx of Jacksons siblings onstage, and when Michael's brother Marlon broke down while addressing the Staples Center crowd, the entire Jackson family, including the children, embraced in one powerful group hug.
"The family is much closer than one wanted to perceive," said Sharpton, who acknowledged that Paris' speech was spontaneous. "People far overestimate and embellish any perceived differences in that family."
The public images of a Jackson family united in grief may help Katherine Jackson as she heads into Monday custodial hearing involving Mrs. Jackson and the biological mother of Jackson's two oldest children, Deborah Rowe. Rowe, who was previously married to Jackson, has not had a relationship with Prince or Paris-Michael, but since Jackson's death has expressed interest in raising not only her two biological children, but Blanket as well, to whom she has no relation (the mother of Blanket, born to a surrogate, has never been revealed).
It is unclear if a custody battle will develop. Rowe's attorney said she has not decided it she plans to seek custody, and people close to interactions with both camps, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, said both sides have been gracious and cordial, not contentious.
Sharpton said the Jacksons haven't been anticipating a battle, but when asked about the best interests of the kids, said: "They ought to be around the people they are most familiar with. This is not the beginning of their relationship (with the Jacksons)."
Still, some have expressed concern that the Jackson's kids may suffer by being placed with their extended family. Michael's father Joe has been roundly criticized for promoting a record label on television in the days after his death, and Michael had long described him as physically and emotionally abusive. Katherine's age has led to questions about her ability to look after adolescent children.
Dr. Arnold Klein, Jackson's longtime dermatologist and friend, told "Larry King Live" on Wednesday night he feared that the performing family might turn Jacksons' kids into "The Jackson 3, their intelligence dancing away — because these children are bright."
But Sharpton dismissed the idea that the Jacksons would seek to exploit the children or take them on a path other than the one Michael Jackson had intended for them.
"For the life of me I don't now why people would assume based on no evidence at all why the Jacksons wouldn't have their own grandchildren and niece and nephews at heart," he said. "It is the most ridiculous notion I've heard."
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Michael Jackson 'rebuilt his nose to ease breathing problems'
From The Times July 10, 2009
Michael Jackson 'rebuilt his nose to ease breathing problems'
James Bone in New York
Michael Jackson rebuilt his nose before his death because extensive plastic surgery had left him with breathing problems, his doctor has disclosed.
Arnold Klein, Jackson’s dermatologist, said that he stopped him from going to a plastic surgeon and began rebuilding his nose and cheeks using fillers last year.
“I thought he had a nice-looking nose . . . but it got to the point where it was far too thin. It didn’t look natural to me,” Dr Klein told the CNN programme Larry King Live.
“I rebuilt it, using fillers. He was beginning to look like the nose was normal again. And that’s all I wanted — and to regain the breathing passages of his nose, because there was a total collapse of the cartilage.”
Related Links
Jackson's family 'await return of his brain'
Michael Jackson memorial divides opinion
Jackson's mother loses control of finances
Dr Klein had completed work on the singer’s nose but was continuing to treat him for severe acne and scarring from plastic surgery before his planned series of concerts in London. He saw Jackson for the last time just three days before his death.
“I just was trying to get him ready to do the concert, because in the way he looked in his face he wanted it to be absolutely as perfect as it could be,” he said.
Dr Klein first met Jackson almost 25 years ago when he diagnosed the auto-immune disorder lupus. He said that Jackson also suffered from vitiligo, an auto-immune disorder that affects the pigmentation of the skin, and that he was not lightening his complexion to try to appear white.
“Michael was black. He was very proud of his black heritage. He changed the world for black people,” he said.
Dr Klein said that the skin condition gave Jackson a “totally speckled look” all over his body, particularly on his face and hands.
“We basically used creams that would even out the same colour and we destroyed the remaining pigment cells.” he said. “He had blotches but we evened out almost all of them.”
Jackson had to be extremely careful with sun exposure and began to shade himself under an umbrella, he said, but Jackson’s face-mask was just a “gimmick”. Dr Klein also revealed that Jackson had “lost a great deal of hair” as a result of it catching fire during filming for a Pepsi advertisement in 1984 and the ensuing scalp treatments.
In an effort to cut out the scar, Jackson’s doctors used tissue expanders under his scalp.
“Because he had lupus, what happened is that every time they would do it, the bald spot would keep enlarging,’ Dr Klein said. “So he went through a lot of painful procedures with these tissue expanders until I put a stop to it. He had to wear a hat all the time and it was really painful for him.”
Dr Klein also raised new questions about the paternity of Jackson’s two children with his former wife Debbie Rowe, a nurse who once worked in Dr Klein’s office. The dermatologist said that he believed Jackson and Ms Rowe had sex, and that Jackson could have been the father.
Dr Klein refused to categorically rule out the possibility that he was the children’s father, though, saying that he had once donated sperm to a sperm bank. “To the best of my knowledge, I’m not the father,” he said. “I want to tell you that this discussion, however, is between Michael, his children and this person. It’s not to be discussed who the father is over national television.”
He said that on learning of Jackson’s death, he immediately called Ms Rowe and told her: “I want you to get active and be the mother.”
“My greatest concern was what was going to happen to the children,” he said. “I told her that I didn’t want to see in three years the children doing the next version of the Jackson 3.”
Dr Klein denied that he had prescribed the star any drugs that could have killed him. “If you took all the pills I had given him in the last year at once, it wouldn’t do anything to you,” he said.
He revealed, however, that Jackson had once gone to a “secure setting” in Britain for treatment for drug addiction, “where he went off drugs altogether”.
Jackson’s body has reportedly been returned to one of the locations run by the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood, awaiting burial. Dorothy Gaspar, who designed gloves for the planned “This Is It” tour, told the celebrity website TMZ.com that Jackson would be buried wearing a single white leather glove covered with Swarovski crystals, which was made for him about a decade ago.
Michael Jackson 'rebuilt his nose to ease breathing problems'
James Bone in New York
Michael Jackson rebuilt his nose before his death because extensive plastic surgery had left him with breathing problems, his doctor has disclosed.
Arnold Klein, Jackson’s dermatologist, said that he stopped him from going to a plastic surgeon and began rebuilding his nose and cheeks using fillers last year.
“I thought he had a nice-looking nose . . . but it got to the point where it was far too thin. It didn’t look natural to me,” Dr Klein told the CNN programme Larry King Live.
“I rebuilt it, using fillers. He was beginning to look like the nose was normal again. And that’s all I wanted — and to regain the breathing passages of his nose, because there was a total collapse of the cartilage.”
Related Links
Jackson's family 'await return of his brain'
Michael Jackson memorial divides opinion
Jackson's mother loses control of finances
Dr Klein had completed work on the singer’s nose but was continuing to treat him for severe acne and scarring from plastic surgery before his planned series of concerts in London. He saw Jackson for the last time just three days before his death.
“I just was trying to get him ready to do the concert, because in the way he looked in his face he wanted it to be absolutely as perfect as it could be,” he said.
Dr Klein first met Jackson almost 25 years ago when he diagnosed the auto-immune disorder lupus. He said that Jackson also suffered from vitiligo, an auto-immune disorder that affects the pigmentation of the skin, and that he was not lightening his complexion to try to appear white.
“Michael was black. He was very proud of his black heritage. He changed the world for black people,” he said.
Dr Klein said that the skin condition gave Jackson a “totally speckled look” all over his body, particularly on his face and hands.
“We basically used creams that would even out the same colour and we destroyed the remaining pigment cells.” he said. “He had blotches but we evened out almost all of them.”
Jackson had to be extremely careful with sun exposure and began to shade himself under an umbrella, he said, but Jackson’s face-mask was just a “gimmick”. Dr Klein also revealed that Jackson had “lost a great deal of hair” as a result of it catching fire during filming for a Pepsi advertisement in 1984 and the ensuing scalp treatments.
In an effort to cut out the scar, Jackson’s doctors used tissue expanders under his scalp.
“Because he had lupus, what happened is that every time they would do it, the bald spot would keep enlarging,’ Dr Klein said. “So he went through a lot of painful procedures with these tissue expanders until I put a stop to it. He had to wear a hat all the time and it was really painful for him.”
Dr Klein also raised new questions about the paternity of Jackson’s two children with his former wife Debbie Rowe, a nurse who once worked in Dr Klein’s office. The dermatologist said that he believed Jackson and Ms Rowe had sex, and that Jackson could have been the father.
Dr Klein refused to categorically rule out the possibility that he was the children’s father, though, saying that he had once donated sperm to a sperm bank. “To the best of my knowledge, I’m not the father,” he said. “I want to tell you that this discussion, however, is between Michael, his children and this person. It’s not to be discussed who the father is over national television.”
He said that on learning of Jackson’s death, he immediately called Ms Rowe and told her: “I want you to get active and be the mother.”
“My greatest concern was what was going to happen to the children,” he said. “I told her that I didn’t want to see in three years the children doing the next version of the Jackson 3.”
Dr Klein denied that he had prescribed the star any drugs that could have killed him. “If you took all the pills I had given him in the last year at once, it wouldn’t do anything to you,” he said.
He revealed, however, that Jackson had once gone to a “secure setting” in Britain for treatment for drug addiction, “where he went off drugs altogether”.
Jackson’s body has reportedly been returned to one of the locations run by the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood, awaiting burial. Dorothy Gaspar, who designed gloves for the planned “This Is It” tour, told the celebrity website TMZ.com that Jackson would be buried wearing a single white leather glove covered with Swarovski crystals, which was made for him about a decade ago.
LIFTING THE VEIL ON JACKO'S KIDS
By DAVID K. LI and LACHLAN CARTWRIGHT IN LOS ANGELES AND CHUCK BENNETT IN NEW YORK
http://www.nypost.com/seven/07092009/news/nationalnews/lifting_the_veil_on_jackos_kids_178330.htm
LIFTING THE VEIL ON JACKO'S KIDS
INSIDE THEIR STRANGE & AMAZING FANTASY LIVES AT NEVERLAND
July 9, 2009
Michael Jackson's sudden death may give his three beloved children something he could never provide -- a chance to be themselves.
The King of Pop devoted his life to creating a fairy-tale Never Neverland for his three young heirs, a world where the reality around them was hidden behind masks or the burly frames of professional bodyguards.
PHOTOS: Michael Jackson Memorial Service
Ongoing Michael Jackson Coverage
Prince Michael Joseph, 12, Paris Michael, 11, and Prince Michael II, a k a "Blanket," 7, have never attended a day of school. They've never known a neighborhood friend. They sleep together in the same room. And the only outsiders they know are strangers their father would bring in to entertain them.
Last Christmas Eve, Jacko and his dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, -- the suspected father of the two oldest children -- arranged for Carrie Fisher to surprise the kids by reprising her role as Princess Leia in "Star Wars" at their rental mansion in Holmby Hills, Calif.
"Michael brought the kids down in their pajamas and said, 'This is Princess Leia,' " said family friend Stephen Price. "They were so excited! She did her famous speech for them -- the 'Help me, Obi-Wan' speech."
"They are the greatest kids you'll ever meet," Price told Us Weekly of the Jackson kids. "They didn't act like they had silver spoons in their mouths. They are nice and not Hollywood brats. Paris is very polite, a little reserved. Prince is the most outgoing. And Blanket is a sharp kid, but also pretty quiet. When I asked what he wanted for Christmas, he said, 'I just want a stuffed animal.' "
To entertain his kids, Jacko would often take them on midnight shopping sprees in stores specially opened just for them. They hopscotched around the globe from California to Las Vegas to Bahrain to Ireland to New Jersey to Switzerland.
He showered the children with indulgences. In 2007, he shut down parts of the New York, New York Hotel in Las Vegas so he and the kids could play video games and ride the roller coaster. And the kids would show up bleary-eyed at bookshops and toy stores around the world for private shopping sprees at 2 or 3 a.m.
They ate Jackson's favorite -- KFC -- for lunch and dinner.
"Prince I, Paris and Prince II were his life," Michael's longtime pal Dieter Wiesner told Life & Style. "He made breakfast for them -- a lot of people don't know this side of Michael."
VIDEO: Brooke Shields Remembers Michael Jackson
Video: Jackson's Daughter's Sad Goodbye
Perhaps best of all from a child's perspective -- no school.
"I'm going to build a computer school on the grounds [of Neverland]," Jackson said in an interview. "How can they go into society? He's Prince Michael Jackson. She's Paris Katherine Michael Jackson. It would be too difficult."
He also fathered by example -- and showed them how to take responsibility for themselves, one record producer told Jackson biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli. Prince Michael once spilled popcorn on the studio floor, and the producer bent over to clean up the mess, fearing Jacko would have a diva-like tantrum.
Instead, the megastar apologized.
"He's my kid. I'll clean up after him," Jackson said, according to Taraborrelli.
The producer recalled, "I looked down and there's Michael Jackson on his hands and knees picking up his son's popcorn. I'm not sure you would see Madonna doing that."
Jackson did his best to prevent his kids from becoming brats, friends said.
"He wanted them to have a chance at a childhood which he never had," friend Price recalled. "He wanted to make sure they played, because they are kids first and foremost. He made sure they were taken care of, but he understood the difference between a need and a want. He knew to give them a solid foundation to be good people, and that's what I saw in these kids: bright, intelligent, good people."
Others in Jackson's inner circle agreed.
"He wasn't a disciplinarian but he didn't let the kids run the roost or be spoiled rotten," Stuart Backerman, a former adviser and publicist for Jackson from 2002 to 2004, told The Post.
He recalled a moment in 2004 when he walked through Neverland's kitchen and a 6-year-old Paris spit out her food -- drawing a quietly stern reaction from Jackson.
"Michael looked up and told her, 'We don't spit out food and we don't talk badly about other people in this house, and we have good manners,' " Backerman recalled.
"It didn't mean anything to me at the time, but now as I look back, it reminds me what kind of parent he was."
Jackson insiders say their eccentric father did his best to instill a steely self-confidence in his children.
Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris Michael, exemplified that strength when she took the microphone at his memorial service on Tuesday to say before a crowd of 20,000 -- and millions watching worldwide -- "Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine."
"Without getting over-mushy about it, it might have shown Jackson did a pretty damn good job raising those kids," Backerman said. "She's no shrinking violet, this kid, as you saw. She might have been hidden by veils and skulking around because of the privacy issues all these years, but she showed herself to be a maturing preteen girl."
Follow The Post on Twitter!
PHOTOS: JACKSON FANS AROUND THE WORLD
Still, there was much to be concerned about.
Elvis Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie, was Jacko's first wife and refused to have his babies.
She said that the King of Pop was too emotionally immature to raise a child. The two were divorced within two years of their marriage.
Prince Michael Joseph and Paris Michael were born after Jackson's second wife, Debbie Rowe, the nurse at his dermatology clinic, was artificially inseminated.
Rowe played no part in the children's lives, but she has hinted at a custody challenge in the wake of Jackson's death.
News reports have said the sperm donor may well have been Klein, Rowe's boss who has been oddly close to the children, although he denied those reports yesterday.
"We never saw [Rowe]," a Neverland staffer told Jackson biographer Taraborrelli of life after Prince Michael was born in 1997.
"The baby was cared for by a team of six nannies and six nurses, who worked in shifts so that there were always two nurses and two nannies by his side. They were kept under constant video surveillance, which was monitored by members of Jackson's security team.
"The day team did exercise drills with the baby to build up his strength. The night team read and sang to him. But it was as if he had no mother," Taraborrelli reported.
Another nanny said the air quality in Prince Michael's room was measured hourly, all utensils were thrown away after every use, and toys were tossed each night to be replaced the next day.
Next Monday, Judge Mitchell Beckloff of Los Angeles Superior Court will hear Michael's mother Katherine Jackson's petition for permanent custody of the kids.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/07092009/news/nationalnews/lifting_the_veil_on_jackos_kids_178330.htm
LIFTING THE VEIL ON JACKO'S KIDS
INSIDE THEIR STRANGE & AMAZING FANTASY LIVES AT NEVERLAND
July 9, 2009
Michael Jackson's sudden death may give his three beloved children something he could never provide -- a chance to be themselves.
The King of Pop devoted his life to creating a fairy-tale Never Neverland for his three young heirs, a world where the reality around them was hidden behind masks or the burly frames of professional bodyguards.
PHOTOS: Michael Jackson Memorial Service
Ongoing Michael Jackson Coverage
Prince Michael Joseph, 12, Paris Michael, 11, and Prince Michael II, a k a "Blanket," 7, have never attended a day of school. They've never known a neighborhood friend. They sleep together in the same room. And the only outsiders they know are strangers their father would bring in to entertain them.
Last Christmas Eve, Jacko and his dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, -- the suspected father of the two oldest children -- arranged for Carrie Fisher to surprise the kids by reprising her role as Princess Leia in "Star Wars" at their rental mansion in Holmby Hills, Calif.
"Michael brought the kids down in their pajamas and said, 'This is Princess Leia,' " said family friend Stephen Price. "They were so excited! She did her famous speech for them -- the 'Help me, Obi-Wan' speech."
"They are the greatest kids you'll ever meet," Price told Us Weekly of the Jackson kids. "They didn't act like they had silver spoons in their mouths. They are nice and not Hollywood brats. Paris is very polite, a little reserved. Prince is the most outgoing. And Blanket is a sharp kid, but also pretty quiet. When I asked what he wanted for Christmas, he said, 'I just want a stuffed animal.' "
To entertain his kids, Jacko would often take them on midnight shopping sprees in stores specially opened just for them. They hopscotched around the globe from California to Las Vegas to Bahrain to Ireland to New Jersey to Switzerland.
He showered the children with indulgences. In 2007, he shut down parts of the New York, New York Hotel in Las Vegas so he and the kids could play video games and ride the roller coaster. And the kids would show up bleary-eyed at bookshops and toy stores around the world for private shopping sprees at 2 or 3 a.m.
They ate Jackson's favorite -- KFC -- for lunch and dinner.
"Prince I, Paris and Prince II were his life," Michael's longtime pal Dieter Wiesner told Life & Style. "He made breakfast for them -- a lot of people don't know this side of Michael."
VIDEO: Brooke Shields Remembers Michael Jackson
Video: Jackson's Daughter's Sad Goodbye
Perhaps best of all from a child's perspective -- no school.
"I'm going to build a computer school on the grounds [of Neverland]," Jackson said in an interview. "How can they go into society? He's Prince Michael Jackson. She's Paris Katherine Michael Jackson. It would be too difficult."
He also fathered by example -- and showed them how to take responsibility for themselves, one record producer told Jackson biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli. Prince Michael once spilled popcorn on the studio floor, and the producer bent over to clean up the mess, fearing Jacko would have a diva-like tantrum.
Instead, the megastar apologized.
"He's my kid. I'll clean up after him," Jackson said, according to Taraborrelli.
The producer recalled, "I looked down and there's Michael Jackson on his hands and knees picking up his son's popcorn. I'm not sure you would see Madonna doing that."
Jackson did his best to prevent his kids from becoming brats, friends said.
"He wanted them to have a chance at a childhood which he never had," friend Price recalled. "He wanted to make sure they played, because they are kids first and foremost. He made sure they were taken care of, but he understood the difference between a need and a want. He knew to give them a solid foundation to be good people, and that's what I saw in these kids: bright, intelligent, good people."
Others in Jackson's inner circle agreed.
"He wasn't a disciplinarian but he didn't let the kids run the roost or be spoiled rotten," Stuart Backerman, a former adviser and publicist for Jackson from 2002 to 2004, told The Post.
He recalled a moment in 2004 when he walked through Neverland's kitchen and a 6-year-old Paris spit out her food -- drawing a quietly stern reaction from Jackson.
"Michael looked up and told her, 'We don't spit out food and we don't talk badly about other people in this house, and we have good manners,' " Backerman recalled.
"It didn't mean anything to me at the time, but now as I look back, it reminds me what kind of parent he was."
Jackson insiders say their eccentric father did his best to instill a steely self-confidence in his children.
Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris Michael, exemplified that strength when she took the microphone at his memorial service on Tuesday to say before a crowd of 20,000 -- and millions watching worldwide -- "Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine."
"Without getting over-mushy about it, it might have shown Jackson did a pretty damn good job raising those kids," Backerman said. "She's no shrinking violet, this kid, as you saw. She might have been hidden by veils and skulking around because of the privacy issues all these years, but she showed herself to be a maturing preteen girl."
Follow The Post on Twitter!
PHOTOS: JACKSON FANS AROUND THE WORLD
Still, there was much to be concerned about.
Elvis Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie, was Jacko's first wife and refused to have his babies.
She said that the King of Pop was too emotionally immature to raise a child. The two were divorced within two years of their marriage.
Prince Michael Joseph and Paris Michael were born after Jackson's second wife, Debbie Rowe, the nurse at his dermatology clinic, was artificially inseminated.
Rowe played no part in the children's lives, but she has hinted at a custody challenge in the wake of Jackson's death.
News reports have said the sperm donor may well have been Klein, Rowe's boss who has been oddly close to the children, although he denied those reports yesterday.
"We never saw [Rowe]," a Neverland staffer told Jackson biographer Taraborrelli of life after Prince Michael was born in 1997.
"The baby was cared for by a team of six nannies and six nurses, who worked in shifts so that there were always two nurses and two nannies by his side. They were kept under constant video surveillance, which was monitored by members of Jackson's security team.
"The day team did exercise drills with the baby to build up his strength. The night team read and sang to him. But it was as if he had no mother," Taraborrelli reported.
Another nanny said the air quality in Prince Michael's room was measured hourly, all utensils were thrown away after every use, and toys were tossed each night to be replaced the next day.
Next Monday, Judge Mitchell Beckloff of Los Angeles Superior Court will hear Michael's mother Katherine Jackson's petition for permanent custody of the kids.
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