Today is the day when our beloved King of Pop - Michael Jackson has been laid to rest, finally, at the Memorial Lawn.
Although the sadness and tears have not yet dried, and will probably not for some long time to come, but, we finally know that he has been laid to rest in a place fit for him, the King of Pop.
Michael Jackson's passing came as a shock to millions around the world ... and like many others, I am still keeping a little hope alive that Michael Jackson is actually still alive and living and among us. As canny as this may sound, it is a wonderment as to why his passing impacts many, including myself, in a special way. We mourn for him as though we have known him all our lives. It is truly as though he lived with us as OUR very own family.
Michael Jackson is indeed a great talent sent by God to lift our souls when we are down and bring a smile when we are grieving. Listening to his voice now through this music, I truly hope that he finally has received the greatest award of all - the sincere and true adoration of fans and people from around the globe.
For one who made global impact, introduced global change, braven global challenges, Michael Jackson is truly our star - our very own King of Pop.
Michael - may you be always be happy and cheerful for eternity.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Guest: Michael Jackson funeral touching, emotional
By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch, Ap Special Correspondent – 14 mins ago
GLENDALE, Calif. – Paris Jackson wept as she stepped into the mausoleum where her father, Michael, was to be entombed. Katherine Jackson, overcome by sorrow, turned back when she was faced with her son's final resting place.
On a sultry Thursday evening, amid a sea of white flowers and with a bejeweled crown placed atop his casket by his children, the King of Pop was given an intimate, private version of the lavish public memorial held shortly after his death in June.
The funeral at Glendale Memorial Park was simple but touching, according to one guest. The person, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the day, said Gladys Knight's performance of the hymn "Our Father" (The Lord's Prayer) was soared in the vast mausoleum and moved many to tears.
When it was over, many of the the 200 mourners hugged each other. Among them were Elizabeth Taylor, Jackson's ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, Barry Bonds and Macaulay Culkin.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who gave a eulogy at the public event and at Thursday's service, also extolled Knight's earlier performance of "His Eye is on the Sparrow."
"Gladys Knight sang her heart out. Now we prepare to lay him to rest," Sharpton posted on his Twitter account during the service that was held outside and then within the marble mausoleum.
The mourners followed the crowned, lushly flower-draped casket as Jackson's five brothers — each wearing a bright red tie and a single crystal-studded glove — carried it into the mausoleum. The 11-year-old Paris cried as the group entered the imposing building and was comforted by her aunt, LaToya.
Paris and brothers Prince Michael, 12, and Prince Michael II, 7, known as Blanket, began the service by placing the crown on their father's golden casket. They were composed through most of the hour-and-a-half ceremony.
As it ended, Katherine Jackson appeared extremely weary and had to be helped to her car, according to the guest. Earlier, she had a difficult time going into the mausoleum; she was overcome, turned back, and it wasn't clear if she went in at all, the guest said.
The Jackson family's tardy arrival delayed the service for nearly two hours; no explanation was given to mourners. The invitation notice indicated the service would begin promptly at 7 p.m.; it began closer to 8:30.
The 77-year-old Taylor and others were left waiting in the late summer heat, with the temperature stuck at 90 degrees just before sunset, and some mourners fanned themselves with programs for the service. As darkness fell, police escorted the family's motorcade of 31 cars, including Rolls-Royces and Cadillacs, from their compound in Encino to Forest Lawn, about a 20-minute journey, with the hearse bearing Jackson's body at the end.
About 250 seats were arranged for mourners over artificial turf laid roadside at the mausoleum, and a vivid orange moon, a mark of the devastating wildfire about 10 miles distant, hung over the cemetery.
There were two oversized portraits of a youthful, vibrant Jackson mounted next to the casket amid displays of white lilies and roses. At Jackson's lavish public memorial, red roses covered his casket.
A large, blimp-like inflated light, the type used in film and television production, and a boom camera hovered over the seating area placed in front of the elaborate marble mausoleum. The equipment raised the possibility that the footage would be used for the Jackson concert documentary "This Is It," or perhaps the Jackson brothers' upcoming reality show.
More than 400 media credentials were issued to reporters and film crews who remained at a distance from the service and behind barricades. The few clusters of fans who gathered around the secure perimeter that encircled the cemetery entrance struggled to see.
Maria Martinez, 25, a fan from Riverside, Calif., who was joined by a dozen other Jackson admirers at a gas station near the security perimeter, gave a handful of pink flowers she had picked at a nearby park to a man with an invitation driving into the funeral.
"Can you please put these flowers on his grave?" she told him. "They were small and ugly, but I did that with my heart. I'm not going to be able to get close, so this is as close as I could get to him."
The man consented, adding, "God bless."
Glendale police said all went smoothly and there were no arrests.
Jackson will share eternity at Forest Lawn with the likes of Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and W.C. Fields, entombed alongside them in the mausoleum that will be all but off-limits to adoring fans who might otherwise turn the pop star's grave into a shrine.
The closest the public will be able to get to Jackson's vault is a portion of the mausoleum that displays "The Last Supper Window," a life-size stained-glass re-creation of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece. Several 10-minute presentations about the window are held regularly 365 days a year, but most of the building is restricted.
The Jackson family had booked an Italian restaurant in Pasadena for a gathering Thursday night, and family members and guests were seen coming and going late into the night.
"I feel like I watched Michael finally given some peace and I made a commitment to make sure his legacy and what he stood for lives on," Sharpton said outside the restaurant around midnight. "So at one level we're relieved; another level we're obligated."
The ceremony ends months of speculation that the singer's body would be buried at Neverland Ranch, in part to make the property a Graceland-style attraction. An amended copy of Jackson's death certificate was filed Thursday in Los Angeles County to reflect Forest Lawn as his final resting place.
In court on Wednesday, it was disclosed that 12 burial spaces were being purchased by Jackson's estate at Forest Lawn Glendale, about eight miles north of downtown Los Angeles, but no details were offered on how they would be used.
The King of Pop died a drug-induced death June 25 at age 50 as he was about to embark on a comeback attempt. The coroner's office has labeled the death a homicide, and Jackson's death certificate lists "injection by another" as the cause.
Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, told detectives he gave the singer a series of sedatives and the powerful anesthetic propofol to help him sleep. But prosecutors are still investigating, and no charges have been filed.
GLENDALE, Calif. – Paris Jackson wept as she stepped into the mausoleum where her father, Michael, was to be entombed. Katherine Jackson, overcome by sorrow, turned back when she was faced with her son's final resting place.
On a sultry Thursday evening, amid a sea of white flowers and with a bejeweled crown placed atop his casket by his children, the King of Pop was given an intimate, private version of the lavish public memorial held shortly after his death in June.
The funeral at Glendale Memorial Park was simple but touching, according to one guest. The person, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the day, said Gladys Knight's performance of the hymn "Our Father" (The Lord's Prayer) was soared in the vast mausoleum and moved many to tears.
When it was over, many of the the 200 mourners hugged each other. Among them were Elizabeth Taylor, Jackson's ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, Barry Bonds and Macaulay Culkin.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who gave a eulogy at the public event and at Thursday's service, also extolled Knight's earlier performance of "His Eye is on the Sparrow."
"Gladys Knight sang her heart out. Now we prepare to lay him to rest," Sharpton posted on his Twitter account during the service that was held outside and then within the marble mausoleum.
The mourners followed the crowned, lushly flower-draped casket as Jackson's five brothers — each wearing a bright red tie and a single crystal-studded glove — carried it into the mausoleum. The 11-year-old Paris cried as the group entered the imposing building and was comforted by her aunt, LaToya.
Paris and brothers Prince Michael, 12, and Prince Michael II, 7, known as Blanket, began the service by placing the crown on their father's golden casket. They were composed through most of the hour-and-a-half ceremony.
As it ended, Katherine Jackson appeared extremely weary and had to be helped to her car, according to the guest. Earlier, she had a difficult time going into the mausoleum; she was overcome, turned back, and it wasn't clear if she went in at all, the guest said.
The Jackson family's tardy arrival delayed the service for nearly two hours; no explanation was given to mourners. The invitation notice indicated the service would begin promptly at 7 p.m.; it began closer to 8:30.
The 77-year-old Taylor and others were left waiting in the late summer heat, with the temperature stuck at 90 degrees just before sunset, and some mourners fanned themselves with programs for the service. As darkness fell, police escorted the family's motorcade of 31 cars, including Rolls-Royces and Cadillacs, from their compound in Encino to Forest Lawn, about a 20-minute journey, with the hearse bearing Jackson's body at the end.
About 250 seats were arranged for mourners over artificial turf laid roadside at the mausoleum, and a vivid orange moon, a mark of the devastating wildfire about 10 miles distant, hung over the cemetery.
There were two oversized portraits of a youthful, vibrant Jackson mounted next to the casket amid displays of white lilies and roses. At Jackson's lavish public memorial, red roses covered his casket.
A large, blimp-like inflated light, the type used in film and television production, and a boom camera hovered over the seating area placed in front of the elaborate marble mausoleum. The equipment raised the possibility that the footage would be used for the Jackson concert documentary "This Is It," or perhaps the Jackson brothers' upcoming reality show.
More than 400 media credentials were issued to reporters and film crews who remained at a distance from the service and behind barricades. The few clusters of fans who gathered around the secure perimeter that encircled the cemetery entrance struggled to see.
Maria Martinez, 25, a fan from Riverside, Calif., who was joined by a dozen other Jackson admirers at a gas station near the security perimeter, gave a handful of pink flowers she had picked at a nearby park to a man with an invitation driving into the funeral.
"Can you please put these flowers on his grave?" she told him. "They were small and ugly, but I did that with my heart. I'm not going to be able to get close, so this is as close as I could get to him."
The man consented, adding, "God bless."
Glendale police said all went smoothly and there were no arrests.
Jackson will share eternity at Forest Lawn with the likes of Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and W.C. Fields, entombed alongside them in the mausoleum that will be all but off-limits to adoring fans who might otherwise turn the pop star's grave into a shrine.
The closest the public will be able to get to Jackson's vault is a portion of the mausoleum that displays "The Last Supper Window," a life-size stained-glass re-creation of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece. Several 10-minute presentations about the window are held regularly 365 days a year, but most of the building is restricted.
The Jackson family had booked an Italian restaurant in Pasadena for a gathering Thursday night, and family members and guests were seen coming and going late into the night.
"I feel like I watched Michael finally given some peace and I made a commitment to make sure his legacy and what he stood for lives on," Sharpton said outside the restaurant around midnight. "So at one level we're relieved; another level we're obligated."
The ceremony ends months of speculation that the singer's body would be buried at Neverland Ranch, in part to make the property a Graceland-style attraction. An amended copy of Jackson's death certificate was filed Thursday in Los Angeles County to reflect Forest Lawn as his final resting place.
In court on Wednesday, it was disclosed that 12 burial spaces were being purchased by Jackson's estate at Forest Lawn Glendale, about eight miles north of downtown Los Angeles, but no details were offered on how they would be used.
The King of Pop died a drug-induced death June 25 at age 50 as he was about to embark on a comeback attempt. The coroner's office has labeled the death a homicide, and Jackson's death certificate lists "injection by another" as the cause.
Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, told detectives he gave the singer a series of sedatives and the powerful anesthetic propofol to help him sleep. But prosecutors are still investigating, and no charges have been filed.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Michael Jackson book draws on unseen images by the singer
The ink outlines may be crudely etched, the style described as impressionistic, at best. But for fans of Michael Jackson, the pose struck by the figure in the foreground is unmistakable.
The picture, drawn by a 13-year-old Jackson in 1971 as a protest against the Vietnam War, shows troops taking a hill, backed up by blazing aircraft. It is to be included in an official book documenting the singer’s life, and can be published for the first time today.
Although he drew and signed it while still a student at Walton Elementary School, in California, the outstretched arms of its protagonist would later become one of the singer’s trademark poses. Along with a portrait drawn by Jackson during his 1988 Bad tour, the picture is among thousands of pieces of material unearthed for inclusion in the Michael Jackson Opus, a 400-page tome that is the only new biography of the star sanctioned by his estate.
Plans to publish the 13in by 18in book, which weighs more than 26lb (12kg), had begun before the King of Pop died of a heart attack in June. This month a judge in Los Angeles ruled that the project could go ahead, given that Jackson had already given it his blessing.
Related Links
Michael Jackson: no Proust, and no Messiah
Was 'magic milk' cause of Jackson's death?
Jackson's death 'was a homicide'
The singer is to be buried on September 3 at Forest Lawn cemetery in Los Angeles, his family have said, after they were forced to delay the ceremony from August 29, the day on which he would have celebrated his 51st birthday.
Court documents released this week show that he died from a lethal dose of propofol, an anaesthetic, leading police to focus the investigation on Conrad Murray, his personal doctor, who was with him on the day he died.
Two dozen researchers have begun the task of going through his personal notebooks and boxes as well as other material from collectors around the world, and hope to include lyrics, notes and drawings on songs that have never been seen before.
To be released this year, it will also include a feature known as augmented reality, which can be used to trigger 3D images via a webcam and computer.
A picture of a boy’s face quickly drawn by Jackson on the Rome leg of his 1988 tour has also been found. As he got back to his room at the Lord Byron hotel he took a sketch book and drew the picture of a boy in pen. He told friends: “Look at the eyes, look at the eyes,” and signed it “Boyhood M.J. 88 Italy”.
Also included is a photograph taken of the singer in Minneapolis in May 1988 that he had framed and hung in his games room in his Neverland ranch. He told friends that it was one of his favourite performance photographs.
A note left by the star to a Parisian artist whom he had commissioned has been unearthed as part of the search and will be seen by some fans as an eerie portent. Quoting Michelangelo, the Renaissance artist, he wrote: “I know the creator will go, but his work survives, that is why, to escape death I attempt to bind my soul to my work.” He adds: “Dedication, Will, Belief creates all things, Believe. MJ.”
Karl Fowler, chief executive of Opus Media Group, which is producing the book, met Jackson in the weeks before his death and said the Thriller singer was “literally jumping up and down with excitement” when he learnt of the Opus plan.
The Michael Jackson Opus will be handbound in leather in a silk clamshell case and is being produced by the team behind several other Opus books, including one on Manchester United that changed hands this year for £1 million, making it the most expensive sports publication on record.
But the singer made it clear that he wanted the book to be priced so it would be available to the majority of his fans. Mr Fowler said: “Our researchers are hard at work as we speak looking at so much rich and varied material from Michael Jackson’s life and career, with photographs, art, letters and drawings such as this one. We know there are lyrics and notes on songs that he wrote that have never been seen before.”
Readers of The Times can purchase the Opus at a discounted price as part of an exclusive deal. For details, see times2, page 18. For details of the book, see michaeljacksonopus.com
The picture, drawn by a 13-year-old Jackson in 1971 as a protest against the Vietnam War, shows troops taking a hill, backed up by blazing aircraft. It is to be included in an official book documenting the singer’s life, and can be published for the first time today.
Although he drew and signed it while still a student at Walton Elementary School, in California, the outstretched arms of its protagonist would later become one of the singer’s trademark poses. Along with a portrait drawn by Jackson during his 1988 Bad tour, the picture is among thousands of pieces of material unearthed for inclusion in the Michael Jackson Opus, a 400-page tome that is the only new biography of the star sanctioned by his estate.
Plans to publish the 13in by 18in book, which weighs more than 26lb (12kg), had begun before the King of Pop died of a heart attack in June. This month a judge in Los Angeles ruled that the project could go ahead, given that Jackson had already given it his blessing.
Related Links
Michael Jackson: no Proust, and no Messiah
Was 'magic milk' cause of Jackson's death?
Jackson's death 'was a homicide'
The singer is to be buried on September 3 at Forest Lawn cemetery in Los Angeles, his family have said, after they were forced to delay the ceremony from August 29, the day on which he would have celebrated his 51st birthday.
Court documents released this week show that he died from a lethal dose of propofol, an anaesthetic, leading police to focus the investigation on Conrad Murray, his personal doctor, who was with him on the day he died.
Two dozen researchers have begun the task of going through his personal notebooks and boxes as well as other material from collectors around the world, and hope to include lyrics, notes and drawings on songs that have never been seen before.
To be released this year, it will also include a feature known as augmented reality, which can be used to trigger 3D images via a webcam and computer.
A picture of a boy’s face quickly drawn by Jackson on the Rome leg of his 1988 tour has also been found. As he got back to his room at the Lord Byron hotel he took a sketch book and drew the picture of a boy in pen. He told friends: “Look at the eyes, look at the eyes,” and signed it “Boyhood M.J. 88 Italy”.
Also included is a photograph taken of the singer in Minneapolis in May 1988 that he had framed and hung in his games room in his Neverland ranch. He told friends that it was one of his favourite performance photographs.
A note left by the star to a Parisian artist whom he had commissioned has been unearthed as part of the search and will be seen by some fans as an eerie portent. Quoting Michelangelo, the Renaissance artist, he wrote: “I know the creator will go, but his work survives, that is why, to escape death I attempt to bind my soul to my work.” He adds: “Dedication, Will, Belief creates all things, Believe. MJ.”
Karl Fowler, chief executive of Opus Media Group, which is producing the book, met Jackson in the weeks before his death and said the Thriller singer was “literally jumping up and down with excitement” when he learnt of the Opus plan.
The Michael Jackson Opus will be handbound in leather in a silk clamshell case and is being produced by the team behind several other Opus books, including one on Manchester United that changed hands this year for £1 million, making it the most expensive sports publication on record.
But the singer made it clear that he wanted the book to be priced so it would be available to the majority of his fans. Mr Fowler said: “Our researchers are hard at work as we speak looking at so much rich and varied material from Michael Jackson’s life and career, with photographs, art, letters and drawings such as this one. We know there are lyrics and notes on songs that he wrote that have never been seen before.”
Readers of The Times can purchase the Opus at a discounted price as part of an exclusive deal. For details, see times2, page 18. For details of the book, see michaeljacksonopus.com
Michael Jackson's death certificate amended
Michael Jackson's death certificate has been amended to show his cause of death as a homicide.
The change follows comments by coroner's officials last week indicating that the singer's death resulted from the intervention of another person.
Jackson's death certificate now specifies "injection by another" as the ultimate cause of the tradgedy of June 25.
Investigators have said a mix of the powerful anesthetic propofol and another sedative killed the pop singer.
The new record lists "acute propofol intoxication" as the main cause of death and "benzodiazepine effect" as another significant contributor.
Conrad Murray, who was Jackson's personal doctor has told detectives that he gave the singer a series of sedatives and to try to help him sleep but no charges have been made.
The public copy of Jackson's death certificate has not been changed to reflect his permanent resting place.
Jackson is scheduled to be interred tomorrow at Forest Lawn Glendale.
The coroner's determination of homicide makes it easier for prosecutors to seek criminal charges, but does not necessarily mean a crime was committed.
Authorities investigating the singer's death have served search warrants in at least three states, California, Nevada and Texas.
The change follows comments by coroner's officials last week indicating that the singer's death resulted from the intervention of another person.
Jackson's death certificate now specifies "injection by another" as the ultimate cause of the tradgedy of June 25.
Investigators have said a mix of the powerful anesthetic propofol and another sedative killed the pop singer.
The new record lists "acute propofol intoxication" as the main cause of death and "benzodiazepine effect" as another significant contributor.
Conrad Murray, who was Jackson's personal doctor has told detectives that he gave the singer a series of sedatives and to try to help him sleep but no charges have been made.
The public copy of Jackson's death certificate has not been changed to reflect his permanent resting place.
Jackson is scheduled to be interred tomorrow at Forest Lawn Glendale.
The coroner's determination of homicide makes it easier for prosecutors to seek criminal charges, but does not necessarily mean a crime was committed.
Authorities investigating the singer's death have served search warrants in at least three states, California, Nevada and Texas.
Hoax video of Michael Jackson creates online stir
BERLIN – A hoax video purportedly showing Michael Jackson emerging from a coroner's van was an experiment aimed at showing how quickly misinformation and conspiracy theories can race across the Internet, German broadcaster RTL said Tuesday.
The video was posted by RTL on YouTube for a single day a week ago and received 880,000 hits. The broadcaster has since removed the video from YouTube, but it has been picked up by other Web sites around the world.
"We wanted to show how easily users can be manipulated on the Internet with hoax videos," spokeswoman Heike Schultz of Cologne-based RTL told The Associated Press. "Therefore, we created this video of Michael Jackson being alive, even though everybody knows by now that he is dead — and the response was breathtaking."
Jackson died June 25 in Los Angeles.
The video — posted under an "anonymous source" — shows a coroner's van entering what seems like a parking garage and the King of Pop getting out of the back with another person. The lighting is bad, the sound muffled and the footage appears amateurish.
"Unfortunately, many people believed it was true," Schultz said. "Even though we tried to create the video in a way that every normal user can see right away that it is a fake."
She said the video was shot near Cologne — "definitely not in the U.S." The van in the video had the word "CORONER" printed in English, suggesting it had been recorded in America.
RTL admitted to the hoax in an Aug. 26 report on its daily news show Explosiv.
Hoaxes and rumors commonly spread like wildfire on the Internet. Videos of flying saucers and impossible stunts routinely are among the most-viewed on video-sharing sites, though purported evidence of the deceased being alive is less common than false rumors of someone's death.
The rise of Twitter and its real-time microblogging has quickened the pace. American actor Patrick Swayze, who is battling pancreatic cancer, had to declare that he is still alive this year after thousands of Twitter users spread news that he was dead. Actor Jeff Goldblum had to do the same.
The RTL spokeswoman said some Jackson fans were upset by the German broadcaster's actions.
"We didn't want to dishonor Michael Jackson, but we needed a strong name to get this experiment going," Schultz said. "Had we used Britney Spears, then the fans of Britney would have complained."
The video was posted by RTL on YouTube for a single day a week ago and received 880,000 hits. The broadcaster has since removed the video from YouTube, but it has been picked up by other Web sites around the world.
"We wanted to show how easily users can be manipulated on the Internet with hoax videos," spokeswoman Heike Schultz of Cologne-based RTL told The Associated Press. "Therefore, we created this video of Michael Jackson being alive, even though everybody knows by now that he is dead — and the response was breathtaking."
Jackson died June 25 in Los Angeles.
The video — posted under an "anonymous source" — shows a coroner's van entering what seems like a parking garage and the King of Pop getting out of the back with another person. The lighting is bad, the sound muffled and the footage appears amateurish.
"Unfortunately, many people believed it was true," Schultz said. "Even though we tried to create the video in a way that every normal user can see right away that it is a fake."
She said the video was shot near Cologne — "definitely not in the U.S." The van in the video had the word "CORONER" printed in English, suggesting it had been recorded in America.
RTL admitted to the hoax in an Aug. 26 report on its daily news show Explosiv.
Hoaxes and rumors commonly spread like wildfire on the Internet. Videos of flying saucers and impossible stunts routinely are among the most-viewed on video-sharing sites, though purported evidence of the deceased being alive is less common than false rumors of someone's death.
The rise of Twitter and its real-time microblogging has quickened the pace. American actor Patrick Swayze, who is battling pancreatic cancer, had to declare that he is still alive this year after thousands of Twitter users spread news that he was dead. Actor Jeff Goldblum had to do the same.
The RTL spokeswoman said some Jackson fans were upset by the German broadcaster's actions.
"We didn't want to dishonor Michael Jackson, but we needed a strong name to get this experiment going," Schultz said. "Had we used Britney Spears, then the fans of Britney would have complained."
Michael Jackson to be buried amongst the stars
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Two months after his death, Michael Jackson is to buried on Thursday in a private sunset ceremony that will see the "King of Pop" laid to rest alongside a galaxy of Hollywood stars.
The tragic pop music icon, whose mysterious June 25 death was ruled a homicide by city officials last week, will be interred in an elaborate mausoleum at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the suburb of Glendale.
Only close family and friends of Jackson will be in attendance for the event, in stark contrast to the star-studded public memorial held at Los Angeles's Staples Center in July attended by 20,000 mourners.
Several streets surrounding the entrance to the cemetery in Glendale will be closed in an effort to keep fans at bay, police said.
Jackson is to be interred at a 7:00 pm (0200 GMT Friday) ceremony inside the cemetery's massive Great Mausoleum, an elaborate neo-classical building inspired by Genoa's famous Campo Santo.
Jackson's gold-plated casket is to be placed in a private section of the mausoleum that is also home to the final resting places of famous names from Hollywood's golden age such as Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and Carole Lombard.
Forest Lawn, which opened in 1906, is also home to exact replicas of some of Michelangelo's greatest works, including "David," "La Pieta" and "Moses."
The cemetery also boasts a stunning recreation of Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" in stained glass.
Other entertainment icons buried at Forest Lawn include Humphrey Bogart, Lon Chaney, Nat King Cole, Walt Disney, Errol Flynn and Jimmy Stewart.
Although open to the public, the Forest Lawn Memorial Park is renowned for its strict privacy rules, and unlike many other Hollywood cemeteries does not provide maps of famous grave sites.
Scott Michaels, who runs the successful "Dearly Departed" tours of notorious Hollywood death locations, said officials at Forest Lawn guard celebrity graves "like the Dead Sea Scrolls."
"The Great Mausoleum where he is going is like the Holy Grail of grave hunters," Michaels told The Los Angeles Times.
"There are cameras all throughout it, and if you are just wandering about, they will find you and kick you out."
One of Jackson's brothers, Marlon, meanwhile revealed in an interview with a British newspaper that the singer's children -- Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11 and Prince Michael II, 7 -- would leave notes in their father's coffin.
Jackson said messages reading "Daddy we love you, we miss you," would be placed in the casket alongside the singer's trademark single white glove.
Glendale officials meanwhile have meanwhile discouraged anyone not invited to the service from trying to attend, noting that several streets around the sprawling 300-acre site will be closed to the public.
Ending weeks of feverish speculation, Los Angeles coroners said last week that Jackson's death was being treated as homicide and revealed the singer had a cocktail of six different drugs in his body when he died.
Ending several weeks of feverish speculation following Jackson's sudden death in Los Angeles on June 25, the county coroner's office issued a brief statement Friday ruling that the superstar's death was unlawful.
A statement said "acute intoxication" from the powerful anesthetic propofol was the primary cause of death although, Jackson, 50, had also suffered from the effects of other drugs in his system.
Propofol is used to induce unconsciousness in patients undergoing major surgery in hospital. Medical professionals say it should never be used by private individuals at home.
The coroner's announcement fueled speculation that authorities may charge Jackson's personal physician Conrad Murray in connection with the death. Cardiologist Murray was the last person to see Jackson alive.
Jackson, one of the most influential figures in pop music history whose four-decade career included the highest-selling album of all-time, "Thriller," had been preparing for a July concert comeback at the time of his death.
The tragic pop music icon, whose mysterious June 25 death was ruled a homicide by city officials last week, will be interred in an elaborate mausoleum at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the suburb of Glendale.
Only close family and friends of Jackson will be in attendance for the event, in stark contrast to the star-studded public memorial held at Los Angeles's Staples Center in July attended by 20,000 mourners.
Several streets surrounding the entrance to the cemetery in Glendale will be closed in an effort to keep fans at bay, police said.
Jackson is to be interred at a 7:00 pm (0200 GMT Friday) ceremony inside the cemetery's massive Great Mausoleum, an elaborate neo-classical building inspired by Genoa's famous Campo Santo.
Jackson's gold-plated casket is to be placed in a private section of the mausoleum that is also home to the final resting places of famous names from Hollywood's golden age such as Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and Carole Lombard.
Forest Lawn, which opened in 1906, is also home to exact replicas of some of Michelangelo's greatest works, including "David," "La Pieta" and "Moses."
The cemetery also boasts a stunning recreation of Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" in stained glass.
Other entertainment icons buried at Forest Lawn include Humphrey Bogart, Lon Chaney, Nat King Cole, Walt Disney, Errol Flynn and Jimmy Stewart.
Although open to the public, the Forest Lawn Memorial Park is renowned for its strict privacy rules, and unlike many other Hollywood cemeteries does not provide maps of famous grave sites.
Scott Michaels, who runs the successful "Dearly Departed" tours of notorious Hollywood death locations, said officials at Forest Lawn guard celebrity graves "like the Dead Sea Scrolls."
"The Great Mausoleum where he is going is like the Holy Grail of grave hunters," Michaels told The Los Angeles Times.
"There are cameras all throughout it, and if you are just wandering about, they will find you and kick you out."
One of Jackson's brothers, Marlon, meanwhile revealed in an interview with a British newspaper that the singer's children -- Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11 and Prince Michael II, 7 -- would leave notes in their father's coffin.
Jackson said messages reading "Daddy we love you, we miss you," would be placed in the casket alongside the singer's trademark single white glove.
Glendale officials meanwhile have meanwhile discouraged anyone not invited to the service from trying to attend, noting that several streets around the sprawling 300-acre site will be closed to the public.
Ending weeks of feverish speculation, Los Angeles coroners said last week that Jackson's death was being treated as homicide and revealed the singer had a cocktail of six different drugs in his body when he died.
Ending several weeks of feverish speculation following Jackson's sudden death in Los Angeles on June 25, the county coroner's office issued a brief statement Friday ruling that the superstar's death was unlawful.
A statement said "acute intoxication" from the powerful anesthetic propofol was the primary cause of death although, Jackson, 50, had also suffered from the effects of other drugs in his system.
Propofol is used to induce unconsciousness in patients undergoing major surgery in hospital. Medical professionals say it should never be used by private individuals at home.
The coroner's announcement fueled speculation that authorities may charge Jackson's personal physician Conrad Murray in connection with the death. Cardiologist Murray was the last person to see Jackson alive.
Jackson, one of the most influential figures in pop music history whose four-decade career included the highest-selling album of all-time, "Thriller," had been preparing for a July concert comeback at the time of his death.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
‘King of Pop Hometown Tour’ takes Michael Jackson fans to Gary, Ind.., sites
By CARYN ROUSSEAU
The Associated Press
GARY, Ind. | Before there was the Neverland ranch, before he became a superstar with the best-selling album of all time, “Thriller,” a tiny house in the industrial city of Gary was home for Michael Jackson.
Since Jackson’s death, two Chicago women have started “The King of Pop Hometown Tour,” taking busloads of tourists on a four-hour trek through Jackson family landmarks in northwest Indiana. The highlight is 2300 Jackson St., a small white-sided house as big as a two-and-a-half-car garage where the Jackson family lived — with nine children — almost four decades ago.
“This is a tour of motivation and inspiration,” guide Denise Jordan Walker tells riders, as her partner, Tecora Rogers, readies the bus to leave. “We are not taking you to a gated community. We are not taking you to Neverland. We are taking you to Gary, Indiana.”
On cue, a music video of the Jackson 5 plays on overhead screens as the bus pulls off from Chicago and travels south down the highway. A young Michael Jackson sings, “I’m going back to Indiana. Indiana here I come. I’m going back to Indiana. That is where my baby’s from.”
The women said they always wanted to host a Jackson-themed tour of Gary but had put the idea aside to focus on a Chicago jazz music tour instead. After Jackson’s death in June, requests started pouring in, Walker said.
“It hasn’t changed that much since the Jacksons lived here,” Walker said. “It’s pretty much like time stood still. We want to paint a picture and let people really feel what the Jacksons went through on a day-to-day basis.”
Off the highway in Indiana, the bus drives through a heavily industrial area along Lake Michigan before stopping in front of the steel mill where father Joe Jackson worked. The tour goes on to the hospital where the Jackson children were born and the elementary school they attended. It also highlights the beginnings of the Jackson 5, with stops at Mr. Lucky’s Lounge, where the group first performed, and the house where the Jacksons recorded for Steeltown Records in 1967.
While stuffed animals, cards and signs still decorate the outside of the Jackson home, the inside remains closed. The tour, however, has partnered with the owners of a mirror-image house across the street, allowing for a walk-through to get a feel for the Jackson home.
Later on, some tourists point at the marquee next to Roosevelt High School in Gary, which reads, “We celebrate the life of Michael Jackson.”
The ride is broken up with video interviews with Gary residents who knew the Jacksons and videos of Michael Jackson songs, such as “Remember the Time” and “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough.”
There’s even Jackson trivia. Tour guides call out questions: “Who was Michael Jackson’s first wife?” or “What song was about his favorite pet?” Riders yell back the answers, “Lisa Marie Presley” and “Ben.”
The trip is taken on a smaller charter tour bus that seats about two dozen people to allow for Gary’s narrow side streets and to fit under low-hanging electrical wires.
One rider, Mallorie Garner, 58, of Olympia Fields, Ill., said the tour offered her perspective on the beginnings of such a famous family.
“It helps you appreciate where they started and how far they came,” Garner said.
Another rider, Danielle Smith, 21, a student from Park Forest, Ill., said she attended memorials after Michael Jackson’s death. Seeing his childhood home put the singer’s career into perspective for her.
“To truly understand Michael, you have to go where it all started, his beginning, their experiences in Indiana,” Smith said. “It was really calming, because I knew that’s where he grew up, but there’s a feeling of loss.”
The Associated Press
GARY, Ind. | Before there was the Neverland ranch, before he became a superstar with the best-selling album of all time, “Thriller,” a tiny house in the industrial city of Gary was home for Michael Jackson.
Since Jackson’s death, two Chicago women have started “The King of Pop Hometown Tour,” taking busloads of tourists on a four-hour trek through Jackson family landmarks in northwest Indiana. The highlight is 2300 Jackson St., a small white-sided house as big as a two-and-a-half-car garage where the Jackson family lived — with nine children — almost four decades ago.
“This is a tour of motivation and inspiration,” guide Denise Jordan Walker tells riders, as her partner, Tecora Rogers, readies the bus to leave. “We are not taking you to a gated community. We are not taking you to Neverland. We are taking you to Gary, Indiana.”
On cue, a music video of the Jackson 5 plays on overhead screens as the bus pulls off from Chicago and travels south down the highway. A young Michael Jackson sings, “I’m going back to Indiana. Indiana here I come. I’m going back to Indiana. That is where my baby’s from.”
The women said they always wanted to host a Jackson-themed tour of Gary but had put the idea aside to focus on a Chicago jazz music tour instead. After Jackson’s death in June, requests started pouring in, Walker said.
“It hasn’t changed that much since the Jacksons lived here,” Walker said. “It’s pretty much like time stood still. We want to paint a picture and let people really feel what the Jacksons went through on a day-to-day basis.”
Off the highway in Indiana, the bus drives through a heavily industrial area along Lake Michigan before stopping in front of the steel mill where father Joe Jackson worked. The tour goes on to the hospital where the Jackson children were born and the elementary school they attended. It also highlights the beginnings of the Jackson 5, with stops at Mr. Lucky’s Lounge, where the group first performed, and the house where the Jacksons recorded for Steeltown Records in 1967.
While stuffed animals, cards and signs still decorate the outside of the Jackson home, the inside remains closed. The tour, however, has partnered with the owners of a mirror-image house across the street, allowing for a walk-through to get a feel for the Jackson home.
Later on, some tourists point at the marquee next to Roosevelt High School in Gary, which reads, “We celebrate the life of Michael Jackson.”
The ride is broken up with video interviews with Gary residents who knew the Jacksons and videos of Michael Jackson songs, such as “Remember the Time” and “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough.”
There’s even Jackson trivia. Tour guides call out questions: “Who was Michael Jackson’s first wife?” or “What song was about his favorite pet?” Riders yell back the answers, “Lisa Marie Presley” and “Ben.”
The trip is taken on a smaller charter tour bus that seats about two dozen people to allow for Gary’s narrow side streets and to fit under low-hanging electrical wires.
One rider, Mallorie Garner, 58, of Olympia Fields, Ill., said the tour offered her perspective on the beginnings of such a famous family.
“It helps you appreciate where they started and how far they came,” Garner said.
Another rider, Danielle Smith, 21, a student from Park Forest, Ill., said she attended memorials after Michael Jackson’s death. Seeing his childhood home put the singer’s career into perspective for her.
“To truly understand Michael, you have to go where it all started, his beginning, their experiences in Indiana,” Smith said. “It was really calming, because I knew that’s where he grew up, but there’s a feeling of loss.”
MJ kids ‘to join Beckham boys at school'
All of Jackson’s three children were home-tutored when he was alive.
However, their grandmother and legal guardian Katherine Jackson’s wants them to join other kids of their age and believes this will help 12-year-old Prince Michael, one year junior Paris and Prince Michael II aged seven.
The Daily Express quoted a family friend as saying: “It’s going to be a culture shock for all three kids at first. But all of Michael’s brothers and sisters agree with Katherine that it’s time they stepped out into the real world.”
The King of Pop had once made plans of opening up his own school for his children, as he feared they would be “treated like freaks” in other schools but the plan could never materialize.
MJ’s children will attend the same 30,000dollar-a-year private school attended by the Brooklyn and Romeo Beckham. The Beckham’s third son, the fopur-year-old Cruz, is expected to join the school’s nursery soon.
The Jackson family friend said: “It is one of the most secure and security-conscious schools in America,” and rubbished all talks of the terrifying prospects of the school to Jackson’s protected children by calling them “totally unfounded” (ANI)
However, their grandmother and legal guardian Katherine Jackson’s wants them to join other kids of their age and believes this will help 12-year-old Prince Michael, one year junior Paris and Prince Michael II aged seven.
The Daily Express quoted a family friend as saying: “It’s going to be a culture shock for all three kids at first. But all of Michael’s brothers and sisters agree with Katherine that it’s time they stepped out into the real world.”
The King of Pop had once made plans of opening up his own school for his children, as he feared they would be “treated like freaks” in other schools but the plan could never materialize.
MJ’s children will attend the same 30,000dollar-a-year private school attended by the Brooklyn and Romeo Beckham. The Beckham’s third son, the fopur-year-old Cruz, is expected to join the school’s nursery soon.
The Jackson family friend said: “It is one of the most secure and security-conscious schools in America,” and rubbished all talks of the terrifying prospects of the school to Jackson’s protected children by calling them “totally unfounded” (ANI)
Jackson's kids say goodbye
Michael Jackson's children have written emotional goodbye letters which will be placed in his coffin.
Prince Michael I, 12, Paris, 11 and seven-year-old Prince Michael II - also known as 'Blanket' - scrawled messages including "Daddy we love you" and "Daddy we miss you" on notes that will be buried with the 'King of Pop' on Thursday.
The singer's brother Marlon has spoken about the letters and other details of Michael's funeral, which will be held in the family's compound at Los Angeles' Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
He claims Michael will also be buried with his trademark white glove, and has been fitted with a new shoulder-length wig. The star's face has also been painted with full stage makeup.
Marlon told Britain's Sunday Mirror newspaper: "This will be a private ceremony. His hairstylist has made his hair special and a make-up artist has gone in and fixed him up so he's ready for the big day.
"This will be Michael's final curtain call - the last show. His shell will be gone but his spirit lives on."
After the ceremony - which will be attended by just a handful of family members and friends including Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross - Michael's coffin will be encased in thick concrete to protect it from grave robbers.
CCTV cameras and alarms will also protect the body.
Michael died of a cardiac arrest in June. His body has been stored in a refrigerated morgue at the cemetery ever since.
The LA County coroner officially ruled his death homicide on Friday.
Marlon claims he and the rest of the Jackson family blame Michael's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray - who is believed to have administered the powerful anaesthetic that killed the singer - for his death.
Marlon said: "Michael died and someone is to blame - and it's the doctor who was with him. Conrad Murray was the last person to be with Michael and he knows exactly what went on and he's not saying.
"I don't think anyone tried to kill Michael on purpose but something went wrong, something happened and, yes, some of my family do think it's murder.
"He had too many 'yes' men around him. I'm talking about the doctors who were around him, the people he had working for him. It's sad to say but these doctors would do anything for the money."
Prince Michael I, 12, Paris, 11 and seven-year-old Prince Michael II - also known as 'Blanket' - scrawled messages including "Daddy we love you" and "Daddy we miss you" on notes that will be buried with the 'King of Pop' on Thursday.
The singer's brother Marlon has spoken about the letters and other details of Michael's funeral, which will be held in the family's compound at Los Angeles' Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
He claims Michael will also be buried with his trademark white glove, and has been fitted with a new shoulder-length wig. The star's face has also been painted with full stage makeup.
Marlon told Britain's Sunday Mirror newspaper: "This will be a private ceremony. His hairstylist has made his hair special and a make-up artist has gone in and fixed him up so he's ready for the big day.
"This will be Michael's final curtain call - the last show. His shell will be gone but his spirit lives on."
After the ceremony - which will be attended by just a handful of family members and friends including Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross - Michael's coffin will be encased in thick concrete to protect it from grave robbers.
CCTV cameras and alarms will also protect the body.
Michael died of a cardiac arrest in June. His body has been stored in a refrigerated morgue at the cemetery ever since.
The LA County coroner officially ruled his death homicide on Friday.
Marlon claims he and the rest of the Jackson family blame Michael's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray - who is believed to have administered the powerful anaesthetic that killed the singer - for his death.
Marlon said: "Michael died and someone is to blame - and it's the doctor who was with him. Conrad Murray was the last person to be with Michael and he knows exactly what went on and he's not saying.
"I don't think anyone tried to kill Michael on purpose but something went wrong, something happened and, yes, some of my family do think it's murder.
"He had too many 'yes' men around him. I'm talking about the doctors who were around him, the people he had working for him. It's sad to say but these doctors would do anything for the money."
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Michael Jackson -- Very Cash Poor
Michael Jackson -- Very Cash Poor
Posted Aug 25th 2009 2:00AM by TMZ Staff
TMZ has reviewed financial documents that show MIchael Jackson's cash flow was in the red zone. Jackson's liquid cash totaled .05% of his net worth.
According to the documents obtained by TMZ, Jackson's net worth was estimated at $1,360,839,979 on July 31, 2007. It's a fortune, to be sure ... but of that $1,150,000,000 is the Sony-ATV Publishing Trust (Beatles Catalog).
As for cold, hard "Cash in Bank" -- $668,215. Jackson could blow through that amount in a trip or two to the antique store.
The other assets:
-- Real property $73,475,000 (Neverland valued at $66,875,000, Encino Home valued at $6,600,000)
-- Restricted cash $10,696,764 (this is a cash reserve to pay interest on loans)
-- Media Archival materials $20,000,000
-- MJ Publishing Trust $85,000,000
-- Professional equipment $1,000,000
-- Automobiles, antiques, collectibles & other personal property $20,000,000
Combined assets total $1,360,839,979.
As for liabilities, the big ticket item is Neverland -- $323,000,000. The description "Notes payable to Fortress are collateralized by Mr. Jackson's interest in the Sony-ATV Publishing Trust and a partial security interest in the Los Olivos, California (Neverland) property. Additionally, as of March 31, 2007, the bank holds restricted cash in the approximate amount of $7,803,621. With other liabilities, the sum comes to $331,000,000."
Jackson's bottom line net worth was listed at $1,360,839,979. But the cash flow is pretty stunning.
Posted Aug 25th 2009 2:00AM by TMZ Staff
TMZ has reviewed financial documents that show MIchael Jackson's cash flow was in the red zone. Jackson's liquid cash totaled .05% of his net worth.
According to the documents obtained by TMZ, Jackson's net worth was estimated at $1,360,839,979 on July 31, 2007. It's a fortune, to be sure ... but of that $1,150,000,000 is the Sony-ATV Publishing Trust (Beatles Catalog).
As for cold, hard "Cash in Bank" -- $668,215. Jackson could blow through that amount in a trip or two to the antique store.
The other assets:
-- Real property $73,475,000 (Neverland valued at $66,875,000, Encino Home valued at $6,600,000)
-- Restricted cash $10,696,764 (this is a cash reserve to pay interest on loans)
-- Media Archival materials $20,000,000
-- MJ Publishing Trust $85,000,000
-- Professional equipment $1,000,000
-- Automobiles, antiques, collectibles & other personal property $20,000,000
Combined assets total $1,360,839,979.
As for liabilities, the big ticket item is Neverland -- $323,000,000. The description "Notes payable to Fortress are collateralized by Mr. Jackson's interest in the Sony-ATV Publishing Trust and a partial security interest in the Los Olivos, California (Neverland) property. Additionally, as of March 31, 2007, the bank holds restricted cash in the approximate amount of $7,803,621. With other liabilities, the sum comes to $331,000,000."
Jackson's bottom line net worth was listed at $1,360,839,979. But the cash flow is pretty stunning.
Michael Jackson Still Alive At Coroner's Office?
Michael Jackson Still Alive At Coroner's Office?
Video purports to show Jackson exit coroner vehicle
A video floating around the Internet claiming to show Michael Jackson 'still alive' is creating a bit of a stir. A description posted by user 'LosAngelesCot24' on Liveleak.com reads 'this video shows that Michael was still alive after his dead body was transported to the Los Angeles Dept. of Coroner. I checked the license plate number and it looks like the King of Pop is jumping out of the same van, his dead body has been in.'
The user claims to have obtained the video from a 'trustworthy source' but there's nothing to suggest the person exiting the coroner's vehicle is Michael Jackson and there is no time stamp on the video. Though 'LosAngelesCot24' offers the assurance 'it´s real and Michael is alive' it's almost certainly unrelated to the Jackson case. Still, videos like this are sure to fuel the conspiracy theorists who suggest the King of Pop is still alive.
Video purports to show Jackson exit coroner vehicle
A video floating around the Internet claiming to show Michael Jackson 'still alive' is creating a bit of a stir. A description posted by user 'LosAngelesCot24' on Liveleak.com reads 'this video shows that Michael was still alive after his dead body was transported to the Los Angeles Dept. of Coroner. I checked the license plate number and it looks like the King of Pop is jumping out of the same van, his dead body has been in.'
The user claims to have obtained the video from a 'trustworthy source' but there's nothing to suggest the person exiting the coroner's vehicle is Michael Jackson and there is no time stamp on the video. Though 'LosAngelesCot24' offers the assurance 'it´s real and Michael is alive' it's almost certainly unrelated to the Jackson case. Still, videos like this are sure to fuel the conspiracy theorists who suggest the King of Pop is still alive.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Michael Jackson 'self-harmed to get drugs'
Michael Jackson 'self-harmed' in the weeks before his death to convince his doctor to give him prescription drugs, it has been reported.
By Ben Leach
Published: 8:05AM BST 19 Aug 2009
Detectives believe Jackson deliberately injured himself to obtain painkillers, including Demerol, a strong painkiller that is believed to have been given to him shortly before he died.
Side-effects suffered by Jackson due to the cocktail of drugs he was taking included shaking fits, violent outbursts, hallucinations and "bouts of wailing during the night", it has been claimed.
Dr Murray is now the focus of a manslaughter probe. An unnamed source "close to the police investigation" told the Daily Mirror: “LAPD detectives have interviewed some 30-35 witnesses so far, and it has come to light that Michael was prone to self-harming.
“He’d bang his head against the wall, hit his fists and arms against furniture, anything to cause a cut or bruise. He wanted to convince his doctors that he’d had an accident and was in a lot of pain – a legitimate reason to ask for painkillers.
“This came up as part of the investigation into Michael’s drug-taking. So far there’s no evidence to prove or disprove the claims.”
Jackson was reportedly spending a reported £30,000 a month on prescription drugs. As well as narcotic pain reliever Vicodin, it’s claimed he took muscle relaxant Soma, sedative Xanax, antidepressant Zoloft, and heartburn pill Priolosec.
An unnamed "family source" told the Daily Mirror: “He made a huge deal about his injuries after rehearsals. He complained of back pain, pain in his joints, aching legs.
“Staff had their suspicions that he sometimes invented pain or hurt himself to get attention. Michael self-harmed mainly as an attention-seeking mechanism or to gain sympathy. He enjoyed being cared for. It was a huge cry for help.”
The family source said that the late singer’s self-harming goes back 16 years. In 1993, when 13-year-old Jordan Chandler’s father made allegations of child sex abuse against the star, his use of prescription drugs skyrocketed. The same thing happened in 2005 when Jackson faced abuse allegations from 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo.
A spokesman for the LAPD refused to comment on details of the investigation. Jackson will be buried on the Holly Terrace at the Great Mausoleum in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
By Ben Leach
Published: 8:05AM BST 19 Aug 2009
Detectives believe Jackson deliberately injured himself to obtain painkillers, including Demerol, a strong painkiller that is believed to have been given to him shortly before he died.
Side-effects suffered by Jackson due to the cocktail of drugs he was taking included shaking fits, violent outbursts, hallucinations and "bouts of wailing during the night", it has been claimed.
Dr Murray is now the focus of a manslaughter probe. An unnamed source "close to the police investigation" told the Daily Mirror: “LAPD detectives have interviewed some 30-35 witnesses so far, and it has come to light that Michael was prone to self-harming.
“He’d bang his head against the wall, hit his fists and arms against furniture, anything to cause a cut or bruise. He wanted to convince his doctors that he’d had an accident and was in a lot of pain – a legitimate reason to ask for painkillers.
“This came up as part of the investigation into Michael’s drug-taking. So far there’s no evidence to prove or disprove the claims.”
Jackson was reportedly spending a reported £30,000 a month on prescription drugs. As well as narcotic pain reliever Vicodin, it’s claimed he took muscle relaxant Soma, sedative Xanax, antidepressant Zoloft, and heartburn pill Priolosec.
An unnamed "family source" told the Daily Mirror: “He made a huge deal about his injuries after rehearsals. He complained of back pain, pain in his joints, aching legs.
“Staff had their suspicions that he sometimes invented pain or hurt himself to get attention. Michael self-harmed mainly as an attention-seeking mechanism or to gain sympathy. He enjoyed being cared for. It was a huge cry for help.”
The family source said that the late singer’s self-harming goes back 16 years. In 1993, when 13-year-old Jordan Chandler’s father made allegations of child sex abuse against the star, his use of prescription drugs skyrocketed. The same thing happened in 2005 when Jackson faced abuse allegations from 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo.
A spokesman for the LAPD refused to comment on details of the investigation. Jackson will be buried on the Holly Terrace at the Great Mausoleum in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Michael Jackson's personal artist shared pop king's vision
By Edna Gundersen, USA TODAY
SANTA FE — Artist David Nordahl was at home painting in February 1988 when the phone rang at midnight. A voice said, "This is Michael Jackson."
Yeah, riiiight, he thought. But he quickly realized the call was no prank.
While visiting Steven Spielberg's office, Jackson had admired one of Nordahl's paintings of Army troops invading an Apache camp as a young corporal shielded two Indian children. Now the singer was reaching out to the painter. For art lessons.
PICTURES: Images of the Jackson paintings
"He asked if I taught drawing and painting," says Nordahl, whose realist oils of 19th-century Apaches are highly prized. "I told him I didn't, but that I'd think about it. I was really busy."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Sony | Michael Jackson | Steven Spielberg | Michelangelo | 19th century | Lisa Marie Presley | Field of Dreams | Ryan White | The Day After | The Lone Ranger
Their hour-long conversation sparked a close friendship and working partnership that led Nordahl to abandon renown in the art world for a cloistered vocation as Jackson's portraitist. From 1988 to 2005, Nordahl completed thousands of drawings and roughly a dozen epic commissions, seven of which were among 2,000 Jackson items in Julien's authorized auction, which the singer sued to stop last spring.
Many canvases encapsulate Jackson's grandiose fantasies and fairy-tale worldview. In a massive triptych, he is crowned and knighted in royal robes. Along the sunlit path in Field of Dreams, he leads children of all nationalities (plus sister Janet, AIDS activist Ryan White and actor Macaulay Culkin). His firstborn son snoozes on an oversized golden throne in Prince, The Boy King.
Nordahl, 68, became not only Jackson's favorite living artist (Michelangelo led the historic ranking) but a trusted adviser and confidant who designed Neverland carnival rides and joined family outings.
He ducked the media for years, "because they wanted to talk about negative stuff, and I don't know anything bad about Michael," the soft-spoken Nordahl says, sitting with artist/wife Lori Peterson and frisky cat Scooter in a living room crowded with paintings by the couple. He's speaking now in hopes of brightening a picture darkened since Jackson's death June 25.
"I always thought of him as normal," he says. "He's the most thoughtful, respectful person I've ever met. In 20 years, I never heard him raise his voice."
Early days: Brainstorming
Nordahl's Jackson period began after the singer invited him to the Denver stop of the Bad tour in March 1988.
"I didn't know what to expect," Nordahl says. "He was sweet. We went to galleries, bookstores and a private showing of the King Tut exhibit. We sat around and laughed and talked and drew."
Jackson demonstrated talent but was stretched too thin to pursue visual arts. Instead, the two began hatching ideas for Nordahl to paint. The artist conceived the inaugural work, Playmates for a Lonely Child, a 41-inch-square oil of Jackson in a sylvan storybook scene. Next Nordahl embarked on a far bolder statement, Field of Dreams, a 36-by-104-inch oil study for an unfinished work that would have measured 12 by 38 feet.
He labored non-stop: large portraits, mythical tableaux, 10-foot charcoal drawings, a plaque on the Neverland gate. Nordahl billed Jackson in line with his earlier gallery rates, up to $150,000 for large pieces, and says he was always paid.
His duties expanded to amusement park design after Jackson began developing the ranch north of Santa Barbara, Calif., and Nordahl juggled several projects while adapting to Jackson's enchanted lifestyle. At Neverland, the two tested rides and tended the exotic menagerie.
They took trips to Disneyland and spent time at billionaire Ron Burkle's La Jolla, Calif., estate, where Jackson's insomnia often meant Nordahl was enlisted for wee-hour practical jokes and beachside chats. (He also was a victim of Jackson's notorious tricks, once finding his briefcase stuffed with bubblegum.)
He discovered the unglamorous Jackson, who in the late '80s often drove by himself in a Chevy Blazer (and relieved himself in a bucket because he couldn't risk being mobbed at gas stations) and lived in a two-bedroom Los Angeles condo.
"I expected a penthouse with maids," Nordahl says. "There was a grand piano pushed into the kitchen, a popcorn machine and a good sound system. The other furniture, you couldn't have gotten 50 bucks for it at a garage sale. Before the kids, Michael lived real simply."
What fueled this bromance?
"I grew up in a difficult home, and he did too," says Nordahl, whom Jackson thanks in liner notes for 1991's Dangerous and 1995's HIStory. "We had no playtime growing up. We're both fanatical about work.
"There was a bond."
Nordahl's youth troubled, too
Born in Albert Lea, Minn., Nordahl left home at 12 and supported himself through high school by working on farms, pinstriping cars and selling his art.
"I can't remember not drawing," he says. "I had an abusive, alcoholic father, and drawing is something that takes you out of the real world. I was always interested in cowboys and Indians. I sold drawings of the Lone Ranger to my classmates."
He began specializing in Apaches after moving to Steamboat Springs, Colo., in 1977, and his detailed, meticulously researched depictions soon lured collectors.
"His work had a lot of integrity, and he was one of those rare artists who was humble but extremely talented," says prominent Santa Fe art dealer Ray Dewey, who held lotteries to determine buyers of Nordahl's work because of high demand.
"His technique took a long time, so he was not prolific. When he talked to me about leaving to paint for Michael Jackson, I had over 200 people on a waiting list for his work. It was an interesting decision on his part.
"I think what Jackson saw in David was a complete artist," Dewey says. "He was a perfectionist. He choreographed everything. Jackson also may have seen his commitment to family. David primarily painted the Apache people's culture and lifeways, but he painted a lot of children, not just warriors. And he painted animals beautifully, especially horses."
What Nordahl saw in Jackson was a wounded and misunderstood genius who felt spiritually obligated to help children.
Though Jackson was acquitted in his 2005 child sexual abuse trial, it "broke his spirit," Nordahl says. "Michael would never molest a child. He always felt so bad for kids who were mistreated or sick. He spent so much time with critically ill kids. If a mother called about a dying child somewhere, he'd jump on a plane.
"People talked about Neverland being his private amusement park. It was always meant for kids. The last time I was at the ranch, they put up a big Sony JumboTron across from a condo building for sick children, so if kids woke up at night, cartoons would be on."
'Michael was a real dad'
Nordahl was bewildered that Jackson seemed to elicit more mockery than sympathy.
"People accused him of trying to be white, which is ridiculous," he says. "When I first met him, his vitiligo (a skin disorder that causes pigmentation loss) had gone to the right side of his face and down his neck. Most of his right hand was white. Stark white patches. He used makeup because he had to. Without it, he was speckled all over."
Nordahl never witnessed drug use by Jackson but was keenly aware of pain problems that lingered after the star's hair caught fire on a Pepsi ad soundstage.
"When they were trying to repair that burned spot, he had a balloon under his scalp that was inflated," Nordahl says. "He let me feel it. It was a huge mound. As the skin got stretched, they cut it out and stitched the scalp. He was in excruciating pain."
Jackson seemed an unlikely addict, Nordahl says, noting his avoidance of cigarettes, alcohol, soft drinks and sugar.
"He was mostly a vegetarian," he says. "When he was on tour, the cooks would make him eat fish and sometimes chicken. He loved little chicken wings. He always drank water. I shared wine with him only twice, once with (ex-wife) Lisa Marie (Presley) and once at Ron Burkle's house. Michael had one glass."
The clearest evidence of Jackson's responsible nature emerged in his parenting of Prince, Paris and Blanket.
"Michael was a real dad, not a Hollywood dad," he says. "He'd get up at night to feed them bottles. He'd change them, bathe them, everything a mother does.
"All the time I spent with those kids, I never heard them beg for anything or throw a fit. I never heard them cry. They were so well-adjusted."
Jackson took pains not to spoil his children, says Nordahl, recalling a modest eighth birthday party in L.A. for Prince. (Jackson's mother, Katherine, and sister Rebbie came over but skipped the festivities because of their Jehovah's Witness beliefs, he says.)
"I was curious to see what Prince was going to get," Nordahl says. "I figured it would be pretty extravagant, but he didn't get one thing that cost over $2. He got Play-Doh, little action figures, things we'd call stocking stuffers.
"The kids were not allowed to watch TV or DVDs or play video games" except through points earned by their schoolwork. "Nothing was given to them. Michael said, 'I want them to grow up as close to normal as possible.' Those kids were so respectful and courteous, just sweet."
Surprise visit to Santa Fe
Nordahl grew close to all three. Typically, the artist spent time with the Jackson brood on the West Coast. But over Memorial Day weekend in 2004, the star and his tykes surprised Nordahl by visiting Santa Fe via Jackson's plush private bus (with a 60-inch plasma TV). Jackson suggested a movie outing.
"I thought we were going to a screening room," Nordahl says. "His driver pulled into DeVargas Mall. He was friends with (Roland Emmerich), the director of The Day After Tomorrow, and it was opening weekend. The mall was jammed, and there was no place to park. I took the kids, got the tickets and popcorn, and we went in. Michael came in after the lights went down.
"The lights came up, and nobody noticed him. He had on a baseball cap and these Chinese silk pajamas. The kids had no masks on. Any of those rags would have paid $100,000 for that picture."
Paintings' future unclear
He last saw Jackson in 2005, when the singer moved to Bahrain and vowed never again to live on U.S. soil. Accustomed to lulls when Jackson was overseas or overextended, Nordahl resumed painting Apaches and presumed he'd be summoned once Jackson found a new home and showcase for his treasures.
The fate of Nordahl's Jackson paintings is in limbo, though they may be part of a touring exhibition of the singer's memorabilia proposed by the estate administrators. "I would like to see them in a Michael Jackson museum," Nordahl says. "That was always Michael's goal. He was very self-effacing, but he understood he was a music icon."
Nordahl, represented by Settlers West Galleries in Tucson and Sherwoods Spirit of America in Santa Fe, has returned to painting Apaches and other subjects.
Whether his extended hiatus from the public eye damaged his authority or reputation "is difficult to gauge," Dewey says. "I don't know if it furthered his career. An artist who does commissions for one patron often is just isolated unless the patron publishes or exhibits the work. David's always been independent, and he's never sought publicity."
And how many patrons are the King of Pop?
"We got to be such good friends that I forgot who I was hanging out with," Nordahl says. "Then he'd break into these dance moves, quick as lightning, and it would dawn on me: He's the best entertainer in the world."
SANTA FE — Artist David Nordahl was at home painting in February 1988 when the phone rang at midnight. A voice said, "This is Michael Jackson."
Yeah, riiiight, he thought. But he quickly realized the call was no prank.
While visiting Steven Spielberg's office, Jackson had admired one of Nordahl's paintings of Army troops invading an Apache camp as a young corporal shielded two Indian children. Now the singer was reaching out to the painter. For art lessons.
PICTURES: Images of the Jackson paintings
"He asked if I taught drawing and painting," says Nordahl, whose realist oils of 19th-century Apaches are highly prized. "I told him I didn't, but that I'd think about it. I was really busy."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Sony | Michael Jackson | Steven Spielberg | Michelangelo | 19th century | Lisa Marie Presley | Field of Dreams | Ryan White | The Day After | The Lone Ranger
Their hour-long conversation sparked a close friendship and working partnership that led Nordahl to abandon renown in the art world for a cloistered vocation as Jackson's portraitist. From 1988 to 2005, Nordahl completed thousands of drawings and roughly a dozen epic commissions, seven of which were among 2,000 Jackson items in Julien's authorized auction, which the singer sued to stop last spring.
Many canvases encapsulate Jackson's grandiose fantasies and fairy-tale worldview. In a massive triptych, he is crowned and knighted in royal robes. Along the sunlit path in Field of Dreams, he leads children of all nationalities (plus sister Janet, AIDS activist Ryan White and actor Macaulay Culkin). His firstborn son snoozes on an oversized golden throne in Prince, The Boy King.
Nordahl, 68, became not only Jackson's favorite living artist (Michelangelo led the historic ranking) but a trusted adviser and confidant who designed Neverland carnival rides and joined family outings.
He ducked the media for years, "because they wanted to talk about negative stuff, and I don't know anything bad about Michael," the soft-spoken Nordahl says, sitting with artist/wife Lori Peterson and frisky cat Scooter in a living room crowded with paintings by the couple. He's speaking now in hopes of brightening a picture darkened since Jackson's death June 25.
"I always thought of him as normal," he says. "He's the most thoughtful, respectful person I've ever met. In 20 years, I never heard him raise his voice."
Early days: Brainstorming
Nordahl's Jackson period began after the singer invited him to the Denver stop of the Bad tour in March 1988.
"I didn't know what to expect," Nordahl says. "He was sweet. We went to galleries, bookstores and a private showing of the King Tut exhibit. We sat around and laughed and talked and drew."
Jackson demonstrated talent but was stretched too thin to pursue visual arts. Instead, the two began hatching ideas for Nordahl to paint. The artist conceived the inaugural work, Playmates for a Lonely Child, a 41-inch-square oil of Jackson in a sylvan storybook scene. Next Nordahl embarked on a far bolder statement, Field of Dreams, a 36-by-104-inch oil study for an unfinished work that would have measured 12 by 38 feet.
He labored non-stop: large portraits, mythical tableaux, 10-foot charcoal drawings, a plaque on the Neverland gate. Nordahl billed Jackson in line with his earlier gallery rates, up to $150,000 for large pieces, and says he was always paid.
His duties expanded to amusement park design after Jackson began developing the ranch north of Santa Barbara, Calif., and Nordahl juggled several projects while adapting to Jackson's enchanted lifestyle. At Neverland, the two tested rides and tended the exotic menagerie.
They took trips to Disneyland and spent time at billionaire Ron Burkle's La Jolla, Calif., estate, where Jackson's insomnia often meant Nordahl was enlisted for wee-hour practical jokes and beachside chats. (He also was a victim of Jackson's notorious tricks, once finding his briefcase stuffed with bubblegum.)
He discovered the unglamorous Jackson, who in the late '80s often drove by himself in a Chevy Blazer (and relieved himself in a bucket because he couldn't risk being mobbed at gas stations) and lived in a two-bedroom Los Angeles condo.
"I expected a penthouse with maids," Nordahl says. "There was a grand piano pushed into the kitchen, a popcorn machine and a good sound system. The other furniture, you couldn't have gotten 50 bucks for it at a garage sale. Before the kids, Michael lived real simply."
What fueled this bromance?
"I grew up in a difficult home, and he did too," says Nordahl, whom Jackson thanks in liner notes for 1991's Dangerous and 1995's HIStory. "We had no playtime growing up. We're both fanatical about work.
"There was a bond."
Nordahl's youth troubled, too
Born in Albert Lea, Minn., Nordahl left home at 12 and supported himself through high school by working on farms, pinstriping cars and selling his art.
"I can't remember not drawing," he says. "I had an abusive, alcoholic father, and drawing is something that takes you out of the real world. I was always interested in cowboys and Indians. I sold drawings of the Lone Ranger to my classmates."
He began specializing in Apaches after moving to Steamboat Springs, Colo., in 1977, and his detailed, meticulously researched depictions soon lured collectors.
"His work had a lot of integrity, and he was one of those rare artists who was humble but extremely talented," says prominent Santa Fe art dealer Ray Dewey, who held lotteries to determine buyers of Nordahl's work because of high demand.
"His technique took a long time, so he was not prolific. When he talked to me about leaving to paint for Michael Jackson, I had over 200 people on a waiting list for his work. It was an interesting decision on his part.
"I think what Jackson saw in David was a complete artist," Dewey says. "He was a perfectionist. He choreographed everything. Jackson also may have seen his commitment to family. David primarily painted the Apache people's culture and lifeways, but he painted a lot of children, not just warriors. And he painted animals beautifully, especially horses."
What Nordahl saw in Jackson was a wounded and misunderstood genius who felt spiritually obligated to help children.
Though Jackson was acquitted in his 2005 child sexual abuse trial, it "broke his spirit," Nordahl says. "Michael would never molest a child. He always felt so bad for kids who were mistreated or sick. He spent so much time with critically ill kids. If a mother called about a dying child somewhere, he'd jump on a plane.
"People talked about Neverland being his private amusement park. It was always meant for kids. The last time I was at the ranch, they put up a big Sony JumboTron across from a condo building for sick children, so if kids woke up at night, cartoons would be on."
'Michael was a real dad'
Nordahl was bewildered that Jackson seemed to elicit more mockery than sympathy.
"People accused him of trying to be white, which is ridiculous," he says. "When I first met him, his vitiligo (a skin disorder that causes pigmentation loss) had gone to the right side of his face and down his neck. Most of his right hand was white. Stark white patches. He used makeup because he had to. Without it, he was speckled all over."
Nordahl never witnessed drug use by Jackson but was keenly aware of pain problems that lingered after the star's hair caught fire on a Pepsi ad soundstage.
"When they were trying to repair that burned spot, he had a balloon under his scalp that was inflated," Nordahl says. "He let me feel it. It was a huge mound. As the skin got stretched, they cut it out and stitched the scalp. He was in excruciating pain."
Jackson seemed an unlikely addict, Nordahl says, noting his avoidance of cigarettes, alcohol, soft drinks and sugar.
"He was mostly a vegetarian," he says. "When he was on tour, the cooks would make him eat fish and sometimes chicken. He loved little chicken wings. He always drank water. I shared wine with him only twice, once with (ex-wife) Lisa Marie (Presley) and once at Ron Burkle's house. Michael had one glass."
The clearest evidence of Jackson's responsible nature emerged in his parenting of Prince, Paris and Blanket.
"Michael was a real dad, not a Hollywood dad," he says. "He'd get up at night to feed them bottles. He'd change them, bathe them, everything a mother does.
"All the time I spent with those kids, I never heard them beg for anything or throw a fit. I never heard them cry. They were so well-adjusted."
Jackson took pains not to spoil his children, says Nordahl, recalling a modest eighth birthday party in L.A. for Prince. (Jackson's mother, Katherine, and sister Rebbie came over but skipped the festivities because of their Jehovah's Witness beliefs, he says.)
"I was curious to see what Prince was going to get," Nordahl says. "I figured it would be pretty extravagant, but he didn't get one thing that cost over $2. He got Play-Doh, little action figures, things we'd call stocking stuffers.
"The kids were not allowed to watch TV or DVDs or play video games" except through points earned by their schoolwork. "Nothing was given to them. Michael said, 'I want them to grow up as close to normal as possible.' Those kids were so respectful and courteous, just sweet."
Surprise visit to Santa Fe
Nordahl grew close to all three. Typically, the artist spent time with the Jackson brood on the West Coast. But over Memorial Day weekend in 2004, the star and his tykes surprised Nordahl by visiting Santa Fe via Jackson's plush private bus (with a 60-inch plasma TV). Jackson suggested a movie outing.
"I thought we were going to a screening room," Nordahl says. "His driver pulled into DeVargas Mall. He was friends with (Roland Emmerich), the director of The Day After Tomorrow, and it was opening weekend. The mall was jammed, and there was no place to park. I took the kids, got the tickets and popcorn, and we went in. Michael came in after the lights went down.
"The lights came up, and nobody noticed him. He had on a baseball cap and these Chinese silk pajamas. The kids had no masks on. Any of those rags would have paid $100,000 for that picture."
Paintings' future unclear
He last saw Jackson in 2005, when the singer moved to Bahrain and vowed never again to live on U.S. soil. Accustomed to lulls when Jackson was overseas or overextended, Nordahl resumed painting Apaches and presumed he'd be summoned once Jackson found a new home and showcase for his treasures.
The fate of Nordahl's Jackson paintings is in limbo, though they may be part of a touring exhibition of the singer's memorabilia proposed by the estate administrators. "I would like to see them in a Michael Jackson museum," Nordahl says. "That was always Michael's goal. He was very self-effacing, but he understood he was a music icon."
Nordahl, represented by Settlers West Galleries in Tucson and Sherwoods Spirit of America in Santa Fe, has returned to painting Apaches and other subjects.
Whether his extended hiatus from the public eye damaged his authority or reputation "is difficult to gauge," Dewey says. "I don't know if it furthered his career. An artist who does commissions for one patron often is just isolated unless the patron publishes or exhibits the work. David's always been independent, and he's never sought publicity."
And how many patrons are the King of Pop?
"We got to be such good friends that I forgot who I was hanging out with," Nordahl says. "Then he'd break into these dance moves, quick as lightning, and it would dawn on me: He's the best entertainer in the world."
Michael Jackson's burial postponed
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Michael Jackson's father, Joe, says the U.S. pop star's burial in California has been postponed two days.
Jackson died June 25 at the age of 50. The cause of his death is still under investigation.
A public memorial was held for the singer July 7, but his body has not been interred yet.
His family announced recently that he would be interred in the Great Mausoleum in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, Calif., on Aug. 29, what would have been his 51st birthday.
However, Joe Jackson told TMZ Thursday the burial has been rescheduled for Aug. 31 because there are still matters the family needs to get in order.
Jackson died June 25 at the age of 50. The cause of his death is still under investigation.
A public memorial was held for the singer July 7, but his body has not been interred yet.
His family announced recently that he would be interred in the Great Mausoleum in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, Calif., on Aug. 29, what would have been his 51st birthday.
However, Joe Jackson told TMZ Thursday the burial has been rescheduled for Aug. 31 because there are still matters the family needs to get in order.
Tickets to Michael Jackson movie go on sale September 27
By Alan Duke
CNN
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The film about Michael Jackson's final three months, which uses video of rehearsals for his concert comeback, will run in theaters worldwide for two weeks only beginning October 28, according to Sony Pictures.
Footage from Michael Jackson's rehearsals for 50 London shows will be used in "This Is It."
Tickets for "Michael Jackson: This Is it" go on sale Sunday, September 27, Sony said in a news release Thursday.
"Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, and genius as he creates and perfects his final show," Sony said.
Kenny Ortega, who was working with Jackson to create the "This Is It" concert, is also directing the documentary.
"As we began assembling the footage for the motion picture, we realized we captured something extraordinary, unique and very special," Ortega said. "It's a very private, exclusive look into a creative genius' world."
Ortega said "This Is It" "may go down as the greatest concert that no one got a chance to see," since the pop singer died three weeks before it was to debut in the O2 Arena in London, England. "But with this film, we get a rare portrait of Michael as he prepares for his final curtain call and what I believe was going to be his master work."
Sony began editing the film last week after concert promoter AEG Live handed over about 100 hours of video it shot during April, May and June 2009.
The initial release date was set for October 30, but Sony said it decided the "special, limited, two-week engagement worldwide" would be moved up two days.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved the deal last week to allow the special administrators of Jackson's estate to sign a contract with Sony and AEG Live to allow the production.
The judge has yet to decide on a deal that would allow AEG Live to conduct a three-city tour of a Michael Jackson memorabilia exhibition to coincide with the film's release.
CNN
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The film about Michael Jackson's final three months, which uses video of rehearsals for his concert comeback, will run in theaters worldwide for two weeks only beginning October 28, according to Sony Pictures.
Footage from Michael Jackson's rehearsals for 50 London shows will be used in "This Is It."
Tickets for "Michael Jackson: This Is it" go on sale Sunday, September 27, Sony said in a news release Thursday.
"Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, and genius as he creates and perfects his final show," Sony said.
Kenny Ortega, who was working with Jackson to create the "This Is It" concert, is also directing the documentary.
"As we began assembling the footage for the motion picture, we realized we captured something extraordinary, unique and very special," Ortega said. "It's a very private, exclusive look into a creative genius' world."
Ortega said "This Is It" "may go down as the greatest concert that no one got a chance to see," since the pop singer died three weeks before it was to debut in the O2 Arena in London, England. "But with this film, we get a rare portrait of Michael as he prepares for his final curtain call and what I believe was going to be his master work."
Sony began editing the film last week after concert promoter AEG Live handed over about 100 hours of video it shot during April, May and June 2009.
The initial release date was set for October 30, but Sony said it decided the "special, limited, two-week engagement worldwide" would be moved up two days.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved the deal last week to allow the special administrators of Jackson's estate to sign a contract with Sony and AEG Live to allow the production.
The judge has yet to decide on a deal that would allow AEG Live to conduct a three-city tour of a Michael Jackson memorabilia exhibition to coincide with the film's release.
Warhol painting of Michael Jackson sold at auction
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A portrait of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, painted pop art icon Andy Warhol has been sold at auction in New York for an undisclosed amount.
Janet Lehr, owner of the Vered Gallery on New York's Long Island, said the painting was sold Tuesday night, and while one report said the price was in excess of $1 million, Lehr declined to give a figure.
The average auction price for a Warhol in recent years has hovered around $17 million, and the top price paid for one of his works at auction was $71 million for a piece called "Car Crash." The high for one of the artist's portraits was $28 million for a Marilyn Monroe picture titled "Lemon Marilyn."
Warhol's Jackson portrait was painted in 1984 and commissioned to celebrate record-breaking sales of the singer's album "Thriller."
Jackson died on June 25 of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles at age 50, only days before he was to have begun a series of comeback concerts at London's O2 arena.
(Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis)
Janet Lehr, owner of the Vered Gallery on New York's Long Island, said the painting was sold Tuesday night, and while one report said the price was in excess of $1 million, Lehr declined to give a figure.
The average auction price for a Warhol in recent years has hovered around $17 million, and the top price paid for one of his works at auction was $71 million for a piece called "Car Crash." The high for one of the artist's portraits was $28 million for a Marilyn Monroe picture titled "Lemon Marilyn."
Warhol's Jackson portrait was painted in 1984 and commissioned to celebrate record-breaking sales of the singer's album "Thriller."
Jackson died on June 25 of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles at age 50, only days before he was to have begun a series of comeback concerts at London's O2 arena.
(Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis)
Jackson `This Is It' film gets 2-week limited run
LOS ANGELES – A Michael Jackson film built around rehearsal footage left behind after his death will be released in a limited two-week theatrical engagement worldwide.
Distributor Sony announced Thursday that the release date for "Michael Jackson: This Is It" has been moved up to Oct. 28, two days earlier than previously announced. Tickets go on sale Sept. 27.
The studio also announced longtime Jackson collaborator Kenny Ortega is directing "This Is It," which offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Jackson preparing for a series of London shows he was rehearsing when he died June 25.
Ortega had been working with Jackson on the "This Is It" concert tour, which had been planned as a colossal 50-show engagement at London's O2 Arena. His other credits include the "High School Musical" movies and an upcoming remake of "Footloose."
"This film is Michael's gift to his fans," Ortega said. "It's a very private, exclusive look into a creative genius's world. For the first time ever, fans will see Michael as they have never seen him before — this great artist at work. It is raw, emotional, moving and powerful footage that captures his interactions with the `This Is It' collaborators that he had personally assembled for this once in a lifetime project."
Sony paid $60 million for rights to the film, which will be drawn from more than 100 hours of footage shot in Los Angeles between April and June as Jackson prepared for the concerts that were to begin in July.
The filmmakers initially intended to include some 3-D footage but have dropped that plan. The film will show Jackson working with singers, dancers, musicians, choreographers and special-effects experts, Ortega said.
Distributor Sony announced Thursday that the release date for "Michael Jackson: This Is It" has been moved up to Oct. 28, two days earlier than previously announced. Tickets go on sale Sept. 27.
The studio also announced longtime Jackson collaborator Kenny Ortega is directing "This Is It," which offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Jackson preparing for a series of London shows he was rehearsing when he died June 25.
Ortega had been working with Jackson on the "This Is It" concert tour, which had been planned as a colossal 50-show engagement at London's O2 Arena. His other credits include the "High School Musical" movies and an upcoming remake of "Footloose."
"This film is Michael's gift to his fans," Ortega said. "It's a very private, exclusive look into a creative genius's world. For the first time ever, fans will see Michael as they have never seen him before — this great artist at work. It is raw, emotional, moving and powerful footage that captures his interactions with the `This Is It' collaborators that he had personally assembled for this once in a lifetime project."
Sony paid $60 million for rights to the film, which will be drawn from more than 100 hours of footage shot in Los Angeles between April and June as Jackson prepared for the concerts that were to begin in July.
The filmmakers initially intended to include some 3-D footage but have dropped that plan. The film will show Jackson working with singers, dancers, musicians, choreographers and special-effects experts, Ortega said.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
MICHAEL JACKSON - JACKSON'S BODY MOVED AND FROZEN
MICHAEL JACKSON's body has been moved in secret to a new crypt, where it's been frozen.
The superstar's remains were originally entombed in a crypt owned by Motown boss Berry Gordy's family at Hollywood's Forest Lawn Cemetery - but a U.S. newspaper claims his mother Katherine has moved him in secret to another building in the complex, where his body is being kept below freezing.
The New York Post suggests Katherine feared grave robbers would attempt to steal the body or desecrate his grave - so she arranged for the switch and has been visiting him two or three times a week.
Sources tell the newspaper the 79-year-old matriarch is delaying his permanent interment as she struggles to come to terms with his death, and has already pulled the plug on plans to bury him in a plot on the Gordy compound.
The superstar's remains were originally entombed in a crypt owned by Motown boss Berry Gordy's family at Hollywood's Forest Lawn Cemetery - but a U.S. newspaper claims his mother Katherine has moved him in secret to another building in the complex, where his body is being kept below freezing.
The New York Post suggests Katherine feared grave robbers would attempt to steal the body or desecrate his grave - so she arranged for the switch and has been visiting him two or three times a week.
Sources tell the newspaper the 79-year-old matriarch is delaying his permanent interment as she struggles to come to terms with his death, and has already pulled the plug on plans to bury him in a plot on the Gordy compound.
Blanket's mother revealed - report
The surrogate mother of Michael Jackson's youngest son is a Mexican nurse.
The woman, known only as Helena, was reportedly paid $20,000 by the late pop legend to become a surrogate for Prince Michael II, known as 'Blanket', when a mystery woman's egg was fertilised with the Thriller singer's sperm and implanted into her.
Despite persistent rumours about who fathered 'Blanket', the birth certificate reveals Michael is the biological dad but the name of the mother has been left blank.
A friend of Michael - who already had two children, Prince Michael I and Paris, with ex-wife Debbie Rowe when 'Blanket' was born - said: "Michael wanted a designer baby. He had two wonderful children but wanted one more and was quite specific on the gene pool he wanted to tap into to."
A string of women were introduced to Michael and he decided on Helena as he thought she was perfect.
The friend added to Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "He chose Helena because she had a latino background but she was also a US citizen and had quite fair skin. He liked her because she was very attractive and seemed stable and intelligent. She was a nurse or medical assistant, which he also liked."
However, as an unnamed egg donor was used, 'Blanket' - who was born on February 21 2002 at a San Diego hospital - wouldn't have inherited any of her physical attributes.
As soon as he entered the world, 'Blanket' was whisked to Michael's Neverland ranch after the egg donor signed over all of her legal rights to the child.
Meanwhile, police investigating the death of Michael have raided a Las Vegas pharmacy to try and find evidence linked to the singer's personal physician Dr Conrad Murray.
Agents searched the property, which is located between Murray's home and office, for about 90 minutes as they continue their investigation into the doctor, who is being probed for manslaughter.
Authorities previously searched Murray's Las Vegas home and offices in Las Vegas and Houston, looking in particular for evidence he had acquired the powerful anaesthetic Propofol, which Michael is believed to have been given by Murray on the day of his death.
Michael passed away on June 25 from a suspected cardiac arrest and earlier this week his body was finally laid to rest at a Los Angeles cemetery.
The woman, known only as Helena, was reportedly paid $20,000 by the late pop legend to become a surrogate for Prince Michael II, known as 'Blanket', when a mystery woman's egg was fertilised with the Thriller singer's sperm and implanted into her.
Despite persistent rumours about who fathered 'Blanket', the birth certificate reveals Michael is the biological dad but the name of the mother has been left blank.
A friend of Michael - who already had two children, Prince Michael I and Paris, with ex-wife Debbie Rowe when 'Blanket' was born - said: "Michael wanted a designer baby. He had two wonderful children but wanted one more and was quite specific on the gene pool he wanted to tap into to."
A string of women were introduced to Michael and he decided on Helena as he thought she was perfect.
The friend added to Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "He chose Helena because she had a latino background but she was also a US citizen and had quite fair skin. He liked her because she was very attractive and seemed stable and intelligent. She was a nurse or medical assistant, which he also liked."
However, as an unnamed egg donor was used, 'Blanket' - who was born on February 21 2002 at a San Diego hospital - wouldn't have inherited any of her physical attributes.
As soon as he entered the world, 'Blanket' was whisked to Michael's Neverland ranch after the egg donor signed over all of her legal rights to the child.
Meanwhile, police investigating the death of Michael have raided a Las Vegas pharmacy to try and find evidence linked to the singer's personal physician Dr Conrad Murray.
Agents searched the property, which is located between Murray's home and office, for about 90 minutes as they continue their investigation into the doctor, who is being probed for manslaughter.
Authorities previously searched Murray's Las Vegas home and offices in Las Vegas and Houston, looking in particular for evidence he had acquired the powerful anaesthetic Propofol, which Michael is believed to have been given by Murray on the day of his death.
Michael passed away on June 25 from a suspected cardiac arrest and earlier this week his body was finally laid to rest at a Los Angeles cemetery.
Michael Jackson's estate 'flooded' with cash
Michael Jackson has earned £60 million (NZ$145 million) since his death.
Executors of the singer's estate claim money from a film deal and merchandising contracts has "flooded" into Michael's bank accounts since he died in June.
They predict the pop superstar will make another £60 million by the end of the year, and expect him to overtake Nirvana rocker Kurt Cobain and Elvis Presley - who have made £450 million and £362 million respectively from beyond the grave - as the highest-earning dead celebrity in the next 12 months.
Lawyer John Branca, who is co-executor of Michael's estate, said: "Clearly this will be a new record for estates that likely will not be broken. Elvis' estate makes £33 million a year. This will be a bigger estate."
Branca and fellow co-executor, music executive John McClain, have put together a series of deals for commemorative coins, school supplies, a coffee-table book and a film.
They have also been retrieving funds held for Michael by anonymous creditors, thought to amount to "several million pounds", and tallying the value of the singer's property, memorabilia and art collections.
While Michael's earnings steadily increase, his older sister La Toya has spoken about her grief at her sibling's passing.
She said: "It's a very difficult moment for all of us. It's almost - you don't believe it - so you try to do the best you can by feeling his love, by helping and doing something he would want you to do."
Meanwhile, law enforcement sources claim Michael's doctor Conrad Murray had Propofol hidden in the singer's house.
Police officers found three large bottles and five smaller vials of the anaesthetic stashed in a closet in Murray's bedroom at the star's Los Angeles home.
They also believe Murray received regular shipments of the powerful drug - reportedly used to help Michael sleep, and believed to have played a part in his death - through courier service FedEx, which he then hid in other locations.
The search warrant used to raid the Las Vegas pharmacy frequented by Murray showed investigators were looking for FedEx records relating to "the purchase, transfer, receiving, ordering, delivery and storage of Propofol to Dr Conrad Murray".
Police were also looking for credit card receipts relating to a purchase of Propofol the doctor made in May.
Executors of the singer's estate claim money from a film deal and merchandising contracts has "flooded" into Michael's bank accounts since he died in June.
They predict the pop superstar will make another £60 million by the end of the year, and expect him to overtake Nirvana rocker Kurt Cobain and Elvis Presley - who have made £450 million and £362 million respectively from beyond the grave - as the highest-earning dead celebrity in the next 12 months.
Lawyer John Branca, who is co-executor of Michael's estate, said: "Clearly this will be a new record for estates that likely will not be broken. Elvis' estate makes £33 million a year. This will be a bigger estate."
Branca and fellow co-executor, music executive John McClain, have put together a series of deals for commemorative coins, school supplies, a coffee-table book and a film.
They have also been retrieving funds held for Michael by anonymous creditors, thought to amount to "several million pounds", and tallying the value of the singer's property, memorabilia and art collections.
While Michael's earnings steadily increase, his older sister La Toya has spoken about her grief at her sibling's passing.
She said: "It's a very difficult moment for all of us. It's almost - you don't believe it - so you try to do the best you can by feeling his love, by helping and doing something he would want you to do."
Meanwhile, law enforcement sources claim Michael's doctor Conrad Murray had Propofol hidden in the singer's house.
Police officers found three large bottles and five smaller vials of the anaesthetic stashed in a closet in Murray's bedroom at the star's Los Angeles home.
They also believe Murray received regular shipments of the powerful drug - reportedly used to help Michael sleep, and believed to have played a part in his death - through courier service FedEx, which he then hid in other locations.
The search warrant used to raid the Las Vegas pharmacy frequented by Murray showed investigators were looking for FedEx records relating to "the purchase, transfer, receiving, ordering, delivery and storage of Propofol to Dr Conrad Murray".
Police were also looking for credit card receipts relating to a purchase of Propofol the doctor made in May.
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