From the Daily Mail:
La Toya Jackson vented her frustration with the trial into her brother's death yesterday with a stream of extraordinary tweets from the courthouse in which she claimed that Michael Jackson had been murdered.
'This is all a BIG CONSPIRACY and the doctor knows what happened,' the 55-year-old singer wrote on her Twitter account during a break in proceedings.
Miss Jackson, who arrived in court carrying a sunflower, which was Michael's favourite flower, sent a torrent of tweets berating the evidence that was being presented in court.
Miss Jackson started sending the messages as soon as she was about to enter the courthouse in Los Angeles, with a message insinuating that there were others involved in the death of her brother.
'Good morning! On way to court,' she tweeted. 'Wish all parties involved were on trial. And not just Murray.'
She then wrote: 'This is DEFINITELY A STRAIGHT MURDER TRIAL!!!!'
The singer claimed that there are other witnesses who have yet to come forward to police.
'There are wives, girlfriends and employees who know exactly what happened to Michael, please come forward and tell what really happened,' she wrote.
Miss Jackson repeated her calls for 'justice'.
'Michael worked his entire life for his children. Please help us get justice. Dr. Murray is a very small piece of the puzzle,' she wrote. 'I feel like screaming! Murray knows exactly what happened at Carolwood and who else is behind all of this.'
'We are back in the court room. Justice!!! Justice!!!! Justice!!!' she continued.
The singer seemed to suggest that her brother may have been killed for money.
'Whenever someone is murdered, U follow the money trail & U C who has the most to gain, those are normally the ones responsible,' she wrote.
'The family has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING 2 do with his estate!' she added...
'This is a BIG CONSPIRACY': La Toya Jackson claims brother was murdered in extraordinary tweets from courtroom
John Stevens
28th September 2011
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/usshowbiz/article-2042867/Michael-Jackson-trial-La-Toya-Jackson-blasts-Dr-Conrad-Murray-trial-conspiracy-tweets.html
Showing posts with label Michael Jackson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael Jackson. Show all posts
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
We Got Your Crazy: The Wackiest VMA Moments Ever
Sat Aug 27, 2011
Lyndsey Parker
http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/awards/47302/we-got-your-crazy-the-wackiest-vma-moments-ever
Let's be real: When it comes to the MTV Video Music Awards, it's never about who wins or loses. Everyone has long forgotten that the Cars' "You Might Think" took top honors at the first VMAs ceremony, or even that Beyonce's "Single Ladies" was the big winner in 2009, but no one will ever forget Madonna's career-making performance from 1984 or Kanye West's Taylor Swift bumrush from 2009.
MTV correspondent Sway promises that this year's show will offer plenty surprises as he anticipates viewers watching with their mouths agape. Considering Lady Gaga topped last year's event with the Video Of The Year win as well as the night's most edible fashion moment, we should expect her to uphold her rep when she opens the show. But you think Gaga can top these 16 craziest incidents in VMA history? Review them below and decide for yourself.
Lady Gaga Answers Age Old Question, "Where's The Beef?" (2010)
Only show-stealer Lady Gaga could upstage herself at the VMAs. You think it would be honor enough for Lady Gaga to take home the moonman for Video Of The Year. But no. She received her trophy wearing a dress literally made of raw meat. Viewers wondered if Kanye would apologize to Taylor for ruining her first VMA moment the year prior. And though he didn't, and instead lead the audience in a toast to his fellow jerks, no one really cared. Everyone wanted to know, however, who made Gaga's dress, and whether or not it needed to be refrigerated. This past June we learned that the beefy couture has been preserved by a taxidermist and will enjoy a stay at the Rock And Rock Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum.
Kanye West Doesn't Let Taylor Swift Finish (2009)
In a cruel move that's been likened to pig's blood being dumped on Carrie at the prom, in 2009 Kanye ruined America's sweetheart's big moment when he hopped onstage to protest her winning the Best Female Video moonman over "Single Ladies," aka the BEST VIDEO OF ALL TIME (capslock is Kanye's, not Yahoo!'s). It may have been the greatest thing that ever happened to Taylor's career, which took off as the entire world sympathetically rallied around her. But it was still mean. A year later, Kanye is profusely apologizing all over Twitter and Chelsea's hinting that there may be some sort of West/Swift reunion at this weekend's VMAs. If so, will Kanye really let Taylor finish this time?
Britney's "Gimme More" Performance: Gimme Less, Please (2007)
Don't call it a comeback. Because it wasn't. Yes, the big hype in '07 was the fact that Britney Spears--a woman who'd made VMA history in the past by performing with an albino snake--would be kicking off that year's Vegas ceremony with a performance of her supposed comeback single, "Gimme More." But with worse lip-synching than "SNL"-era Ashlee Simpson, clodfooted choreography that in no way reflected the hours of rehearsal time she'd reportedly logged at the Millennium Dance Studio, and utterly confused/disappointed expressions on the famous faces of spectators like 50 Cent and Chris Brown (too bad the cameras didn't cut to Justin Timberlake's surely priceless reaction)...seriously, Kevin Federline could have done a better job opening the VMAs. This performance was trainwrecky enough to make fans shave their own heads in protest, and at the time it seemed like Britney's career was finally kaput.
Tommy Lee & Kid Rock In The Battle For Pamela (2007)
Apparently Pamela Anderson is the Helen Of Troy of rock 'n' roll. In 2007, the "Baywatch" babe's two ex-husbands, Tommy Lee and Kid Rock, got into a brawl during, of all things, Alicia Keys's otherwise mellow VMA performance--resulting in both rockers being escorted out by security. Kid was for all purposes the winner of this fight, since he managed to a) land a punch on Tommy's face and b) keep his cigar in his mouth throughout the brawl. (Kid was cited for misdemeanor battery for his assault on Tommy.) Host Jamie Foxx lightened the mood by later jokingly asking the audience to "stop white-on-white crime."
Madonna, Britney & Xtina: The Kiss Heard Around The World (2003)
All anyone remembers about the 2003 VMAs is the opening number featuring Madonna and the two logical successors to her pop-starlet throne, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. We just think it's sad that people only remember Madge swapping spit with Britney--she kissed Christina too, you know! But somehow it's that Britney/Madonna smooch that remains ingrained in every VMA viewer's brain. Missy Elliott also rapped with the trio, by the way, and her video "Work It" won Video The Year, too. No one remembers that either.
Michael Jackson Wins Non-Existent "Artist Of Millennium" Award (2002)
The King Of Pop was once of the king of MTV. In fact, MTV probably wouldn't have become the empire it is now without his groundbreaking early videos. So it's understandable that when Michael appeared on the VMAs--with Britney Spears presenting him with his 44th birthday cake and saying he was the "artist of the millennium" in her eyes--he thought he was getting a well-deserved Artist Of Millennium Award. The truly embarrassing part was that he mistook a cheap Styrofoam cake decoration for a trophy, then delivered an emotional acceptance speech that namechecked David Blaine. Oh well. Maybe Michael will get a posthumous Artist Of Millennium Award this year...
Eminem Feuds With Moby, Puppet (2002)
Marshall Mathers really needs to pick on people his own size. While Kid Rock at least had the decency to brawl with an equal opponent, in 2002 Eminem flipped off bookish, bespectacled techno star Moby (whom he'd ridiculed in "Without Me"), then later called Moby a "little girl" in one of his acceptance speeches and warned, "I will hit a man with glasses." He also shoved Conan-affiliated canine hand puppet Triumph The Insult Comic Dog, when Triumph attempted to interview Eminem about the Moby incident. Despite being the big VMA winner that year, Shady's shady behavior elicited rounds of audience boos. Where was Kanye to interrupt Eminem's nasty speech, when Moby and Triumph needed him most?
Rage Against The Machine's Bassist Rages Against...Something, We're Just Not Sure What (2000)
Rage Against The Machine are known for their organized protests, but there was nothing organized about the 2000 VMAs, when RATM bass-slinger Tim Commerford (who was calling himself "Tim2K" at the time, in honor of the new millennium) climbed on top of some stage scaffolding during the broadcast and refused to come down. No one was really quite sure what he was protesting, either--although we're going to guess it was the fact that Limp Bizkit had just won an award. Regardless, it was later revealed that rabblerousing documentary director Michael Moore had encouraged Tim2K to "follow his heart" and go through with this stunt.
Diana Ross Gives Lil' Kim A Hand (1999)
When Motown legend Diana met queen bee Kim (when they presented an award together with Mary J. Blige), a simple handshake just wouldn't do. Dirty Diana instead took a very hands-on approach, and enthusiastically jiggled Kim's purple-pastie'd left bosom onstage. Talk about a boob-tube moment!
Fiona Is One Sour Apple (1997)
When waify songstress Fiona Apple was only 20 years old, she was presented with a Best New Artist moonman by none other than Elton John, beating out frontrunners like Hanson, the Wallflowers, and Jamiroquai, the latter of whom won a ton of VMAs for "Virtual Insanity" that year. This was every young artist's dream. But not for Fiona. Instead she took her time at the podium to denounce the entire awards show. "Everybody out there who is watching this world, this world is bulls**t," she babbled, adding a Maya Angelou quote just to keep things classy. Where was Kanye in '97, to interrupt this?
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love: Van Halen's Botched Reunion Attempt (1996)
The reunion between Van Halen and off/on original frontman David Lee Roth on the VMAs stage--their first appearance together in 10 years--was so exciting. For about 47 seconds. Because that's about how long this particular VH reunion lasted. Eddie Van Halen's icy body language at the VMAs made it clear that he still loathed Diamond Dave--at times he was standing so far away from Roth, he may as well have been on a different show on another network--and Dave's constant goofy quips about Eddie's hip surgery didn't help matters. Rumor has it they nearly got in a fistfight backstage. Now in 2010, Roth and VH are reunited once more and working on a comeback album. So, will they appear at this year's VMAs? We guess that if they do, they'll split up immediately afterwards, and their comeback album will never come out.
Courtney Love Doesn't Let Madonna & Kurt Loder Finish (1995)
The most exciting moment of the '95 VMAs actually took place offstage, once the show was over, when loose-cannon rock widow Courtney Love hijacked VJ Kurt Loder's perfectly civilized interview with elder stateswoman Madonna. (Courtney got Kurt's attention by tossing her powder compact into the press pit.) A lesser pop star may have been intimidated by Courtney's crazy antics. But Courtney was no match for Madge, who in a refreshing change of pace came across as classy and totally non-controversial, smiling benignly while Courtney struggled to remain upright and babbled about Michael Stipe and Birkenstocks. This was live television at its finest.
Michael Jackson Kisses His Bride (1994)
Amid rumors that their tabloid marriage was a sham, a ploy to clean up Michael's post-child-molestation-accusations image, the King Of Pop and the King's daughter canoodled openly onstage at the 1994 VMAs. They convinced precisely three people that they were really in love, while their sloppy smooch effectively grossed out the other 5 million or so people who were watching. Lisa Marie later told Rolling Stone: "That [kiss] was not my idea, by the way. I was terrified. It was [Michael's] manager's idea. I thought it was stupid. All of a sudden I became part of a public relations machine."
The Beasties Sabotage R.E.M.'s Speech (1994)
The Beastie Boys' "Sabotage," one of the GREATEST MUSIC VIDEOS EVER (capslock is Yahoo!'s, not Kanye's), ridiculously lost out in all categories. This shutout so angered Beastie Adam Yauch's lederhosened alter ego, Nathaniel Hornblower, that Nathaniel famously bumrushed the stage during Michael Stipe's typically PC speech, yodeling, "This is an outrage! This is a farce!" (over the injustice that "Sabotage" mastermind Spike Jonze had lost the Best Direction award to R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts"). Stipe just looked confused. But we think it was the VMA judges who were most confused. Spike should have won. We bet even Kanye would agree.
Nirvana Perform At VMAs, Chaos Ensues (1992)
Kurt Cobain never seemed at ease with the whole MTV megafame thing, which was at its peak in 1992, one year after Nevermind came out and changed the music business in ways he probably never imagined or intended. So when Nirvana performed at that year's VMAs, Kurt was his typical rebellious self--starting their performance with a few un-PC bars of their unreleased and unrehearsed tune "Rape Me" (against VMA producers' wishes) in one of the most chaotic and punk-rock appearances in MTV history. At the performance's conclusion, bandmate Krist Novoselic hurled his bass guitar in the air and tried to catch it, but it wacked him in the face instead. Krist blogged years later that Queen's Brian May had nursed him backstage with a glass of champagne, indicating that Krist had adjusted to the swishy MTV lifestyle much more easily than Kurt ever did.
Madonna's Opening Number: A Video Star Is Born (1984)
Older generations vividly recall the exact moment when they first saw Elvis twitch his pelvis on TV or when the Beatles first performed on "Ed Sullivan." But for children of the '80s, one of the most defining televised music moments was when Madonna kicked off the first annual VMAs. Given the many outrageous antics she'd pull off later in her career, it's hard to fathom now that back then, viewers were genuinely shocked when Madonna rolled around onstage to "Like A Virgin" in a see-through wedding gown, granny panties, and pile of rosary beads. But no one had ever seen anything like it at the time. And come to think of it, no one's seen anything like it since.
Lyndsey Parker
http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/awards/47302/we-got-your-crazy-the-wackiest-vma-moments-ever
Let's be real: When it comes to the MTV Video Music Awards, it's never about who wins or loses. Everyone has long forgotten that the Cars' "You Might Think" took top honors at the first VMAs ceremony, or even that Beyonce's "Single Ladies" was the big winner in 2009, but no one will ever forget Madonna's career-making performance from 1984 or Kanye West's Taylor Swift bumrush from 2009.
MTV correspondent Sway promises that this year's show will offer plenty surprises as he anticipates viewers watching with their mouths agape. Considering Lady Gaga topped last year's event with the Video Of The Year win as well as the night's most edible fashion moment, we should expect her to uphold her rep when she opens the show. But you think Gaga can top these 16 craziest incidents in VMA history? Review them below and decide for yourself.
Lady Gaga Answers Age Old Question, "Where's The Beef?" (2010)
Only show-stealer Lady Gaga could upstage herself at the VMAs. You think it would be honor enough for Lady Gaga to take home the moonman for Video Of The Year. But no. She received her trophy wearing a dress literally made of raw meat. Viewers wondered if Kanye would apologize to Taylor for ruining her first VMA moment the year prior. And though he didn't, and instead lead the audience in a toast to his fellow jerks, no one really cared. Everyone wanted to know, however, who made Gaga's dress, and whether or not it needed to be refrigerated. This past June we learned that the beefy couture has been preserved by a taxidermist and will enjoy a stay at the Rock And Rock Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum.
Kanye West Doesn't Let Taylor Swift Finish (2009)
In a cruel move that's been likened to pig's blood being dumped on Carrie at the prom, in 2009 Kanye ruined America's sweetheart's big moment when he hopped onstage to protest her winning the Best Female Video moonman over "Single Ladies," aka the BEST VIDEO OF ALL TIME (capslock is Kanye's, not Yahoo!'s). It may have been the greatest thing that ever happened to Taylor's career, which took off as the entire world sympathetically rallied around her. But it was still mean. A year later, Kanye is profusely apologizing all over Twitter and Chelsea's hinting that there may be some sort of West/Swift reunion at this weekend's VMAs. If so, will Kanye really let Taylor finish this time?
Britney's "Gimme More" Performance: Gimme Less, Please (2007)
Don't call it a comeback. Because it wasn't. Yes, the big hype in '07 was the fact that Britney Spears--a woman who'd made VMA history in the past by performing with an albino snake--would be kicking off that year's Vegas ceremony with a performance of her supposed comeback single, "Gimme More." But with worse lip-synching than "SNL"-era Ashlee Simpson, clodfooted choreography that in no way reflected the hours of rehearsal time she'd reportedly logged at the Millennium Dance Studio, and utterly confused/disappointed expressions on the famous faces of spectators like 50 Cent and Chris Brown (too bad the cameras didn't cut to Justin Timberlake's surely priceless reaction)...seriously, Kevin Federline could have done a better job opening the VMAs. This performance was trainwrecky enough to make fans shave their own heads in protest, and at the time it seemed like Britney's career was finally kaput.
Tommy Lee & Kid Rock In The Battle For Pamela (2007)
Apparently Pamela Anderson is the Helen Of Troy of rock 'n' roll. In 2007, the "Baywatch" babe's two ex-husbands, Tommy Lee and Kid Rock, got into a brawl during, of all things, Alicia Keys's otherwise mellow VMA performance--resulting in both rockers being escorted out by security. Kid was for all purposes the winner of this fight, since he managed to a) land a punch on Tommy's face and b) keep his cigar in his mouth throughout the brawl. (Kid was cited for misdemeanor battery for his assault on Tommy.) Host Jamie Foxx lightened the mood by later jokingly asking the audience to "stop white-on-white crime."
Madonna, Britney & Xtina: The Kiss Heard Around The World (2003)
All anyone remembers about the 2003 VMAs is the opening number featuring Madonna and the two logical successors to her pop-starlet throne, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. We just think it's sad that people only remember Madge swapping spit with Britney--she kissed Christina too, you know! But somehow it's that Britney/Madonna smooch that remains ingrained in every VMA viewer's brain. Missy Elliott also rapped with the trio, by the way, and her video "Work It" won Video The Year, too. No one remembers that either.
Michael Jackson Wins Non-Existent "Artist Of Millennium" Award (2002)
The King Of Pop was once of the king of MTV. In fact, MTV probably wouldn't have become the empire it is now without his groundbreaking early videos. So it's understandable that when Michael appeared on the VMAs--with Britney Spears presenting him with his 44th birthday cake and saying he was the "artist of the millennium" in her eyes--he thought he was getting a well-deserved Artist Of Millennium Award. The truly embarrassing part was that he mistook a cheap Styrofoam cake decoration for a trophy, then delivered an emotional acceptance speech that namechecked David Blaine. Oh well. Maybe Michael will get a posthumous Artist Of Millennium Award this year...
Eminem Feuds With Moby, Puppet (2002)
Marshall Mathers really needs to pick on people his own size. While Kid Rock at least had the decency to brawl with an equal opponent, in 2002 Eminem flipped off bookish, bespectacled techno star Moby (whom he'd ridiculed in "Without Me"), then later called Moby a "little girl" in one of his acceptance speeches and warned, "I will hit a man with glasses." He also shoved Conan-affiliated canine hand puppet Triumph The Insult Comic Dog, when Triumph attempted to interview Eminem about the Moby incident. Despite being the big VMA winner that year, Shady's shady behavior elicited rounds of audience boos. Where was Kanye to interrupt Eminem's nasty speech, when Moby and Triumph needed him most?
Rage Against The Machine's Bassist Rages Against...Something, We're Just Not Sure What (2000)
Rage Against The Machine are known for their organized protests, but there was nothing organized about the 2000 VMAs, when RATM bass-slinger Tim Commerford (who was calling himself "Tim2K" at the time, in honor of the new millennium) climbed on top of some stage scaffolding during the broadcast and refused to come down. No one was really quite sure what he was protesting, either--although we're going to guess it was the fact that Limp Bizkit had just won an award. Regardless, it was later revealed that rabblerousing documentary director Michael Moore had encouraged Tim2K to "follow his heart" and go through with this stunt.
Diana Ross Gives Lil' Kim A Hand (1999)
When Motown legend Diana met queen bee Kim (when they presented an award together with Mary J. Blige), a simple handshake just wouldn't do. Dirty Diana instead took a very hands-on approach, and enthusiastically jiggled Kim's purple-pastie'd left bosom onstage. Talk about a boob-tube moment!
Fiona Is One Sour Apple (1997)
When waify songstress Fiona Apple was only 20 years old, she was presented with a Best New Artist moonman by none other than Elton John, beating out frontrunners like Hanson, the Wallflowers, and Jamiroquai, the latter of whom won a ton of VMAs for "Virtual Insanity" that year. This was every young artist's dream. But not for Fiona. Instead she took her time at the podium to denounce the entire awards show. "Everybody out there who is watching this world, this world is bulls**t," she babbled, adding a Maya Angelou quote just to keep things classy. Where was Kanye in '97, to interrupt this?
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love: Van Halen's Botched Reunion Attempt (1996)
The reunion between Van Halen and off/on original frontman David Lee Roth on the VMAs stage--their first appearance together in 10 years--was so exciting. For about 47 seconds. Because that's about how long this particular VH reunion lasted. Eddie Van Halen's icy body language at the VMAs made it clear that he still loathed Diamond Dave--at times he was standing so far away from Roth, he may as well have been on a different show on another network--and Dave's constant goofy quips about Eddie's hip surgery didn't help matters. Rumor has it they nearly got in a fistfight backstage. Now in 2010, Roth and VH are reunited once more and working on a comeback album. So, will they appear at this year's VMAs? We guess that if they do, they'll split up immediately afterwards, and their comeback album will never come out.
Courtney Love Doesn't Let Madonna & Kurt Loder Finish (1995)
The most exciting moment of the '95 VMAs actually took place offstage, once the show was over, when loose-cannon rock widow Courtney Love hijacked VJ Kurt Loder's perfectly civilized interview with elder stateswoman Madonna. (Courtney got Kurt's attention by tossing her powder compact into the press pit.) A lesser pop star may have been intimidated by Courtney's crazy antics. But Courtney was no match for Madge, who in a refreshing change of pace came across as classy and totally non-controversial, smiling benignly while Courtney struggled to remain upright and babbled about Michael Stipe and Birkenstocks. This was live television at its finest.
Michael Jackson Kisses His Bride (1994)
Amid rumors that their tabloid marriage was a sham, a ploy to clean up Michael's post-child-molestation-accusations image, the King Of Pop and the King's daughter canoodled openly onstage at the 1994 VMAs. They convinced precisely three people that they were really in love, while their sloppy smooch effectively grossed out the other 5 million or so people who were watching. Lisa Marie later told Rolling Stone: "That [kiss] was not my idea, by the way. I was terrified. It was [Michael's] manager's idea. I thought it was stupid. All of a sudden I became part of a public relations machine."
The Beasties Sabotage R.E.M.'s Speech (1994)
The Beastie Boys' "Sabotage," one of the GREATEST MUSIC VIDEOS EVER (capslock is Yahoo!'s, not Kanye's), ridiculously lost out in all categories. This shutout so angered Beastie Adam Yauch's lederhosened alter ego, Nathaniel Hornblower, that Nathaniel famously bumrushed the stage during Michael Stipe's typically PC speech, yodeling, "This is an outrage! This is a farce!" (over the injustice that "Sabotage" mastermind Spike Jonze had lost the Best Direction award to R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts"). Stipe just looked confused. But we think it was the VMA judges who were most confused. Spike should have won. We bet even Kanye would agree.
Nirvana Perform At VMAs, Chaos Ensues (1992)
Kurt Cobain never seemed at ease with the whole MTV megafame thing, which was at its peak in 1992, one year after Nevermind came out and changed the music business in ways he probably never imagined or intended. So when Nirvana performed at that year's VMAs, Kurt was his typical rebellious self--starting their performance with a few un-PC bars of their unreleased and unrehearsed tune "Rape Me" (against VMA producers' wishes) in one of the most chaotic and punk-rock appearances in MTV history. At the performance's conclusion, bandmate Krist Novoselic hurled his bass guitar in the air and tried to catch it, but it wacked him in the face instead. Krist blogged years later that Queen's Brian May had nursed him backstage with a glass of champagne, indicating that Krist had adjusted to the swishy MTV lifestyle much more easily than Kurt ever did.
Madonna's Opening Number: A Video Star Is Born (1984)
Older generations vividly recall the exact moment when they first saw Elvis twitch his pelvis on TV or when the Beatles first performed on "Ed Sullivan." But for children of the '80s, one of the most defining televised music moments was when Madonna kicked off the first annual VMAs. Given the many outrageous antics she'd pull off later in her career, it's hard to fathom now that back then, viewers were genuinely shocked when Madonna rolled around onstage to "Like A Virgin" in a see-through wedding gown, granny panties, and pile of rosary beads. But no one had ever seen anything like it at the time. And come to think of it, no one's seen anything like it since.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Anniversaries
Jacko's Death - June 25, 2009
Gone down the memory hole is the bizarre icky creepiness that dodged the final 20 years of his life. What is remembered is a musical performer with a magnetism not seen since Elvis. Since his death, his estate has made over $1 billion.
Michael Jackson's Legacy, Two Years Later, By the Numbers
Gil Kaufman
Jun 25 2011
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666426/michael-jackson-anniversary.jhtml
*
iPhone - June 29, 2007
$500 for a cell with 4GB of storage? No way is this thing gonna sell!
Happy 4th Birthday, iPhone
Jared Newman
June 29, 2011
http://techland.time.com/2011/06/29/happy-4th-birthday-iphone
*
Ernest Hemingway's Death - July 2, 1961
Hemingway was a self-destructive alcoholic impaired by depression for most of his life. He is also arguably the greatest of all American writers, whose style of minimalism turned understatement into the greatest of virtues. Literature has never replaced him.
50 years ago: Hemingway commits suicide
27 June 2011
http://wsws.org/articles/2011/jun2011/twih-j27.shtml#50
*
Cheerios - 1941
One in eight boxes of cereal in the US are the Cheerios brand, which turns 70 this year.
In 1979, Honey Nut Cheerios were introduced, which is now the best-selling brand of the breakfast staple. Apple Cinnamon, MultiGrain, Frosted, Berry Burst and Chocolate flavors have followed.
Facts about Cheerios in their 70th year
06.24.11
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/06/24/lifestyle-us-cheerios-facts_8533159.html
*
Gone with the Wind: June 30, 1936
A book glorifying the Confederacy sprinkled with usage of the dreaded "N" word may not be politically correct, but it still has its fanbase. "Windies" may not get the headlines that Trekkies or Star Wars fans get, but with over 30 million readers, the book (and the film based on it) still has its following.
At 75, 'Gone with the Wind' still attracts fans, cash and controversy
Jim Auchmutey
June 25, 2011
http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/06/25/gone.with.the.wind.fans
Gone down the memory hole is the bizarre icky creepiness that dodged the final 20 years of his life. What is remembered is a musical performer with a magnetism not seen since Elvis. Since his death, his estate has made over $1 billion.
Michael Jackson's Legacy, Two Years Later, By the Numbers
Gil Kaufman
Jun 25 2011
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666426/michael-jackson-anniversary.jhtml
*
iPhone - June 29, 2007
$500 for a cell with 4GB of storage? No way is this thing gonna sell!
Happy 4th Birthday, iPhone
Jared Newman
June 29, 2011
http://techland.time.com/2011/06/29/happy-4th-birthday-iphone
*
Ernest Hemingway's Death - July 2, 1961
Hemingway was a self-destructive alcoholic impaired by depression for most of his life. He is also arguably the greatest of all American writers, whose style of minimalism turned understatement into the greatest of virtues. Literature has never replaced him.
50 years ago: Hemingway commits suicide
27 June 2011
http://wsws.org/articles/2011/jun2011/twih-j27.shtml#50
*
Cheerios - 1941
One in eight boxes of cereal in the US are the Cheerios brand, which turns 70 this year.
In 1979, Honey Nut Cheerios were introduced, which is now the best-selling brand of the breakfast staple. Apple Cinnamon, MultiGrain, Frosted, Berry Burst and Chocolate flavors have followed.
Facts about Cheerios in their 70th year
06.24.11
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/06/24/lifestyle-us-cheerios-facts_8533159.html
*
Gone with the Wind: June 30, 1936
A book glorifying the Confederacy sprinkled with usage of the dreaded "N" word may not be politically correct, but it still has its fanbase. "Windies" may not get the headlines that Trekkies or Star Wars fans get, but with over 30 million readers, the book (and the film based on it) still has its following.
At 75, 'Gone with the Wind' still attracts fans, cash and controversy
Jim Auchmutey
June 25, 2011
http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/06/25/gone.with.the.wind.fans
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Lady Gaga Beats Obama to 10M Facebook Fans
Lady Gaga Beats Obama to 10M Facebook Fans
Singer beats president to milestone
Nick McMaster
Jul 2, 2010
More than 10 million Facebook users are fans of Lady Gaga, making her the first living person to reach the eight-digit reaches of global popularity, Us reports. Michael Jackson, Family Guy, Texas Hold 'Em, and Mafia Wars are the only other entities with 10 million fans. Even President Obama has only 9,058,881, according to Mediaite. Lady Gaga posted a video on Facebook to thank her fans.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Michael Jackson was murdered for his back catalogue, claims sister LaToya
http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2010/06/24/michael-jackson-was-murdered-for-his-back-catalogue-claims-sister-latoya-115875-22356116/
Michael Jackson was murdered for his back catalogue, claims sister LaToya
24/06/2010
Michael Jackson was murdered because he was "worth so much more dead than alive", his sister said today.
In a television interview, LaToya Jackson insisted the Thriller singer's relatives and fans now deserve "the truth" about his death.
Asked whether she believed the star was murdered, she said: "I never had a doubt. You must remember from the day that I found out that Michael was no longer with us, when my mother screamed 'he's dead' on the phone, I just went into this, 'Who did it?"'
The singer's death, on June 25 last year, sparked a litany of conspiracy theories.
But his sister insisted: "Michael was murdered for his catalogue - that's the bottom line.
"He was murdered for his catalogue and they knew that, and they knew Michael was much more, worth so much more dead than alive.
"His children deserve the truth. I think his parents deserve the truth, his family and his fans.
"Personally I think it is a slap in the face, not just to Michael but to the entire family. It's totally unfair, it's wrong and it was not an accident."
LaToya once caused a storm by publicly distancing herself from the star and condemning him for his alleged behaviour with children.
But she now claims her "management" made her read a statement out to the world's press, without knowing what it said.
This morning she told GMTV: "I always wanted the world to see Michael the way we did. He was such a good-living, caring, kind person."
Describing her mother's grief after Jackson's death at the age of 50, she added: "I could see the pain and the sorrow in her eyes. But she was strong - she chose not to cry and I think she chose that for the children."
Jackson named his mother as his first choice to raise children Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11, and Prince Michael II, eight, in a 2002 will.
Michael Jackson was murdered for his back catalogue, claims sister LaToya
24/06/2010
Michael Jackson was murdered because he was "worth so much more dead than alive", his sister said today.
In a television interview, LaToya Jackson insisted the Thriller singer's relatives and fans now deserve "the truth" about his death.
Asked whether she believed the star was murdered, she said: "I never had a doubt. You must remember from the day that I found out that Michael was no longer with us, when my mother screamed 'he's dead' on the phone, I just went into this, 'Who did it?"'
The singer's death, on June 25 last year, sparked a litany of conspiracy theories.
But his sister insisted: "Michael was murdered for his catalogue - that's the bottom line.
"He was murdered for his catalogue and they knew that, and they knew Michael was much more, worth so much more dead than alive.
"His children deserve the truth. I think his parents deserve the truth, his family and his fans.
"Personally I think it is a slap in the face, not just to Michael but to the entire family. It's totally unfair, it's wrong and it was not an accident."
LaToya once caused a storm by publicly distancing herself from the star and condemning him for his alleged behaviour with children.
But she now claims her "management" made her read a statement out to the world's press, without knowing what it said.
This morning she told GMTV: "I always wanted the world to see Michael the way we did. He was such a good-living, caring, kind person."
Describing her mother's grief after Jackson's death at the age of 50, she added: "I could see the pain and the sorrow in her eyes. But she was strong - she chose not to cry and I think she chose that for the children."
Jackson named his mother as his first choice to raise children Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11, and Prince Michael II, eight, in a 2002 will.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Dr. Murray's Defense - Jackson Killed Himself
http://www.tmz.com/2010/04/05/michael-jackson-dr-conrad-murray-propofol-death-cause-iv-addict-overdose-heart-legal-defense/
Dr. Murray's Defense - Jackson Killed Himself
Posted Apr 5th 2010
TMZ has learned Dr. Conrad Murray's legal defense is that Michael Jackson gave himself the fatal dose of Propofol.
Multiple sources familiar with the strategy tell TMZ the defense argument goes like this:
- At around 10:50 AM, Dr. Murray gave Jackson 25 mg of Propofol from a 20 ml bottle -- that's only about 1/8 of the bottle.
- The dose Dr. Murray administered would keep someone asleep for only 5 to 10 minutes, but the Propofol, along with the Ativan and Versed that was already in MJ's system, had a synergistic effect that put Jackson to sleep for a longer period of time.
- For the next hour, Dr. Murray stayed in the room and was on the phone for much of the time. Dr. Murray didn't leave the room to make the calls because MJ liked activity in the room, regularly sleeping with the lights on and cartoons blaring on the TV.
- At around noon, Dr. Murray left the room for approximately two minutes to go to the bathroom. While he was gone, the defense believes Jackson suddenly awakened and was frustrated he had spent nearly 9 hours trying in vain to sleep. The defense theory -- Jackson took the 20 ml bottle of Propofol and self-injected the remaining contents through the IV, causing a massive overdose that stopped his heart.
- Dr. Murray walked back in the room and saw Jackson with his eyes open and pupils dilated. Dr. Murray dropped the phone (he was speaking with his girlfriend) and began administering CPR.
The defense will argue Michael Jackson was a long-time Propofol addict -- something TMZ first reported shortly after the singer's death. As one source said, Jackson liked the sensation of Propofol being administered by IV, adding, "Michael liked to push it."
L.A. County Coroner's investigators took a picture in the room, showing an empty Propofol bottle on the floor, underneath the nightstand by Jackson's bed. The defense will argue Jackson grabbed the bottle from the nightstand, injected himself and then dropped the bottle.
Remember, law enforcement believes Dr. Murray hid bottles of Propofol before paramedics arrived. The defense will argue ... if Dr. Murray was really hiding Propofol, he would have removed the empty bottle under the nightstand that caused Jackson's death.
Ed Chernoff, Murray's attorney, could not be reached for comment.
Dr. Murray's Defense - Jackson Killed Himself
Posted Apr 5th 2010
TMZ has learned Dr. Conrad Murray's legal defense is that Michael Jackson gave himself the fatal dose of Propofol.
Multiple sources familiar with the strategy tell TMZ the defense argument goes like this:
- At around 10:50 AM, Dr. Murray gave Jackson 25 mg of Propofol from a 20 ml bottle -- that's only about 1/8 of the bottle.
- The dose Dr. Murray administered would keep someone asleep for only 5 to 10 minutes, but the Propofol, along with the Ativan and Versed that was already in MJ's system, had a synergistic effect that put Jackson to sleep for a longer period of time.
- For the next hour, Dr. Murray stayed in the room and was on the phone for much of the time. Dr. Murray didn't leave the room to make the calls because MJ liked activity in the room, regularly sleeping with the lights on and cartoons blaring on the TV.
- At around noon, Dr. Murray left the room for approximately two minutes to go to the bathroom. While he was gone, the defense believes Jackson suddenly awakened and was frustrated he had spent nearly 9 hours trying in vain to sleep. The defense theory -- Jackson took the 20 ml bottle of Propofol and self-injected the remaining contents through the IV, causing a massive overdose that stopped his heart.
- Dr. Murray walked back in the room and saw Jackson with his eyes open and pupils dilated. Dr. Murray dropped the phone (he was speaking with his girlfriend) and began administering CPR.
The defense will argue Michael Jackson was a long-time Propofol addict -- something TMZ first reported shortly after the singer's death. As one source said, Jackson liked the sensation of Propofol being administered by IV, adding, "Michael liked to push it."
L.A. County Coroner's investigators took a picture in the room, showing an empty Propofol bottle on the floor, underneath the nightstand by Jackson's bed. The defense will argue Jackson grabbed the bottle from the nightstand, injected himself and then dropped the bottle.
Remember, law enforcement believes Dr. Murray hid bottles of Propofol before paramedics arrived. The defense will argue ... if Dr. Murray was really hiding Propofol, he would have removed the empty bottle under the nightstand that caused Jackson's death.
Ed Chernoff, Murray's attorney, could not be reached for comment.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child named best guitar riff
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/6661438/Jimi-Hendrixs-Voodoo-Child-named-best-guitar-riff-of-all-time.html
Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child named best guitar riff of all time
Voodoo Child, by Jimi Hendrix has been named the greatest guitar riff of all time, more than 40 years after he first recorded the classic jam.
27 Nov 2009
Late guitar guru Hendrix, who topped the singles chart with the track in 1970, triumphed in a poll of musicians.
The track - full title Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - edged past Guns N'Roses song Sweet Child O'Mine which finished second in the poll by musicians' website MusicRadar.com.
When the site's sister magazine Total Guitar last conducted the survey five years ago, the list was headed by the G N'R song.
The list shows that the older riffs are the best. Just two from the past decade make it into the top 20 - Muse's Plug In Baby at 11 and The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army at 15.
Michael Jackson's Beat It, with its Eddie Van Halen guitar part, props up the top 20.
Voodoo Child - with its distinctive 'wah-wah' opening - was first released on Hendrix's Electric Ladyland album and led on from an earlier track, Voodoo Chile, which was a 15-minute blues jam. Confusingly, by the time it was released as a single in 1970 it too had been named Voodoo Chile.
MusicRadar.com's editor-in-chief Mike Goldsmith said: ''Nearly 40 years after his untimely death, Jimi Hendrix is still the undisputed heavyweight champion of rock guitar.
''Of the current generation of six-string stars, only Jack White of The White Stripes and Muse frontman Matt Bellamy feature in the higher echelons of our list. No surprise given both Bellamy and White share - or have inherited - Hendrix's unique blend of experimental instincts and white-knuckle showmanship.
''Above all though, our poll seems to indicate one thing - in 2009, classic rock still rules.''
More than 5,000 MusicRadar users took part in the poll.
The top 20:
1. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
2. Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
3. Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love
4. Deep Purple - Smoke On The Water
5. Derek and the Dominos - Layla
6. AC/DC - Back In Black
7. Metallica - Enter Sandman
8. The Beatles - Day Tripper
9. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
10. The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
11. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
12. Muse - Plug In Baby
13. Eddie Van Halen - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
14. The Kinks - You Really Got Me
15. The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
16. AC/DC - Highway to Hell
17. Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker
18. Black Sabbath - Iron Man
19. Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
20. Michael Jackson - Beat It
Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child named best guitar riff of all time
Voodoo Child, by Jimi Hendrix has been named the greatest guitar riff of all time, more than 40 years after he first recorded the classic jam.
27 Nov 2009
Late guitar guru Hendrix, who topped the singles chart with the track in 1970, triumphed in a poll of musicians.
The track - full title Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - edged past Guns N'Roses song Sweet Child O'Mine which finished second in the poll by musicians' website MusicRadar.com.
When the site's sister magazine Total Guitar last conducted the survey five years ago, the list was headed by the G N'R song.
The list shows that the older riffs are the best. Just two from the past decade make it into the top 20 - Muse's Plug In Baby at 11 and The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army at 15.
Michael Jackson's Beat It, with its Eddie Van Halen guitar part, props up the top 20.
Voodoo Child - with its distinctive 'wah-wah' opening - was first released on Hendrix's Electric Ladyland album and led on from an earlier track, Voodoo Chile, which was a 15-minute blues jam. Confusingly, by the time it was released as a single in 1970 it too had been named Voodoo Chile.
MusicRadar.com's editor-in-chief Mike Goldsmith said: ''Nearly 40 years after his untimely death, Jimi Hendrix is still the undisputed heavyweight champion of rock guitar.
''Of the current generation of six-string stars, only Jack White of The White Stripes and Muse frontman Matt Bellamy feature in the higher echelons of our list. No surprise given both Bellamy and White share - or have inherited - Hendrix's unique blend of experimental instincts and white-knuckle showmanship.
''Above all though, our poll seems to indicate one thing - in 2009, classic rock still rules.''
More than 5,000 MusicRadar users took part in the poll.
The top 20:
1. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
2. Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
3. Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love
4. Deep Purple - Smoke On The Water
5. Derek and the Dominos - Layla
6. AC/DC - Back In Black
7. Metallica - Enter Sandman
8. The Beatles - Day Tripper
9. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
10. The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
11. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
12. Muse - Plug In Baby
13. Eddie Van Halen - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
14. The Kinks - You Really Got Me
15. The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
16. AC/DC - Highway to Hell
17. Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker
18. Black Sabbath - Iron Man
19. Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
20. Michael Jackson - Beat It
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Michael Jackson confessed: I'm an ugly 'lizard'
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/09/26/2009-09-26_michael_jackson_confessed_to_rabbi_shmuley_im_an_ugly_lizard_.htmlMichael Jackson confessed to Rabbi Shmuley: I'm an ugly 'lizard'
By Nancy Dillon
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Saturday, September 26th 2009
The man Michael Jackson saw in the mirror was a grotesque "lizard" who made him sick, according to a new book based on taped confessions.
Jackson was so terrified of growing "old and ugly," he wished he could lock the gates of Neverland and never come out, he says in "The Michael Jackson Tapes."
"I don't want to be seen now ... I am like a lizard. It is horrible," Jackson told a confidant, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.
"If it weren't for children, I would choose death. I mean it," Jackson said almost a decade before he died of a drug overdose.
Boteach recorded more than 30 hours of talks with Jackson in 2000 and 2001 as part of a failed book project.
On the tapes, the King of Pop recalled physical abuse at the hands of his dad and told Boteach he had a crush on Princess Diana, wanted to date a widowed Katie Couric and considered Madonna "jealous" and "not sexy."
He said Madonna "laid down the law" before a date, telling him, "I am not going to Disneyland, okay? That's out."
He said Madonna tried to take him to a strip bar and initiate phone sex, but he refused.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Humor Break
Kanye West is planning to interrupt Patrick Swayze's funeral to let everyone know Michael Jackson's death was way more tragic...
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Home Alone Macaulay Culkin "is dad of Blanket"
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2614985/Home-Alone-Macaulay-Culkin-is-dad-of-Blanket.htmlHome Alone Macaulay Culkin "is dad of Blanket"
DAVID WILLETTS
in Los Angeles
ACTOR Macaulay Culkin is the mystery dad of Michael Jackson's son Blanket, it was claimed last night.
The Home Alone film star is said to have donated sperm to help Jacko create his seven-year-old offspring - real name Prince Michael II - with an unknown surrogate mum.
The two celebrities became firm friends after Culkin, now 29, shot to fame as a child in the 1990 box office smash.
Mystery ... rumours surround identity of Blanket's biological dad
He went on to star alongside Jackson in the video for his hit song Black or White in 1991, regularly visited the singer's Neverland ranch, and took the witness stand to defend him at his 2005 child molestation trial.
One source said: "It is well known Jackson and Macaulay shared a unique bond.
"Now rumours are spreading like wildfire that Macaulay, who Jackson nicknamed Mack, is actually Blanket's biological dad."
Close pals say Jacko, who died aged 50 at his Los Angeles home in June, is not the natural dad of Blanket, his brother Michael, 12, or their 11-year-old sister Paris.
Trusted
Fevered speculation gripped the US after repeated claims that a "well-known Hollywood actor" donated the sperm for Blanket.
Now sources close to Jackson say the Thriller star asked Culkin for the donation to help him complete his "perfect" family.
The source added: "This isn't just chitter-chatter, even Culkin suspects he's Blanket's father.
"So many names have been mentioned as prospective dads, and this is probably the wackiest yet.
"But Jackson and Culkin were best friends. He was one of the few people Jackson really trusted and Mack never let him down.
"Really, Jackson idolised him - that's why he asked Mack to donate sperm.
"Deep down, I think he always wished Mack was his son. Creating Blanket was the next best thing."
Culkin - godfather to Jacko's other two children - has told pals he will not comment in public out of loyalty to his late pal.
Helped by fertility experts and skin specialist Dr Arnie Klein, Jackson is said to have stockpiled the ingredients to genetically engineer three "perfect" kids.
Klein is said to have given sperm for the elder two, while actor Mark Lester has claimed HE is Paris' dad.
Yesterday Jacko's brother Marlon appeared to confirm the star did not conceive his children naturally.
He said: "Those were Michael's kids - regardless of where they came from."
Jackson will be buried on Thursday in a gold-plated coffin in the Hollywood Hills.
Culkin was unavailable for comment.
d.willetts@the-sun.co.uk
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Propofol Killed Michael Jackson
http://www.popeater.com/2009/08/24/documents-propofol-killed-michael-jackson/
Propofol Killed Michael Jackson; Death Reportedly Ruled a Homicide
Monday 24 August
Lethal doses of the powerful anesthetic propofol caused the death of Michael Jackson, according to newly unsealed legal documents. Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray said the King of Pop Jackson was suffering from insomnia, and that he had been giving Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol nightly.
Also, an Associated Press source says the Los Angeles County coroner has ruled Jackson's death a homicide.
The Jackson family released a statement Monday afternoon commending the authorities on their hard work. "The Jackson family has full confidence in the legal process, and commends the ongoing efforts of the L.A. County Coroner, the L.A. District Attorney and the L.A. Police Department," the statement said. "The family looks forward to the day that justice can be served."
Murray, who has been at the center of the investigation into Jackson's death, says he dropped the dosage because he feared Jackson was forming an addiction.
He then gave Jackson 25 milligrams of propofol mixed with other sedatives. On June 25, Murray says he gave Jackson valium, lorazepam, midazolam and other drugs. When Jackson still wasn't able to sleep, Murray gave him 25 milligrams of Propofol after Jackson demanded it.
According to the unsealed documents, Murray told police that Jackson was medicated when he left to make phone calls to family members, but was not breathing upon his return. He performed CPR on Jackson, who was rushed to UCLA Medical Center where he was declared dead.
An Associated Press law enforcement claims the death has already been ruled a homicide, reporting the coroner determined a fatal combination of drugs was given to Jackson, causing his death. The AP reports that Murray is already the target of a manslaughter investigation by the LAPD.
According to TMZ, Murray reported Jackson wasn't breathing at around 11 AM, but a 911 call wasn't made until 12:21. Murray made 3 separate calls from 11:18 to 12:05 according to the documents. Murray also refused to sign the death certificate at the UCLA Medical Center, TMZ is reporting.
Authorities said they could find no evidence that Murray ordered or obtained the drugs under his medical license or DEA tracking number. Police did spot at least eight bottles of propofol in the house along with other prescription drugs prescribed to Jackson by Dr. Murray, Dr. Arnold Klein and Dr. Allan Metzger.
Other drugs confiscated in the search of Jackson's house include Clonazepam, Lorazepam, Lorazepam, Tamsulosin, Temazepam, Tizanidine, Trazodone and Valium.
The investigation of Murray's involvement has focused on whether he was negligent in giving Jackson the drug to Jackson outside a hospital setting and whether that justifies an involuntary manslaughter charge.
Last week, Murray released a video in which he claimed he "told the truth and I have faith the truth will prevail."
Propofol Killed Michael Jackson; Death Reportedly Ruled a Homicide
Monday 24 August
Lethal doses of the powerful anesthetic propofol caused the death of Michael Jackson, according to newly unsealed legal documents. Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray said the King of Pop Jackson was suffering from insomnia, and that he had been giving Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol nightly.
Also, an Associated Press source says the Los Angeles County coroner has ruled Jackson's death a homicide.
The Jackson family released a statement Monday afternoon commending the authorities on their hard work. "The Jackson family has full confidence in the legal process, and commends the ongoing efforts of the L.A. County Coroner, the L.A. District Attorney and the L.A. Police Department," the statement said. "The family looks forward to the day that justice can be served."
Murray, who has been at the center of the investigation into Jackson's death, says he dropped the dosage because he feared Jackson was forming an addiction.
He then gave Jackson 25 milligrams of propofol mixed with other sedatives. On June 25, Murray says he gave Jackson valium, lorazepam, midazolam and other drugs. When Jackson still wasn't able to sleep, Murray gave him 25 milligrams of Propofol after Jackson demanded it.
According to the unsealed documents, Murray told police that Jackson was medicated when he left to make phone calls to family members, but was not breathing upon his return. He performed CPR on Jackson, who was rushed to UCLA Medical Center where he was declared dead.
An Associated Press law enforcement claims the death has already been ruled a homicide, reporting the coroner determined a fatal combination of drugs was given to Jackson, causing his death. The AP reports that Murray is already the target of a manslaughter investigation by the LAPD.
According to TMZ, Murray reported Jackson wasn't breathing at around 11 AM, but a 911 call wasn't made until 12:21. Murray made 3 separate calls from 11:18 to 12:05 according to the documents. Murray also refused to sign the death certificate at the UCLA Medical Center, TMZ is reporting.
Authorities said they could find no evidence that Murray ordered or obtained the drugs under his medical license or DEA tracking number. Police did spot at least eight bottles of propofol in the house along with other prescription drugs prescribed to Jackson by Dr. Murray, Dr. Arnold Klein and Dr. Allan Metzger.
Other drugs confiscated in the search of Jackson's house include Clonazepam, Lorazepam, Lorazepam, Tamsulosin, Temazepam, Tizanidine, Trazodone and Valium.
The investigation of Murray's involvement has focused on whether he was negligent in giving Jackson the drug to Jackson outside a hospital setting and whether that justifies an involuntary manslaughter charge.
Last week, Murray released a video in which he claimed he "told the truth and I have faith the truth will prevail."
Friday, August 14, 2009
I Believe Paris Is My Daughter
http://www.popeater.com/2009/08/09/michael-jackson-kids-godfather-paris-is-my-daughter
Jackson Kids' Godfather: I Believe Paris Is My Daughter
Sunday 09 August 2009
A British tabloid reported Saturday that the godfather of Michael Jackson's three children claims to be the father of the singer's daughter Paris. The News of the World quotes Jackson's longtime friend Mark Lester as saying that he "gave Michael my sperm so that he could have kids -- and I believe Paris is my daughter."
The newspaper also quotes Lester, is a 51-year-old former child star known for his lead role in the 1968 movie version of the state show "Oliver!" as saying he's willing to take a paternity test.
In a video interview Lester said he donated his sperm at a London clinic. He said Jackson was married to Debbie Rowe at the time. "She's the birth mother of the children so I naturally assumed the sperm donation would obviously have gone into Debbie and Debbie would have borne the children," he said.
"It's been a secret for so long," Lester said. "In 1996 Michael asked me if I would give him my sperm and I said yes. It was a gift to him, no money was paid, it was something I was honored to do. He wanted children so badly."
"I'm the godparent to them and Michael was godparent to all my four kids. Our two families spent a lot of time together, and had a lot fun together. Now I'm not able to have any communication with the children. My repeated phone calls aren't returned and emails go unanswered."
"It's a contact issue," he said on the video. "I dearly want to remain in contact with those kids and I feel now this is the only way I can ensure that."
Uri Geller, a close friend of Jackson's, said during a GMTV interview: "I have no reason to doubt Mark's story, simply because I remember years ago in New York, Michael implied to me that he wanted Mark to help him father a child for him."
Other reports indicate that Lester's words were misintrerpreted though, PEOPLE reports. "They twisted his words around. He's not claiming to be the father of Paris Jackson," says one close family source.
Jackson family attorney Londell McMillan adds that the story is just another unproven and meaningless claim, and the probate court has no reason to go against its finding that the late King of Pop is father to all three of his kids.
"These are just merely claims with no legal standing whatsoever," McMillan said.
Jackson Kids' Godfather: I Believe Paris Is My Daughter
Sunday 09 August 2009
A British tabloid reported Saturday that the godfather of Michael Jackson's three children claims to be the father of the singer's daughter Paris. The News of the World quotes Jackson's longtime friend Mark Lester as saying that he "gave Michael my sperm so that he could have kids -- and I believe Paris is my daughter."
The newspaper also quotes Lester, is a 51-year-old former child star known for his lead role in the 1968 movie version of the state show "Oliver!" as saying he's willing to take a paternity test.
In a video interview Lester said he donated his sperm at a London clinic. He said Jackson was married to Debbie Rowe at the time. "She's the birth mother of the children so I naturally assumed the sperm donation would obviously have gone into Debbie and Debbie would have borne the children," he said.
"It's been a secret for so long," Lester said. "In 1996 Michael asked me if I would give him my sperm and I said yes. It was a gift to him, no money was paid, it was something I was honored to do. He wanted children so badly."
"I'm the godparent to them and Michael was godparent to all my four kids. Our two families spent a lot of time together, and had a lot fun together. Now I'm not able to have any communication with the children. My repeated phone calls aren't returned and emails go unanswered."
"It's a contact issue," he said on the video. "I dearly want to remain in contact with those kids and I feel now this is the only way I can ensure that."
Uri Geller, a close friend of Jackson's, said during a GMTV interview: "I have no reason to doubt Mark's story, simply because I remember years ago in New York, Michael implied to me that he wanted Mark to help him father a child for him."
Other reports indicate that Lester's words were misintrerpreted though, PEOPLE reports. "They twisted his words around. He's not claiming to be the father of Paris Jackson," says one close family source.
Jackson family attorney Londell McMillan adds that the story is just another unproven and meaningless claim, and the probate court has no reason to go against its finding that the late King of Pop is father to all three of his kids.
"These are just merely claims with no legal standing whatsoever," McMillan said.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Did Michael Jackson model face after Egyptian bust
http://www.suntimes.com/news/sneed/1701262,CST-NWS-sneed05.articleDid Michael Jackson model face after Egyptian bust?
August 5, 2009
BY MICHAEL SNEED Sun-Times Columnist
It's eerie, and it's creepy: An ancient limestone Egyptian bust in the Field Museum is a dead bang look-a-like of singer Michael Jackson.
The big question: Did Jackson, who went under the plastic surgeon's knife numerous times, pattern his ultimate appearance after the statue carving?
Answer: "I have no idea whether Jackson ever visited the museum, but the similarity between the limestone statue of a woman -- which is about 3,000 years old -- and Jackson is astounding," said a museum spokesman.
A history note: The limestone bust, which went on public display in 1988, was carved during the New Kingdom Period (1550 B.C. to 1050 B.C.); the same time period as Ramesses and King Tut.
The shocker: In 1993, Jackson, whose face was then virtually identical to the statue, cut a video titled "Remember The Time," which he sets in ancient Egypt -- during the time of the Pharaoh Ramses. (In the video, actor Eddie Murphy plays Ramesses. It also features Magic Johnson and Iman.)
The curiosity: The nose of the ancient Egyptian statue, which has been in the museum's private collection since 1899, is disintegrating. At the end of his life, Jackson's nose appeared to be disintegrating.
Nasal notes: Famed plastic surgeon Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who claims he began performing nose surgery on Jackson in his teens-- told Jackson he was going to limit him to two surgeries. "If only he'd stopped there," Dr. Hoefflin told Entertainment Tonight.
Backshot: The statue, which was not on view at the museum for almost 100 years, now resides near the exit of the "Inside Ancient Egypt" exhibit -- and has been bantered about on the blogs recently.
Funshot: It just made a blogger's list of the "Top Ten Things You Didn't Know about Michael Jackson!"
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Jackson latest case of an artist with inner demons
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12846398Michael Jackson latest case of an artist with inner demons
By Tony Hicks
Contra Costa Times
07/17/2009
Michael Jackson's death is just another reminder of how artistic ability seems closely linked to eccentricity, often with detrimental results.
Drug use, strange public behavior, seclusion, violence, alcoholism, mental illness — all are factors in the lives of so many musicians, actors, writers and other creative artists whose work forms the basis of our pop culture. It raises questions about whether great artistic drive and substance abuse or other forms of mental troubles are somehow related.
"Scientists are discovering more all the time about brain chemistry and creativity," says sociologist and author B.J. Gallagher. "Highly creative people have more finely tuned nervous systems, which makes them high-strung and neurotic. Their brains are wired a little differently. They're more prone to ADD, bi-polar, depression and other difficult mental states. They turn to drugs, alcohol or activities to ease their pain."
The question then becomes how much do these issues affect their artistic drive, or are caused by it.
Would Ernest Hemingway have been the compelling, adventurous writer if he didn't struggle with inner demons? Would Kurt Cobain have written such vivid, introspective music without the personal struggles? Would John Belushi have created the endless stream of hilarious characters and comedy routines without drugs and alcohol? Would Jackson have written such electrifying music without his tortured early years resulting in an obsessive search for childhood as an adult? And was his apparently debilitating habit for prescription drugs part of this?
Looking for answers
It's not idle speculation. Doctors and scientists have long studied whether immersing oneself intensely in art can help bring on substance abuse and/or mental illness, or whether an artistic brain somehow is naturally pulled toward these kinds of problems.
"(Artists) have bigger appetites — an extra energy," says Eric Maisel, a Walnut Creek-based family therapist, creativity coach and author of more than 30 books, mostly focused on creativity. "They don't want to drive 60, they want to drive 100. That energy can go into eating a million peanuts, like Orson Welles, or into writing 'War and Peace.'"
Although there's no real way to determine what percentage of great artists have battled substance abuse, mental illness or other demons (for one thing, you'd have to do the impossible and define both "addiction" and "great art"), the idea of the tortured creative genius is far from just a stereotype.
"There are almost no non-addicted musicians who have created revolutionary change in music," says Doug Thorburn, an author of four books on alcohol and drug addiction. "Addiction usually comes first."
Plenty of examples back up Thorburn's assertion. For instance, the creative explosion of Jazz in the 1950s was lead by artists as Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, all of whom had drug problems. Parker and Coltrane died relatively young after years of drug abuse stretching back to before they were famous.
By most accounts, Ray Charles, Billie Holiday, Jim Morrison, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, Bob Marley, Eddie Van Halen, Cobain, Eminem, members of the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Metallica, and many others who heavily influenced their art used drugs and/or alcohol regularly during their creative peak. In many cases, careers were derailed or interrupted or lives were cut short.
But what's debatable is how substance problems were related to the creative genius these artists displayed. And the situation's not universal. It's not clear that Elvis Presley, for example, used drugs until his later years. Although the Beatles were regular users during their later, most creative years, they didn't sample serious drugs until they'd already become the biggest band in the world. Jackson didn't fit the profile of an addict until he'd already changed pop music, although his eccentric lifestyle became an issue fairly early in his solo career.
For every Syd Barrett — the Pink Floyd singer, songwriter and musician whose career was rapidly fueled and destroyed by drug-induced mental illness — there were groundbreaking acts such as Prince, Madonna and U2 who did not have reputations for serious substance abuse or personal problems, even if they were eccentric.
"Creative people live in a heightened reality," says Gallagher. "The good times feel extra good and the bad times feel extra bad. However, there are plenty of creative people who find other, healthier ways to deal with their emotions."
Good with bad
For some artists, the bigger the success, the bigger the problems they face — less freedom, more demands and expectations, external pressures, media exposure. They become more public but, ironically, more isolated.
"Creative people manufacture big ideas; that has the effect of getting their words out there," Maisel says. "But the negative effect is pressure pushing them toward mania. They're also cutting themselves off from other people."
That isolation can fuel addiction and other mental issues, says Anne Paris, a psychologist and author, whose book "Standing at Water's Edge," is meant to help artists get into a creative flow.
"They need relationships with others," says Paris. "When people don't have that support to enter that state, they turn to drugs and alcohol to help immerse themselves (in their art). Ultimately, it's self-destructive. It takes them further away from creativity. Unfortunately for a lot of people, it turns into addiction."
Even for artists not prone to mental and substance-abuse troubles, celebrity itself can drive them there, especially when they don't meet expectations. "There's an emotional brutality," she says. "Having people reject your work is emotionally brutal."
Then there's the entertainment industry itself, which tends to forgive chemical abuse and bizarre behavior if the artist is successful enough.
Yes men
Then there are the enablers. As shown in Michael Jackson's case, having money and fame means more access to doctors and other people more than willing to give you what you want, even if it's bad for you. Officials in Los Angeles are probing several doctors who might have prescribed Jackson dangerous prescription drugs, although the case has not yet been termed a criminal investigation.
Enabling is almost expected in the entertainment world, says Eugene Foley, president of Foley Entertainment, a music industry consulting firm.
"In corporate America, the person would be encouraged to seek medical help. In the music industry, people often seem to accept someone's quirks and to not let it interfere with their work as best as possible. The stereotype of the crazy genius is commonplace."
Sometimes just the job of creating and performing can be hazardous.
"In people who are bi-polar, the creative process itself mimics depression," says Maisel. "You sink into your work, it gets harder and harder, then you're done and you're elated. When bands perform, there's tons of adrenaline for two hours. Then they have to eventually come down, and they do that through drugs, or drink, or sex ... whatever. There's a dozen reasons why creative people are more prone to addiction. The biggest is appetite. When there's a big appetite, it's hard to accept (normalcy)."
The biggest question perhaps is if anything can be done about the seeming connection artists/entertainers and self-destructive behavior.
The entertainment industry seems to have a better idea of how to protect its investments. Thanks to the spread of paparazzi culture, artists' signs of trouble come to light quickly, and there's a growing rehab industry to help people before they go the way of Coltrane, Parker, Morrison, Brian Jones and Cobain.
There are far more examples of artists successfully overcoming problems — the members of Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen, as well as Eminem, to name a few — so there's hope for those following in their troubled footsteps.
"I've seen people clean up their lives after (hitting bottom)," says Foley. "Once their addiction interfered with the creative process, that was the final straw. These particular folks needed their music much more than they needed to be drunk or high."
Tony Hicks can be reached at thicks@bayareanewsgroup.com.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Michael Jackson Dominates Billboard Charts
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1615461/20090708/jackson_michael.jhtml
Jul 8 2009
Michael Jackson Dominates Billboard Charts
In the second week after his death, King of Pop's records flew off shelves.
By Gil Kaufman
Michael Jackson fans paid tribute to the King of Pop the best way they knew how last week: by buying his music. In the first full week following the death of Jackson at age 50, and with retailers fully prepared for the onslaught of buyers, the fallen pop idol sold an astonishing 800,000 solo albums, dominating the charts in a way not seen since his heyday in the early 1980s.
According to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan, Jackson's sales nearly doubled from the week before, with his music occupying all 10 spots on the Top Catalog Albums chart, led by Number Ones, which sold 339,000 copies, a 215 percent increase from the previous week. Unlike the reporting period ending June 28 (just four days after Jackson's death), this time retailers had a chance to stock up, so physical albums represented 82 percent of MJ's sales, nearly double the figure from the previous one, according to Billboard.
Jackson's iconic Thriller album sold 187,000 copies (an 86 percent increase from the week before). The Essential Michael Jackson comes in at #3 with sales of 125,000, followed by Off the Wall (51,000), Dangerous (26,000), Bad (23,000), a Jackson 5 compilation (10,000), a solo Ultimate Collection (just under 10,000), his final solo album, Invincible (8,000), and Greatest Hits HIStory, Vol. 1 at #10 (close to 8,000).
Jackson's albums dominated the Top Pop Catalog charts, which tracks albums that are more than 18 months old and don't have a current single on the radio. Though the discs were not eligible for inclusion on the Top 200 albums chart, the top two Jackson titles easily bested that chart's top album, the Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 31 compilation, which logged 169,000 in sales.
Jackson also dominated on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart, with five out of the top 10 slots. The song that has become Jackson's unofficial theme in death, "Man in the Mirror," sold 159,000 copies, coming in just behind the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling." Overall, Jackson songs sold at a clip of 2.2 million downloads over the past week, just a shade under the 2.6 million that moved in the days after his death. In light of the all-star tribute to Jackson on Tuesday at Los Angeles' Staples Center, the singer's music is likely to dominate the charts again next week, especially if digital singles of performances from Mariah Carey, Usher, Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson are released this week.
Jul 8 2009
Michael Jackson Dominates Billboard Charts
In the second week after his death, King of Pop's records flew off shelves.
By Gil Kaufman
Michael Jackson fans paid tribute to the King of Pop the best way they knew how last week: by buying his music. In the first full week following the death of Jackson at age 50, and with retailers fully prepared for the onslaught of buyers, the fallen pop idol sold an astonishing 800,000 solo albums, dominating the charts in a way not seen since his heyday in the early 1980s.
According to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan, Jackson's sales nearly doubled from the week before, with his music occupying all 10 spots on the Top Catalog Albums chart, led by Number Ones, which sold 339,000 copies, a 215 percent increase from the previous week. Unlike the reporting period ending June 28 (just four days after Jackson's death), this time retailers had a chance to stock up, so physical albums represented 82 percent of MJ's sales, nearly double the figure from the previous one, according to Billboard.
Jackson's iconic Thriller album sold 187,000 copies (an 86 percent increase from the week before). The Essential Michael Jackson comes in at #3 with sales of 125,000, followed by Off the Wall (51,000), Dangerous (26,000), Bad (23,000), a Jackson 5 compilation (10,000), a solo Ultimate Collection (just under 10,000), his final solo album, Invincible (8,000), and Greatest Hits HIStory, Vol. 1 at #10 (close to 8,000).
Jackson's albums dominated the Top Pop Catalog charts, which tracks albums that are more than 18 months old and don't have a current single on the radio. Though the discs were not eligible for inclusion on the Top 200 albums chart, the top two Jackson titles easily bested that chart's top album, the Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 31 compilation, which logged 169,000 in sales.
Jackson also dominated on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart, with five out of the top 10 slots. The song that has become Jackson's unofficial theme in death, "Man in the Mirror," sold 159,000 copies, coming in just behind the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling." Overall, Jackson songs sold at a clip of 2.2 million downloads over the past week, just a shade under the 2.6 million that moved in the days after his death. In light of the all-star tribute to Jackson on Tuesday at Los Angeles' Staples Center, the singer's music is likely to dominate the charts again next week, especially if digital singles of performances from Mariah Carey, Usher, Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson are released this week.
Jacko doc: I donated sperm
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2525359/Dr-Arnold-Klein-admits-to-donating-sperm-in-the-past-but-denies-being-the-dad-of-Michael-Jacksons-children.html
Jacko doc: I donated sperm
By PETE SAMSON
US Editor
10 Jul 2009
THE man rumoured to be the biological dad of two of Michael Jackson's children admitted yesterday: "I did give sperm."
Dr Arnold Klein, the late superstar's dermatologist, said he did not know whether he was the father of son Prince Michael, 12, and 11-year-old daughter Paris.
Their mum Debbie Rowe was his nurse and met Jacko at his surgery. They married in 1996 before divorcing in 1999.
A source revealed: "Arnie and Debbie were very close. Along with Michael, all three of them spent lots of time as a trio. Although Arnie and Debbie are not so tight now they still talk and have had conversations since Michael's death.
"He has also been speaking out in support of her potential custody bid, saying she could be the best person to look after the children."
Dr Klein, who has admitted giving the star painkiller Demerol, was known to Jackson's children as Uncle Arnold.
He believes 50-year-old Debbie is the source of the rumours about him being the dad of Prince Michael and Paris.
Dr Klein said: "I still can't answer it absolutely one way or the other. I once donated sperm. I once donated sperm to a sperm bank. I think to the best of my knowledge I am not the father. If they want a DNA test they can have my DNA.
"My concern is his kids because I have never met children like it. They are the brightest and best behaved children I have ever met.
"I know how deeply he loved them and how deeply they loved him.
"No matter what I will protect these children.
Addiction
"Here's the most important thing. Michael loved those children as a father, those children loved him as a father. The most important thing about the father is who their children want him to be. The most important thing to these children is how Michael loved them and how they loved him."
Dr Klein, who was Jacko's dermatologist for 20 years, spoke of giving the star Demerol, which he took on the day he died two weeks ago.
He said: "I occasionally gave him Demerol to sedate him and that was the strongest medication I ever used.
"Michael once had an addiction and he went to England and withdrew that addiction at a secure setting."
Dr Klein also said he knew there were other doctors who gave Jacko Diprivan - the powerful sedative also believed to have been taken by the singer before his death - to help him sleep while he was on tour.
Dr Klein said: "I know for a fact he was using Diprivan when he was on tour in Germany. He was using it to go to sleep at night.
"I told him he was absolutely insane. I told him that this drug was very dangerous. He assured me he'd stopped."
Jacko will be buried wearing one of his iconic white gloves, it was revealed last night.
He had numerous gloves made during his career. But his family picked out his favourite - a crystal-encrusted mitt created more than a decade ago, for his final journey.
It also emerged yesterday that the city of Los Angeles faces a bill of $1.4million (£850,000) for providing security for Jacko's memorial on Tuesday.
That included overtime for the 4,173 cops who worked to secure the Staples Center, Forest Lawn cemetery and other areas that attracted fans.
BRITISH stage show Thriller Live, which celebrates Michael Jackson's music, will go on a 12-month world tour in response to demand from his fans, the producers announced yesterday.
p.samson@the-sun.co.uk
Jacko doc: I donated sperm
By PETE SAMSON
US Editor
10 Jul 2009
THE man rumoured to be the biological dad of two of Michael Jackson's children admitted yesterday: "I did give sperm."
Dr Arnold Klein, the late superstar's dermatologist, said he did not know whether he was the father of son Prince Michael, 12, and 11-year-old daughter Paris.
Their mum Debbie Rowe was his nurse and met Jacko at his surgery. They married in 1996 before divorcing in 1999.
A source revealed: "Arnie and Debbie were very close. Along with Michael, all three of them spent lots of time as a trio. Although Arnie and Debbie are not so tight now they still talk and have had conversations since Michael's death.
"He has also been speaking out in support of her potential custody bid, saying she could be the best person to look after the children."
Dr Klein, who has admitted giving the star painkiller Demerol, was known to Jackson's children as Uncle Arnold.
He believes 50-year-old Debbie is the source of the rumours about him being the dad of Prince Michael and Paris.
Dr Klein said: "I still can't answer it absolutely one way or the other. I once donated sperm. I once donated sperm to a sperm bank. I think to the best of my knowledge I am not the father. If they want a DNA test they can have my DNA.
"My concern is his kids because I have never met children like it. They are the brightest and best behaved children I have ever met.
"I know how deeply he loved them and how deeply they loved him.
"No matter what I will protect these children.
Addiction
"Here's the most important thing. Michael loved those children as a father, those children loved him as a father. The most important thing about the father is who their children want him to be. The most important thing to these children is how Michael loved them and how they loved him."
Dr Klein, who was Jacko's dermatologist for 20 years, spoke of giving the star Demerol, which he took on the day he died two weeks ago.
He said: "I occasionally gave him Demerol to sedate him and that was the strongest medication I ever used.
"Michael once had an addiction and he went to England and withdrew that addiction at a secure setting."
Dr Klein also said he knew there were other doctors who gave Jacko Diprivan - the powerful sedative also believed to have been taken by the singer before his death - to help him sleep while he was on tour.
Dr Klein said: "I know for a fact he was using Diprivan when he was on tour in Germany. He was using it to go to sleep at night.
"I told him he was absolutely insane. I told him that this drug was very dangerous. He assured me he'd stopped."
Jacko will be buried wearing one of his iconic white gloves, it was revealed last night.
He had numerous gloves made during his career. But his family picked out his favourite - a crystal-encrusted mitt created more than a decade ago, for his final journey.
It also emerged yesterday that the city of Los Angeles faces a bill of $1.4million (£850,000) for providing security for Jacko's memorial on Tuesday.
That included overtime for the 4,173 cops who worked to secure the Staples Center, Forest Lawn cemetery and other areas that attracted fans.
BRITISH stage show Thriller Live, which celebrates Michael Jackson's music, will go on a 12-month world tour in response to demand from his fans, the producers announced yesterday.
p.samson@the-sun.co.uk
Jacko cops can't rule out murder
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2528548/Michael-Jackson-cops-cant-rule-out-murder.html
Jacko cops can't rule out murder
By RICHARD MATHIESON
Published: 10 Jul 2009
COPS investigating Michael Jackson's death have refused to rule out murder.
Los Angeles police are looking into Jackson's drug history and want to quiz all of the star's former doctors.
Dad Joe Jackson believes "foul play" was involved in his son's death — a claim he made on US TV show Good Morning America.
LA police chief William Bratton said they will wait for toxicology test results before ruling out any possibilities.
He said: "Are we dealing with homicide? Are we dealing with an accidental overdose? What are we dealing with?"
The police will wait for the coroner to determine the 50-year-old's cause of death, but say their investigations continue.
Detectives are currently gathering evidence, including items seized from Jackson's rented home and arranging interviews with his many physicians.
Lawyer for Dr Arnold Klein, one of Jackson's medics, said the dermatologist was subpoenaed for medical records, which he gave to the coroner.
Joe Jackson said he didn't know anything about drugs Michael, who died two weeks ago, was taking. He said: "I don't even know the name of them.
"I do know that whatever he was taking was to make him rest because he had been working so hard."
Joe also said he and wife Katherine should get custody of Jacko's three kids, saying: "They'll grow up to be strong Jacksons."
Michael's daughter Paris, 11, was said to be taking the singer's death badly - crying every time she hears his name.
Jacko cops can't rule out murder
By RICHARD MATHIESON
Published: 10 Jul 2009
COPS investigating Michael Jackson's death have refused to rule out murder.
Los Angeles police are looking into Jackson's drug history and want to quiz all of the star's former doctors.
Dad Joe Jackson believes "foul play" was involved in his son's death — a claim he made on US TV show Good Morning America.
LA police chief William Bratton said they will wait for toxicology test results before ruling out any possibilities.
He said: "Are we dealing with homicide? Are we dealing with an accidental overdose? What are we dealing with?"
The police will wait for the coroner to determine the 50-year-old's cause of death, but say their investigations continue.
Detectives are currently gathering evidence, including items seized from Jackson's rented home and arranging interviews with his many physicians.
Lawyer for Dr Arnold Klein, one of Jackson's medics, said the dermatologist was subpoenaed for medical records, which he gave to the coroner.
Joe Jackson said he didn't know anything about drugs Michael, who died two weeks ago, was taking. He said: "I don't even know the name of them.
"I do know that whatever he was taking was to make him rest because he had been working so hard."
Joe also said he and wife Katherine should get custody of Jacko's three kids, saying: "They'll grow up to be strong Jacksons."
Michael's daughter Paris, 11, was said to be taking the singer's death badly - crying every time she hears his name.
I will nail Michael Jackson's killers
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/402626/I-will-nail-Michael-Jacksons-killers-sister-La-Toya-vows-to-prove-stars-death-was-foul-play.htmlI will nail Michael Jackson's killers
Jacko's heartbroken sister La Toya vows to prove star's death was foul play
From James Desborough, US Editor in Los Angeles, 12/07/2009
MICHAEL Jackson's heartbroken sister La Toya last night sensationally insisted the King of Pop was MURDERED for his £1 billion fortune.
And the former Playboy model told the News of the World: "I KNOW who did it."
In an astonishing exclusive interview, La Toya, 53, reveals secret new facts about the 50-year-old superstar's sudden death, drugs found in his body and a $2million stash of cash and jewels that has gone missing.
She also speaks movingly about Jacko's final resting place and tells how his children are struggling with their grief. La Toya said: "We don't think just one person was involved in the murder. It was a conspiracy to get Michael's money."
Grief-torn La Toya last night dramatically vowed revenge on the people she claims MURDERED her brother Michael.
And she vowed: "I know who did it and I won't rest until I nail them!"
La Toya's astonishing revelations come just two days after the chief of Los Angeles police admitted they were investigating Jacko's death as possible homicide.
In a moving exclusive four-hour interview with the News of the World, grieving La Toya - the closest person to Michael from the whole tight-knit Jackson clan - revealed she and the family are convinced her brother's apparent drugs overdose was "foul play" by a shadowy group out to get their hands on his £1 billion fortune.
"Michael WAS murdered," declared La Toya, 53. "And we don't think just one person was involved. Rather, it was a conspiracy of people. I feel it was all about money. Michael was worth well over a billion in music publishing assets and somebody killed him for that. He was worth more dead than alive."
As she posed a series of vital questions about 50-year-old Jacko's sudden death 17 days ago at his rented mansion in Los Angeles, La Toya said the pop icon was:
FED a series of addictive drugs to keep him submissive and controlled.
KEPT from his family by manipulative people who blocked their visits.
WORKED to exhaustion even though he DIDN'T want to do the gruelling string of 50 shows due to start at London's O2 arena tomorrow.
ROBBED of TWO MILLION in cash and gems as he lay dying.
Because of her close bond with Michael, La Toya was chosen by the family to sign the death certificate. Now the first step in her battle for justice is underway, with the second, independent, autopsy she ordered.
The official coroner's report is not due for two weeks but La Toya already knows the results of the family's own toxicology tests on the body and said: "I think everyone will be surprised when the results come out.
"I can't discuss that any further because of the ongoing police investigation. But I can say newspaper reports that there was methadone in his body are inacuurate.
"He had many needle marks on his neck and on his arms, and more about those will emerge in the next few weeks. But nothing has changed my mind that this was murder and I won't give up until I find out what killed my brother.
"A couple of years ago Michael told me he was worried that people were out to get him. He said, 'They're gonna kill me for my publishing. They want my catalogues and they're gonna kill me for these.'
"I knew something terrible was going to happen."
Brushing her long dark hair back from her face - features that closely resemble her tragic brother's - soft-spoken La Toya added: "Michael was being inappropriately treated by people who got him hooked on drugs.
"I can't say who I believe is responsible as I don't want to jeopardise the police investigation. But not everybody had Michael's best interests at heart. A month ago I felt Michael was going to die before he did his London concerts.
"I felt it would be foul play. I felt he'd never make the show."
La Toya claimed those plotting against her brother deliberately cut him off to become "the loneliest man in the world".
She told us: "They tried to keep the family away at all times, even my dad.
"Michael was being controlled. No one could get through to him.
"We wanted to know why we were being kept away and my father Joe was always trying to get to see him. He tried so hard to be there for Michael. He was seen as a threat but he was trying to help. And if you keep the family away, you can conquer. It's like they say, divide and conquer."
La Toya also claimed millions of dollars in cash and jewels disappeared from Jackson's house the day he died.
She said: "Michael always had cash in his homes, usually around $2 million (£1.2 million) which he used to pay out on things. People said he wasn't wealthy, but Michael always had money with him.
"When I went to the house later that day there was NO cash or jewellery. So many people had been through that house before I got there. Someone went in there and did a good job. It was very strange."
Questions still surround events leading up to Jackson's death at the £5 million house on North Carolwood Drive in Holmby Hills on June 25. The singer collapsed around midday and his staff made the 911 emergency call at 12.22pm.
And La Toya described the harrowing scenes she found later that night inside the room where her brother died - strewn with oxygen flasks and empty pill bottles.
She told us: "The police had already taken an oxygen tank which was beside the bed. On top of the sheets there was still an oxygen mask. Standing beside the bed was a stand for an intravenous drip. I was told the cops had taken the bag of liquid from it.
"Behind I saw three oxygen tanks in the corner of the room.
"There was an empty pill box on a cabinet. We also found loads of empty oxygen tanks in the garage of the house." Jackson was found to be on a potentially lethal cocktail of drugs when he died, with twice-a-day injections of morphine-related painkiller Demerol and doses of powerful narcotic Dilaudid.
He was also taking twice-daily jabs of painkiller Vistaril, anxiety drug Xanax, anti-depressants Prozac and Zoloft, plus anti-indigestion drug Prilosec.
Cops removed two dustbin bags-full of prescription drugs from the house.
But La Toya insisted vegetarian Jacko had told her he was on a six-month DETOX.
And the last time they'd met, at 60th wedding anniversary celebrations for their parents in a Beverly Hills curry house three weeks before his death, the singer seemed strong and healthy to his sister.
She said: "Michael was fit, happy and enjoyed every minute of it. Sure he was thin, but Michael was always thin. From my understanding, he was very healthy.
"When I arrived Michael was there standing by the door greeting people, and he said to me, 'You look fabulous.'
"It was a wonderful time. When he left we embraced each other and he said, 'Thanks for a nice time. We have to do this again in Vegas.'
"He went to the door, and as he got into the vehicle he looked back and waved goodbye. It's sad to think that was the last time I saw my baby brother."
La Toya claimed that he was then wiped out by the punishing rehearsal schedule for the London shows. In the last two days before his death, the Thriller star had performed a dress rehearsal and then a full day's run-through and strategy session. But La Toya insists that in reality Michael wanted to GIVE UP music.
"He really wanted to be a movie director," she said. "He was doing everything to make that happen. He had an idea do a horror film called Thriller. He designed the poster for it already.
"He didn't want to do 50 shows, he only wanted to do 10. But he was pushed. And Michael being Michael didn't want to let down his fans.
"But even his daughter Paris said, 'They worked Daddy too hard.' Somebody that fragile can't keep going on like that." La Toya revealed she is also mystified by the sacking of Michael's entire staff just HOURS after his death.
She said the family found out when they went back to the house at 11.30pm to claim the star's belongings. La Toya added: "We were told all the guys loyal to Michael had been fired. I couldn't work it out."
Finally La Toya revealed how the tragedy had drawn the Jacksons closer together.
"This has united the family," she said. "We're all in pain and suffering the loss of Michael. . . but we're also determined to get to the bottom of what happened to him.
"He was taken from us too soon. Michael didn't have to die."
Jackson death may have been 'homicide'
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6681404.eceJuly 11, 2009
Jackson death may have been 'homicide', says police chief
Michael Jackson is reported to have been taking a cocktail of drugs
James Bone in New York
The Los Angeles police chief has raised the prospect of a homicide charge over the death of Michael Jackson.
Homicide does not necessarily mean murder — it could mean a manslaughter charge against a doctor.
Jackson, 50, died last month in mysterious circumstances but is reported to have been taking a cocktail of drugs including the potent anaesthetic Diprivan, also known as propofol. Los Angeles police are investigating Jackson’s prescription drug history and have subpoenaed medical records from doctors who treated him, including psychiatric records.
“We are still awaiting corroboration from the coroner’s office as to cause of death. That is going to be very dependent on the toxicology reports that are due to come back,” William Bratton, the city’s police commissioner, told the broadcaster CNN. “And based on those, we will have an idea of what it is we are dealing with. Are we dealing with a homicide? Or are we dealing with accidental overdose?
“We’ve got very good investigators. They will be prepared to deal with whatever the coroner’s findings may be.”
The singer’s father said yesterday that he suspected foul play in his son’s death. Joe Jackson, 79, said that he was dumbfounded when he learnt that his son was being taken to hospital on June 25. “I just couldn’t believe what was happening to Michael,” he told ABC News. “I do believe it was foul play. I do believe that.”
He said that a second post-mortem examination requested by the family had yet to yield answers about what killed his son. “I did not know anything about the drugs. I didn’t even know the names of them. I do know that whatever he was taking was to make him rest because he has been working so hard.
“That drug was supposed to make him relax and sleep. But anyway, he did not wake up. He never woke up. Michael died in his sleep.”
The actress Roseanne Barr said in her blog that she had been asked to call Jackson to discuss relaxation techniques.
She also described him as a long-term drug addict. “I was given his cellphone number the night before he died and asked to call him and I didn’t, I was too afraid — I thought I would wait until shabbat [the sabbath] to call him and then he was dead. He wanted to know about meditation,” she wrote. Sending her best wishes to Jackson’s three children, she added: “Their dad was a drug addict for many, many years. What makes a drug addict is someone who has too much pain in the memory banks.”
A 2004 police document, obtained by CNN, alleges that at one point Jackson was taking up to 40 pills a night of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax.
The document cites interviews with two Jackson employees in preparation for his child abuse trial, in which he was acquitted.
One of the employees, a security guard, later left his job after Jackson “fell on his face” in a hotel room. The guard said that he was not comfortable getting prescriptions for the singer, the document says.
Jackson’s body is understood to be in storage in a crypt at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood, which is owned by Berry Gordy, the Motown Records founder, who helped to launch the Jackson 5.
The family is said to be split on the Jackson’s final resting place. His brother Jermaine wants to bury him at the Neverland Ranch, which could become a tourist magnet like Elvis Presley’s Graceland. Katherine Jackson, the family matriarch, opposes the idea because her son vowed during his child abuse investigation not to go back to Neverland.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Michael Jackson Shatters Billboard Records
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1615071/20090701/jackson_michael.jhtml
Jul 1 2009
Michael Jackson Shatters Billboard Records
Jackson's music dominates the Top Pop Catalog, Digital Albums, Digital Songs and Top Comprehensive Albums charts.
By James Montgomery
Given the news all week of his posthumous sales surge, it comes as no surprise that Michael Jackson is officially the King of Pop charts again.
According to Nielsen SoundScan, Michael Jackson albums and Jackson-related compilations hold the top nine positions on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog chart, all posting remarkable jumps in sales in the days following the singer's death. (SoundScan tracks sales through the close of business on Sunday.)
Jackson himself holds a record eight of the top 10 spots, while a Jackson 5 compilation also landed in the upper tier of the chart. His Number Ones greatest hits package leads the pack at #1, selling more than 108,000 copies, a staggering 2,340 percent sales increase. The Essential Michael Jackson and Thriller follow at #2 and #3, selling more than 102,000 and 101,000 copies, respectively.
His breakthrough Off the Wall album is at #4, selling more than 33,000 copies nearly 30 years after it was initially released. The Jackson 5's Ultimate Collection is next at #5, with sales of more than 18,000 copies. His 1987 Bad album returns at #6 (17,000 sold); Dangerous is at #7 (14,000); HIStory — Volume 1 is at #8 (12,000); and the 2004 Jackson box set, The Ultimate Collection, lands at #9 (11,000).
The lone non-Jackson album in the top 10 is a reissue of the "Woodstock" movie soundtrack, which sold 8,000 copies to snag the #10 spot.
All in all, Jackson's solo albums sold more than 415,000 copies this past week, according to SoundScan, an amazing number, considering his titles sold a combined 10,000 copies in the week prior to his death. The one-week total is also nearly 40 percent more than what his catalog had sold in all of 2009.
Of the 415,000 albums sold, 58 percent were digital downloads, which means Jackson has set another record: He's the first artist to hold six of the top 10 slots on the Digital Albums chart, including the top four spots. He also holds a staggering 25 songs on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart, smashing a record set by David Cook last year.
Early SoundScan reports have the Black Eyed Peas' The E.N.D. claiming the top spot on next week's Billboard's Top 200, with sales of more than 88,000 copies. If that figure holds true, this week marks the first time that a catalog album has sold more copies than the album that sits at #1 on the Top 200.
Catalog albums — defined by Billboard as being albums that are more than 18 months old and have fallen below position 100 on the Billboard Top 200 chart — are ineligible to appear on the Top 200 albums chart. They can chart on the all-encompassing Top Comprehensive Albums list, where, once again, Jackson is on top, holding the top three positions on the chart, followed by The E.N.D. at #4.
Jul 1 2009
Michael Jackson Shatters Billboard Records
Jackson's music dominates the Top Pop Catalog, Digital Albums, Digital Songs and Top Comprehensive Albums charts.
By James Montgomery
Given the news all week of his posthumous sales surge, it comes as no surprise that Michael Jackson is officially the King of Pop charts again.
According to Nielsen SoundScan, Michael Jackson albums and Jackson-related compilations hold the top nine positions on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog chart, all posting remarkable jumps in sales in the days following the singer's death. (SoundScan tracks sales through the close of business on Sunday.)
Jackson himself holds a record eight of the top 10 spots, while a Jackson 5 compilation also landed in the upper tier of the chart. His Number Ones greatest hits package leads the pack at #1, selling more than 108,000 copies, a staggering 2,340 percent sales increase. The Essential Michael Jackson and Thriller follow at #2 and #3, selling more than 102,000 and 101,000 copies, respectively.
His breakthrough Off the Wall album is at #4, selling more than 33,000 copies nearly 30 years after it was initially released. The Jackson 5's Ultimate Collection is next at #5, with sales of more than 18,000 copies. His 1987 Bad album returns at #6 (17,000 sold); Dangerous is at #7 (14,000); HIStory — Volume 1 is at #8 (12,000); and the 2004 Jackson box set, The Ultimate Collection, lands at #9 (11,000).
The lone non-Jackson album in the top 10 is a reissue of the "Woodstock" movie soundtrack, which sold 8,000 copies to snag the #10 spot.
All in all, Jackson's solo albums sold more than 415,000 copies this past week, according to SoundScan, an amazing number, considering his titles sold a combined 10,000 copies in the week prior to his death. The one-week total is also nearly 40 percent more than what his catalog had sold in all of 2009.
Of the 415,000 albums sold, 58 percent were digital downloads, which means Jackson has set another record: He's the first artist to hold six of the top 10 slots on the Digital Albums chart, including the top four spots. He also holds a staggering 25 songs on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart, smashing a record set by David Cook last year.
Early SoundScan reports have the Black Eyed Peas' The E.N.D. claiming the top spot on next week's Billboard's Top 200, with sales of more than 88,000 copies. If that figure holds true, this week marks the first time that a catalog album has sold more copies than the album that sits at #1 on the Top 200.
Catalog albums — defined by Billboard as being albums that are more than 18 months old and have fallen below position 100 on the Billboard Top 200 chart — are ineligible to appear on the Top 200 albums chart. They can chart on the all-encompassing Top Comprehensive Albums list, where, once again, Jackson is on top, holding the top three positions on the chart, followed by The E.N.D. at #4.
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